Flower Power India Pale Ale - Ithaca Beer Company

mtomlins

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 330 ml bottle into a tulip class.

A: Areally nice straw color beer and very clear. It poured to a nice white bubly head, albeit not very thick, and settled down to a thin collar. There was no appearent lacing though (wonder if my glass was dirty or something?).

S: A great nose on this beer! It smelled sweet and juicy, lots of piney notes and some citrus to back it up. Maybe a touch of spiciness in there.

T: Obviously a huge wack of hops, spicy and high floral notes, pine and some citus in the back. A nice malt character balances out the high level of bittering hops. I find Flower Power to be a bit dry. It finishes very clean though.

M: Smooth and round on the palate.

O: Delicious! A tasty brew. Would be one of my fav's except for the lack of lacing (minor concern) and a bit dry in the finish. Still, I am splitting hairs and this is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 19:28:15 | More by mtomlins

Gwalchgwynn67

New York

4.24/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Nice amber hue with a thick creamy head. Good retention and lacing. Aromas of sweet pink grapefruit with hints of piney forest. Hops is upfront and in your face with assertive mid-palate true-to-type bitterness finishing to a pleasant astringency. Mouth feel is a bit on the light side, but overall it's an excellent IPA. If you're a fan of classic IPA bitterness, try this. Going to pour another right now.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 04:08:21 | More by Gwalchgwynn67

pmarlowe

California

3.83/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Best by June. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a golden straw color with a finger of snow white head. Very good clarity. Pretty good retention with generous lacing.

S: Caramel candy, a hint of pink grapefruit and tangerine/blood orange.

T: Melted caramel, piney and juicy hoppiness, floral notes, and a well integrated mild bitterness on the finish.

M: Medium body and medium-light, soft carbonation.

O: Pretty drinkable, though the hop flavors are not particularly pronounced. Hard to tell how fresh this bottle is, though, so that may be a factor.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:02:00 | More by pmarlowe

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled served in weizen glass

Pale amber, a touch hazy with 2 finger frothy white head with good retention and good sticky lacing about the whole glass. Aroma is honeysuckle, very floral, honey, grass, biscuit. Taste follows the nose, pretty sweet malt forward ipa with great floral and citrus notes. Light body, moderate carbonation. A fantastic spring ipa, I would seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 12:53:08 | More by williamjbauer

thatbrian

Connecticut

3.28/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

When I saw the numbers I had to try it. How could I not? I'm an IPA lover, and hops make my day, but, to my disappointment, this IPA was all nose, which is off the charts, but, it's far less appealing to the taste buds than it is to the nose.

Glad that I was able to purchase one bottle rather than a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:03:26 | More by thatbrian

Treebs

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle served in a Firestone Walker tulip. Best before May. Big thanks to cosmicevan and iadler for sending some bottles my way.

A: Pours a clear orange color with a white head forming on the pour. It recedes slow to a thick cap that leaves some sticky sheets of lace behind. Looks great.

S: Nice orange citrus. Some sweet jammy notes with some a pale cracker malt backbone.

T: Same citrus orange with a little orange peal. Nice cracker malt backbone with a mild hint of leafy hop bitterness.

M: Medium to light bodied with a medium carbonation level. Small hint of bitterness on the finish.

O: This a really nice beer. At 7.50% it doesn't get into that threshold of being to boozy to have more than one which is great. Definitely glad I have another bottle in the fridge!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:11:02 | More by Treebs

RaulMondesi

California

4.24/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Wowiee zowieee. This reminds Raul when he snuck off with the #1 jock's girlfriend in the 8th grade: Raul's first frenchie kiss and black eye were totally worth it!

I mean, this thing is plumb, hound dog with double blood shot eyes crazy! Taste is poppin' and the mouthfeel blows up like a fresh harvested Incan berry (trust me, my children).

Although Raul sighs in frustration that this bad sucker is brewed 3000 miles away, at the moment he still smiles that one is in front of him and he is content to be.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:28:34 | More by RaulMondesi

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: A bright, golden yellow with a finger head that slowly dissipates to a thin film. Good, thick lacing.

Smell: (Duh) Floral, some hoppy bitter bite, a little alcohol, and a bit of candied sweetness.

Taste: Floral hopps, the alcohol again, a pleasant bitter bite, and the sweet candied tastes come through right alongside the hopps.

Mouthfeel: Much fluffier than I expected but other than that it follows the classic IPA feel.

Overall: This is good at a good price point and is definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 21:18:13 | More by alex_hart

BobaFret

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - A nice, clear light orange/gold color with a creamy white head that lingers.

S - Tropical fruits dominate the aroma followed by a subtle dank character. One of the most appealing aromas on an IPA.

T - Sweet, citrusy, juicy! You can taste everything that is in the aroma. You can definitely taste the Citra and Simcoe hops.

M - Smooth, medium body.

O - A superb, drinkable IPA!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:28:28 | More by BobaFret

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a light orangey gold color. White fluffy head. Some lacing is left. Fairly pale, I like the looks of this.

Smells of orange zest, lemon, tropical fruits. Malt is subtle, hops are on display.

Taste of lemon on the front end. Bitter tropical fruit on the finish.

Nice light body makes for some easy drinking. I would not have guessed this is 7.5 percent.

Really glad to get a chance to try this. My first bottle went down incredibly fast and easy. Verges on the "dangerously drinkable" category.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 23:27:18 | More by Powderhornphil

ptkenny301

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This beer is defiantly in my top 5! The name sits well with it hoppy taste. The aroma of hops is strong same with the taste. The abv is perfect fir an IPA, strong enough to catch a good buzz and not over the top so it knocks your ass out! Every sip is as good as the first one, which is good when you have a whole case. I scored this beer in the higher end for the simple fact that i think everyone should try this beer at least once. Cheers from your friends in pittsburgh.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:52:46 | More by ptkenny301

MisSigsFan

California

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy gold color with a good amount of sediment that makes its way to the bottom of the glass. Two finger thick white head. Smell is a lot of tropical fruit and earthy notes. Taste follows the nose for the most part, but with a lot more citrus and a bit of pine. I love the bitterness too. First time I tried this I think my palate was completely shot from what I was drinking before, but now all of these flavors are coming out. It's really nice. Mouthfeel is what you would expect from an IPA. Pretty light and crisp and absolutely refreshing. Overall, honestly this is probably one of my favorite IPAs. Possibly up there with Sculpin and Stone. I was really not expecting something this good.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 21:13:08 | More by MisSigsFan

Rocky9

California

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The best-smelling beer I've ever had, and one of my favorite IPAs as well.

Looks great, smells unbelievably great - I'll admit, I'm a sucker for any "floral"-type IPA. Something about it just makes the beer taste better. Especially when you don't actually taste the flowery part in the beer itself. I don't know how they do it - it's a mystery!

One of my "top 3" beers. I'd drink this anytime, anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 14:31:21 | More by Rocky9

dar482

New York

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Store just got a case of this. It has a 3 month Best By, so it’s at most 1 month old (June is nicked on the bottle label).

A white fluffy one finger head. The color is a light peach and apricot gold color. Looks almost like Crystal Delight. It’s super hazy and you cannot see through it.

That aroma is killer. One of the best I’ve smelled from an IPA. So freaking complex. Tropical fruit, juicy ripe peaches, pineapple, apple. Just sweet sweet ripe fruit. Going back in, it’s almost like sweet grapefruit, which is hidden from the honey sweet aroma.

The flavor is quite interesting. Not as expected. The first thing that kicks you is a huge grapefruit bitterness that rushes all over the tongue, onto the sides. There’s pineapple in there as well. The middle has a slight biscuit malt flavor before the finish hits.

The aftertaste isn’t bad because it just has this astringent grapefruit peel bitterness. Very fresh and natural tasting without bothering the palate. It’s very strong still. A huge bitter bomb. Not recommended for those just getting into IPAs.

It’s well constructed. I wish the front flavors were a bit stronger and lasted longer. The transition is good to the strong and bitter finish.

This is a hop head’s dream. The bitterness I wish was slightly toned down, but there aren’t too many complaints. World class beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:32:53 | More by dar482

brydeen

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

bottle poured into a pint glass, courtesy of jstilwell

A: Pour a pale golden color. Very crisp/clear in appearance. A nice 1/4 inch white head emerges, but dissipates quickly, leaving just a thin white layer of bubbles. Pretty decent lacing.

S: A nice dry, bitter aroma. Faint floral smell, with a slight, subtle sweetness from some citrus notes. Restrained, but quite nice. Perfumey.

T: Tropical yet dry. Hints of oranges and lemon zest. Slight bitterness, with a pleasantly dry finish. A light earthy flavor as well. Outstanding.

M: Dry, light-bodied, with bubbly carbonation. This beer is amazingly drinkable. I could easily see myself drinking a 6 pack in a night (against my better judgement). Drinks so light, the alcohol is almost unnoticeable.

O: This might be my ideal IPA. Light, dry, bitter, with just enough citrusy sweetness. It doesn't have the powerful nose or big flavor to stand up to the top DIPAs, but it's on a short list of IPAs for me. Really flavorful yet easy to drink. I'll never be unhappy receiving this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:44:34 | More by brydeen

flayedandskinned

California

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Best before July 2013 Date.
Poured into Sierra Nevada/Dogfish IPA glass.
Big thanks to IPAkindofguy for giving me this as an extra in a trade!

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear, light orange verging on blonde. Its almost pilsner-esque in hue. A thick, pure white 2 and half finger heads forms as soon it the beer hits the glass. The leaves lots of sticky lacing as the head recedes. Really nice looking IPA.

Aroma: Big, dank slightly astringent citra and simcoe hops right away; Huge tropical notes of kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit and light passion fruit. There is really interesting floral scent imparted by the yeast. There is a really nice and soft, sweet maltiness that comes out more and more as the beer warms.

Taste: Hops slam your palate immediately; huge notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and a really nice pine needle note. A soft bready malt presence provides the perfect backbone to show case the tropical and fruity hops. The beer finishes dry and bitter with lingering notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and cracke-ry malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation.

Overall: Great stuff! Honestly this is the most "west coast" styled IPA I have ever had. The hops positively leap off of the soft, but firm malt backbone. This really reminds me of a slightly less aromatic version of Blind Pig IPA from Russian River, but if it was brewed with Citra hops. I highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 03:54:12 | More by flayedandskinned

Sam21

Connecticut

4.01/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into tulip. Best by June 2013, so this beer is two months old.

A- Hazy orange body with a thick and creamy white head that leaves great tiger striping.

S- Lots of lemongrass, dried apricots, pineapple, touch of grapefruit rind, and some light peachy notes.

T- Hop centered, but holds some semblance of balance. Sweeter hop notes up front showcasing sweet citrus fruits and perhaps a hint of tropical fruit. This bleeds into a grapefruit bitterness in the middle that sits atop a sweet caramel backbone. Finishes with thick, resinous, and leafy hop bitterness that slices right through. Leaves lingering notes of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

MF- Medium-full body with smooth creamy carbonation. Really nice smooth body with a dry finish.

O- This is a hop-centric IPA. It's definitely one of the hop monsters that does it well. It's up there with Gandhi Bot, Heady Topper, and Sculpin. Hopped, hopped, and hopped again… and then dry hopped. It shows, but it also carries some balance and pleasant sweetness rounding it all out. Great IPA that is really easy to find and find fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:34:00 | More by Sam21

JG-90

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into glass yields a medium sized bubbly head that is slighty off-white in color. Beer is a dull cloudy yellow with a hint of orange. Head recedes to leave a thin film on top. Moderate lacing.

Great smell - grapefruit, orange, and floral are most noticable. Pinneapple and pine also present with a bit of bread. Taste is incredible as well, starts with orange and floral, then comes grapefruit bitterness, finishing with pine and bread. Mouthfeel is very creamy, medium/heavy body, moderate/high and slightly biting carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 21:15:47 | More by JG-90

sommersb

Tennessee

3.84/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Tasted On: 04-14-2013
Freshness: Best before 05-2013
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Globe glass
Purchased: Received in a trade

Thanks to DrewShal9 for the trade brew

A: Golden in color, clear on the first pour and then hazy on the second. The finger of off-white head has both good retention and lacing.

S: First I get a pungent aroma of citrus hops, and then a very floral note. The floral aspect is like a perfume -- quite different than any beer I've ever smelled.

T: The taste has an up-front hop bitterness with flavors of tropical fruits and tartness of grapefruit. The malt presence is low.

M: Both body and carbonation are in the medium range, with a finish that is bitter from hops and has a few sweet malt tones making an appearance. Also features some alcohol warmth.

O: Overall a good IPA with a an interesting aroma.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:24:58 | More by sommersb

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Golden and a bit hazy

S: Sweet, floral hops

T: Sweet malts up front quickly followed by citrus hops and a bitter finish.

M: Smooth and nice carbonation

Overall: I like this beer a lot. It has a great balance of malt and hops. I'll be buying this one again

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 18:20:00 | More by JuliusCaesar

thlayli87

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

A - Beautiful golden orange color with 1 finger head. Lots of bubbles cling to the sides of the glass. Decent lacing.

S - Complex nose with notes of mango, citrus, and pineapple.

T - Not as fruity as the nose. Some citrus fruit flavor followed by floral and herbal hop notes.

M - Smooth and satisfying. Mildly astringent

O - Hop forward but smooth and drinkable. A well crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:03:19 | More by thlayli87

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.19/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy golden straw with a 1/4 finger of white head. Decent amount of lace.

Nose is light and bright, sunshiney citrus. Hints of honey.

Taste is citrus heavy up front with orange, lemon, honey, and maybe just a slight hint of ginger. Transitions to a piney dry hop.

Thick medium body with a thick lingering after taste of hops and citrus.

A great IPA all around. Lots of great flavors and nicely balanced. Solid go to IPA when you find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 23:37:51 | More by dheacck11

gr0g

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A slightly hazy golden amber with a not quite two finger head. There's some pretty nice lacing left behind in spidery curtains all around the glass. Aroma features a diverse array of hop notes, which is something I like in an IPA. Right after the pour, tropical fruit notes of mango and pineapple are very noticeable. After a bit the scales are tipped a bit towards grass/pine/resin vs. fruit/citrus but both worlds are well represented.

On the palate there's a solid bitterness that goes on past the finish. Bright citrus-like fruit and rind flavors. Some grass and pine back it up. Caramel malt backbone lingers in the background but keeps the dryness at a level that I would consider moderately dry. The ideal IPA mouthfeel is present -- well carbonated but soft, slick and oily from prodigious hopping.

Flower Power packs an overall bright, fresh character with excellent complexity on both the nose and the palate. This is an elite IPA, especially among Eastern US breweries.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 22:33:45 | More by gr0g

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear bright gold. Head is bright-white and drops to a faint clumpy cap and a small loose collar in short order. Nice sheets and streaks of lacing. Moderate carbonation on the pour.

Smell: Floral and citrus heavy. Tons of sweet orange flesh and floral hop elements. Solid malt backbone consists mainly of sweet pale malts with a touch of caramel thrown in. Crystal malts as well? Juicy hop aroma. Some pine bitterness on the back, but it's generally bright.

Taste: Slightly sweet pale maltiness. A good punch of floral and citrus from the get go. Some pine needle bitterness in the back. Wet and juicy. Loaded with orange zest and grapefruit flesh. Cooked malt sweetness. Lingering bitterness. Slightly toasted. Oily.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and a touch slick. Heavy medium body with a moderate carbonation. Slight lingering bitter finish. Not dry at all, which is a bit surprising.

Overall: 4 out 5 Power Rangers recommend this beer.

Fresh this thing is stellar. Put more than 2 weeks on it and it loses that fine edge. Bitter and floral and unapologetic. That works for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 21:47:36 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a slightly hazed yellow, good thick one finger head that lasts a while, medium lacing.
S - Great aroma, big floral hops, dandelion flowers, a mix of different citrus zest, a little honey maltiness.
T - Great citrus fruit flavor and some dry hop characteristics, very vibrant grassy fresh flavors, some light honey and sweet malt and a pinch of yeast.
M - Dry finish with some sticky sweet honey fruit hop dankness that lingers.
O - This is a great IPA, one that could compete with some big guns, but is available year round. Excellent choice for any IPA lover.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:06:43 | More by Omnium