Flower Power India Pale Ale - Ithaca Beer Company

dogfishandi

New York

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

served on cask at the blue monk in buffalo, ny into a pint glass.

served with a hazy honey golden glow color. a very nice, somewhat creamy retentive white head with lots of nice clingy lace.

a nice clean hop aroma. dank, floral, grapefruit citrus with a slightly sweet malt that evens things out.

smooth flavors meld with one another so nicely. a nice even bitterness throughout the sip and into the finish. again with the dank, floral, and grapefruit citrus hops. maybe a bit of pine in there, slightly peppery. just a bit of a light caramel, honey malt.

so smooth and creamy, slightly lower carbonation from the cask, gotta love it.

ive had this many times from the bottle. its not necesarily better from the cask, but it seems to meld the flavors together so nicely. almost a totally different beer. very easy drinking. good stuff.

Serving type: cask

12-31-2011 23:23:57 | More by dogfishandi

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From the cask @ the Union Brew House into a standard pint glass. A golden orange color with excellent clarity, I normally like my ipas a little more cloudy, but this is good. Small white cap but gives nice lacing.

Very hoppy in the smell, a pleasant tickle to your nose. Citrus hops dominate the smell but sight hints of pine. Lemon and grapefruit zest.

Taste is also very hoppy yet the malts are more detectable in the taste. Citrus zest again with slight hints of pine. Don't be fooled by all the mentions of hops, this is a well balanced ipa. Caramelized pale malts assist and balance this brew out.

Mouthfeel is also very good. Feels light, but well balanced. Obviously more bitter than sweet, but it doesn't bite too hard. Crazy drinkable, hardly had time to finish this.

First review from my phone, my wife is here meeting with a colleague while I did this.

Serving type: cask

06-17-2011 00:10:02 | More by AndyAvalanche

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I can't figure out what was different with this IPA compared to all the other brutally gang-hopped ones I've tried. This has 6 different variety of hops in it and the scrumptious, balanced blend of flavor they were able to achieve is remarkable. Then again, I had this at a cask festival and you could chalk it up to luck. That is, until I'm able to try this on draft or bottle or whatever other way and compare. Here's a summary of my sotten scribbles:

Compared to a lot of the other ales I tried that day, this poured a beaming liquid sunshine orange with a healthy yellowish head atop. Spicy citrus zest hits the nose immediately, strong and proud, as malts dissolve 'neath the scent 'o hop.

The taste is complex, to put it one way. Sensations, go!

orange oil and a rich, clean, nutty malt
fuzzy tang on the tongue
sweet citrus, spicy/peppery zip
mild, lingering bitter grassy/dandelion leaf
solventy finish, approaching but not achieving burn

It was back and forth with the flavor mutations. Each sip showing a different angle, focusing on changing ratios of what the ingredients offered. Flower Power is one of those beers that takes hold of my imagination, toying with it, to my delight. Oh, we will meet again soon.

Serving type: cask

03-24-2011 03:11:13 | More by Bouleboubier

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask, via gravity fed firkin, @ the 2011 Philadelphia Real Ale Invitational (Yards Brewing in Philadelphia, PA) on 3/20/11. Served in a tasting glass.

Pours a clear copper, with a frothy covering of eggshell-white head. This stays rich, leaving back a good bit of creamy foamy lacing. The aroma smells bright, flowery, piney, and herbal, with fruity notes of tropical sweetness and some more bitter grapefruit character. Sweet grains sit along the back. Man, this is flowery and ripe in the nose. Good stuff!

The taste is bright in the mouth with citric fruit, as grapefruit mingles with notes of aggressive pine and spice. I'm not getting nearly as much tropical fruit though, as the bulk of the balance here is barely being brought by the sweet, grainy, and bready flavors of the malts. Hope dominate the finish, with a bitter and resinous feel that seems to linger forever. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and mostly sharp feeling the whole way through but there is a softer creaminess that hangs on the edges. There is a bit of warmth on the backend here, which seems to accentuate that strong bitter finish.

The cask conditioning here brought both positives and negatives to this, as it nicely opened up that beautiful full hoppy nose on this but also brought out the more aggressive aspects of the hop profile in the taste a bit too much. Overall though, there was definitely more to like than dislike here, as this remains a very solid IPA in my eyes.

Serving type: cask

03-23-2011 16:36:53 | More by Kegatron

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on cask at Al's of Hampden into a nonic pint. This one is 10 days old.

A - Pours sunkist amber orange with a gigantic two and a half finger head leaving thick, sticky, lacing down the glass.

S - Lots of strong citric hops blast you in the face right off the bat. Quite grassy with a bit of pine toward the end. Some caramel malt sweetness is faint but is present and helps balance this one a bit. Very nice floral hop nose.

T - Tons of strong, grassy, citric hops up front giving way quickly to a mix of sweetness from the malt and sticky pine resin that lingers long into the finish. Alcohol is hidden quite well but does come out a bit in the finish. Fairly well balanced until the finish when the sweetness begins to overpower it a bit. Very nice, but not the best I have had.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Very smooth feel that helps blend all the flavors together. A touch too resiny in the finish for my liking.

D - Pretty high. I knocked it back VERY quickly. How can you go wrong with a hoppy monster on cask? Oh right, you can't. One of the best cask IPA's I have ever had. Great stuff.

Serving type: cask

01-15-2011 20:30:41 | More by orangesol

regspeir

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz tulip @ Jose Pistolas
Poured a hazy orange with a small one-finger head. Nose was a strong orange/mango and hops but with a piney backbone. Taste was initally sweet - orange, grapefruit and mango with some pine and malt. Finish was with some mild and pleasant bitterness. Mouthfeel was medium and a little sticky. Carbonation was good. I had tried this from a bottle before and this is SO much better. I am anxious to try a bottle again to see if it comes close to this, which is a VERY good right-coast style IPA.
Just had a standard pint glass from cask @ Teresa's and it was wonderful! Like the description above except obviously creamy and smoother. Need to upgrade my review 'cause this was just great.

Serving type: cask

05-04-2010 01:49:01 | More by regspeir

Chinon01

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Honey color with a thin soapy head. Appears to be viscous.

Smell - Nose is pine cone and a little honey maple.

Taste - Similar to nose and dominated by hop bitterness. Some hop juice shows along with cannabis in finish.

Mouthfeel - Surprisingly thin considering the style, appearance and abv. Decent.

Drinkability - Not bad considering the style and hoppiness. Long but clean finish.

Serving type: cask

09-19-2008 02:32:58 | More by Chinon01

penguinjive7

New York

3.88/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Out of the cask this one pours an amber color with a bit of white head.

The smell is piney and citrusy.

The first blast of flavor comes from the hops which are quite tangy and this is immediately followed by a strong grapefruit flavor. The finish is surprisingly smooth.

The mouthfeel is a bit stagnant, but it is possible that this is because of the cask.

This is a very drinkable brew and I was quite impressed overall.

Serving type: cask

06-28-2007 01:43:24 | More by penguinjive7

Hautacam

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at My Place Restaurant in Newtown, CT.
Slightly hazy amber with a frothy white head.
Smells very piney with a bit of citrus.
Big blast of hop bitter right from the start. Citrus rind , floral, oily , piney punch backed up by a decent amount of slightly sweet malt. Lingering bitter aftertaste. A definite hophead brew.
Cask is the way to go for this one....very nice mouthfeel...micro carbonation with a medium body...flavors all meld well at this temp.
Not sure of the ABV on this, but I got quite a buzz from just one.

Serving type: cask

06-21-2007 00:03:20 | More by Hautacam

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