Fourteen - Ithaca Beer Company

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Poured dark brown, settled black. Half a finger of espresso coloured head formed and reduced to a thin layer. Good lacing.

S - Huge bitter hop aroma up front with grapefruit, earthy and light tropical fruit aromas. The roast plays a secondary role here but is definitely present.

T - Big bitterness up front with fresh hop flavours present - some citrus, pine and passion fruit. The roast enters in the middle with some hints of chocolate and provide a good sweetness to balance out the hopping.

M - Medium body. Some good hop resin present. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 13:13:54 | More by TheSevenDuffs

MadScientist

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's a dark brown with deep ruby highlights and good clarity. The long lasting tan head settles to an inch high and leaves lacing on the glass.

Hop aromas take center stage in this beer with citrus, pineapple and mango notes the strongest, mostly a citrus and tropical fruit type thing going on. There is a moderate malt sweetness and wheat softness with a hint of carmel. It smells like an American strong with a good amount of hops and solid malt with some soft alcohol notes.

The first sip is dominated by chocolate malt and hop flavors of citrus and tropical fruit again with a bit of pine as well. There is some malt sweetness in the beginning and middle with a very strong hop bitterness. The balance is decidedly bitter with the hops bitterness and some of the flavor lasting long past the off-dry finish.

This is a big smooth beer on the palate with a medium-full body with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is moderate amount of warmth from the alcohol.

This beer is like a American Strong blended with chocolate malt and dark wheat that's not quiet a porter nor a stout. It's as rich and complex as they promised on the bottle description. A pretty fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 22:02:35 | More by MadScientist

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Buffalo. Bottle pours a jet black with creamy white head. Smells floral and hoppy. The taste up front has a nice roastyness to it, with a floral hop bite finish to go with the malt backbone. Very smooth mouthfeel overall and this is a very easy beer to drink. Hoppy black ales are an interesting breed, and this is a good quality one.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 20:45:09 | More by WeedKing4

dogfishandi

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml capped bottle poured into a darkness snifter.

pours out pretty much black with a very nice cascading light tan colored head. some very nice retention and lots of thick lacing. the slightest bit of brown visible when held up to the light.

big woody, piney, resiny hops, as well as some dry grapefruit citrus. lots of caramel, slight hints of cocoa and roast.

crisp dry grapefruit citrus, woody hops, some pine and resin. balanced very nicely by a sticky caramel, light roasted malt. finishes with that dry cascade bitterness, but still a touch of sweetness present from all the malts. some sweet toasted, roasted grains as it warms up.

sharp bitterness, medium bodied, slightly sticky at times. carbonation spot on for the style.

a wonderful example of a black IPA. the hops and malts work very well together. ithaca continues to amaze with there IPA's

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 19:41:41 | More by dogfishandi

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ML bottle poured into a larger Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass. The beer is really not black, more of a darker brown with nice mahogany highlights in the middle and edges. Nice tan colored head with many sized bubbles and some slightly better than average lacing. Head was big after an aggressive pour.

Smell is probably the best part of the beer. Well hopped, earthy and pine for the most part with a touch of honey and a hint of chocolate. The chocolate is more natural and bitter than sweet smelling, but there is a slight sweetness there.

Taste is good, but weaker than expected based on the smell. Chocolate malts provide an over-toasted flavor, sweet bready with hops that come out and bite you a tad. Slight citrus, but mostly pine again.

A heavy light to medium feel, probably one of the lightest black ales I've had. Carbonation level is decent. Not completely filtered in the feel and there is a bitter finish. Hop finish isn't completely clean, so it's not a hard bite. Pretty drinkable.

Overall it's a good beer, but far from great. I expected a little more from a Anniversary beer, but I guess 14 isn't really THAT special of a year. Worth trying, but only once.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 01:41:45 | More by AndyAvalanche

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jeff for bringing me this one. 750 mL bottle poured into DFH signature glass.

A - Pours black with a two finger dense mocha head. Shows grat retention and a complete lacing.

S - Vibrant floral hops, earth notes, toasted oak malts, and a hint of dark chocolate. Very complex and representative of the style.

T - The hops are immediately apparent. Lots of citrus, with a piney finish. These are terrifically balanced by roasty malts, molasses, and some wheat.

M - Creamy feel without being too heavy. In my opinion, one of the best examples of mouthfeel for this style. Drinkability is high with no alcohol presence.

O - This is the best Ithaca beer and one of the best Black Ales I have tried. Exceptional complexity and balance. I am a bit disappointed this is just an Anniversary beer. It would be a staple in my fridge if it were made regularly.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 02:18:27 | More by NoLeafClover44

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid dark brown/black with the faintest of garnet highlights when held to light. smallish off white head leaves lots of lace on the way down. Smells of pine and resin with bits of grapefruit and roast. Taste is a bit sweet and roasty with caramel and chocolate but with lots of pine resin and citrus. Medium body with a light level of carbonation and a sweet resinous mouthfeel. This is a great beer, I really enjoyed it. Hoppy porter, black ale, ipa, ah who cares its good.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 00:29:33 | More by johnnnniee

rlee1390

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Black in the glass but a deep ruby around the edges, two finger light tan head with great lacing.

S-Some roasted malt and coffee with a good deal of hops.

T-Starts with roasted malt and slight coffee notes, ends bitter with some hops.

M-Medium bodied, carbonated and smooth.

O-Another good Black IPA, not sure why on earth they say you can age this beer... I wouldn't.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 16:28:58 | More by rlee1390

Kendo

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought the bottle at Olivers on 5/31/12 (I think it was $9.49). Consumed on 6/1/12.

A: Poured from the 750 ml bottle into a pint glass. Body is black with a fairly dense, 1-finger beige head with good staying power. Leaves behind plenty of foamy lace.

S: Not too strong in the nose - a touch of chocolate malt and earthy hoppiness.

T: Mmmm - good stuff. Nice chocolatey malt foundation; this is what I like in an American Black Ale. Slight hint of charcoal after a few sips as well. Hops that finish it are earthy and piney, and add balance and a nice dryness but not enough bitterness to detract from the chocolatey malt. There's a touch of heat down the gulley and in the aftertaste, but not enough - and not early enough in the sip - to slow you down.

M: Medium bodied, maybe just a touch heavier. Carbonation is good - active but fairly fine and modestly prickly.

O: This is good stuff. Tempted to give this a 5 on taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 00:56:49 | More by Kendo

brentk56

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a fudge brown color with a massive and sticky tan head that leaves quite a bit of lacing around the glass

Smell: Black bread, chocolate and pine with hints of citrus and coffee

Taste: Opens with black bread and chocolate flavors, but by mid-palate, the piney hops add another dimension; coffee and a hint of citrus in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Layers of flavor here and very well balanced; though I would have preferred a bit more citrus in the hop profile, this is still a fine beer

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 02:39:00 | More by brentk56

BigPlay1824

New York

4.98/5  rDev +23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed in my complimentary ithaca pint glass

A: pours a relatively clear deep amber verging on brown with a beautiful fluffy two finger head which is a bit of an earthy brown color and lingers quite nicely, leaves a great amount of very stick lacing on he side of the glass
S: wow there is a ton going on here, im not sure i can recall any beer with a scent as complex as this one, begins with really solid chocolate roasted malt notes then slides in a bit of coffee malts which is followed by very fresh hops which build in intensity and end with a bit of a spicy citrus note
T: the taste is easily as complex and deep as the scent, each note pops up intermittently throughout the sip not in any particular order deep roasted malts are pretty much present throughout and linger nicely on the palate for a considerable period afterwards, nice earthy hops pop up towards the early middle of the taste then their bitter note creeps in which also lingers on the palate, phenomenally well balanced
M: minimal carbonation, smooth and silky across the palate, leaves the mouth quite nicely dry
O: this is what ive come to expect from the folks over at ithaca especially their excelsior series which is really incredible, this beer is just so well balanced and complex it really is a pleasure to sip on

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 22:14:13 | More by BigPlay1824

Dope

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown with a big dense light brown head. Fades slowly, leaving heavy lacing everywhere.

S: Plethora of strong hop aromas. Piney with citrusy elements - mainly grapefruit. Just a smidge of roasted malt hiding behind the hoppiness; some decent char and chocolate.

T: Again, hoppy up front with pine and grapefruit but accompanied by a nice sweet caramel and maybe even a little wheat? The roasted malt kicks in afterwards with some nice chocolate. A bunch of bitter char and coffee in the finish along with a bit of leftover pine and hints of resin linger.

M: Medium bodied, smooth and a little drying from the piney bitterness in the aftertaste.

O: An excellent black ale. Very hoppy both in the aroma and in the taste. Doesn't overpower the roasted malt too badly though, making is a nicely balanced and complex brew. A must-have for people who love the hoppier side of black ales.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 03:35:31 | More by Dope

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into a couple of snifters. Thanks go to wishuwerebeer for bringing this one along.

Pours what appears to be black at first, but holding this up to the light actually reveals a deep ruby body, topped with rich ½ finger of mocha colored head. This flares up to a near full finger when swirled, leaving back lots of rich spotty froth. The aroma smells fresh, floral, and peppery in the nose, with an almost leafy tobacco scent and additional notes of herbs and pine thrown in as well. Darker malty notes of some chocolate and roasted coffee sit along the back.

Those hops really have explosiveness to them in the taste, with bitterness; spice, herbal notes, and then some vegetal character all having a strong presence here the whole way through the profile. Some sweeter flavors of chocolate and caramel just hang on the edges of those hops, while dark roast props things up from the back. Hops return in the finish though with some strong lingering resins. The mouthfeel is medium to fuller bodied and crisp on the tongue, with more of a smooth creaminess across the back that keeps this flowing nicely. There’s a touch of alcohol on the tail-end of this but overall this is pretty smooth for the size.

This was a nice big Black Ale with a pretty pronounced aggressiveness to it but the bitterness never really got out of hand, as the overall complexity of the profiles kept things in check. I really love this style when breweries bring it with the higher alcohol and robust flavors. This has some attitude. Thanks for the share Bryan!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 18:24:50 | More by Kegatron

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A huge thanks to Whartontallboy for this great extra. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours into my tulip with literally a 100% opaque black color. About two fingers of creamy looking head is achieved with a somewhat hard pour that dissipates at a moderate pace leaving chunky lacing

Smell – Earthy hops, bittersweet chocolate, a great roast aroma, and some floral/citrus notes at the end.

Taste – A nice bitterness up front from the hops which fades to char and roast, bittersweet chocolate, and just a hint of honey? Sweetness. As the beer warms some coffee flavors become apparent but not overly so.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, nice creamy mouthfeel, carbonation on par for this style.

Overall – A solid black IPA. Not the best out there, but a respectable one nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 00:22:25 | More by SpdKilz

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a capped bomber into a Corsendonk chalice- pours a charcoal color, with a little clear ruby at the bottom. One-finger tan head that recedes to some large bubbles and leaves nice lacing.

Smell is very enticing- a nice blend of hops come through (they must've dry hopped). Definitely get a nice pine scent and a little floral as well. Interestingly enough, I only smell a hint of dark malt or chocolate.

More chocolate on the taste but still exceptionally balanced and very full and defined hop flavors. Some roasted dark malt and a little bitter-sweet chocolate up front, followed by piney and spicy hops which fade slightly back into the malt. Great taste.

Mouthfeel is also really fantastic- medium fuller body with moderate carbonation, and a little resin from the hops. I really like this brew- can't give it a five because I can see this style being done even better but I like it better than any other black ale offering. Get it while you can!

Update: I think either at a warmer temperature or after the bottle has been open a little while or both, the head develops much more- 1.5 fingers and beautiful, even lacing.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 23:30:53 | More by Hopdaemon39

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1241st Review on BA
Bottle to Bruery Tulip
750 Ml

2012 Release

Thanks to mjtiernan for this one!

App- A very very dark almost black pour. No beer can really be black but damned if this isnt close to it. A very dark brown 3 finger head with super strong lace and cling.

Smell- Much smoother than I thought it would be on the nose. The hops on this one created an interesting mix of chocolate, roasty, hoppy and sweet. A interesting tinge of a espresso/coffee mix came in.

Taste- A very nice black IPA. Not as smooth as James or Stone 15 which I use as my benchmarks, but much less roasty and replaced by a great hoppy citrus punch from the Galaxy. Well layered and quite delicious. The ABV adds a nice layer of flavor of a boozy quality.

Mouth- A bit of a lighter medium body with a certain creamy feel that I pick up on CDA's. A medium carbonation. Leaves residual malts and citrus.

Drink- A very good CDA. Lots of flavors and a bit more hoppy than the others. Great use of the Galaxy as well. I would like this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 02:06:34 | More by FosterJM

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a glass tumbler.

A: Deep Opaque Hue, Passes Virtually No Light, Off White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Milk Chocolate, Black Bread, Mild Piney, Mild Coffee

T: Milk Chocolate, Bready, Semi Sweet Malts, Mild Roasted Coffee

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Malty

Overall, somewhat mild on the hops but a decent, drinkable Black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 00:43:01 | More by merc7186

musicforairports

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Mostly black. Nice head forms and leaves great lacing. Really a nice looking beer.

Some musty tropical fruit notes from the Galaxy hops. Pine also. Some citrus and light roasted character.

Flavor is smooth, with neither the hops nor the dark malts slapping you in the face at all. They blend together better than most in the style. Hops have a dank and juicy feel, tropical and earthy, but not the usual citric crispness. Chocolate takes hold in the finish. I'd have no idea the ABV is higher than 6 percent.

Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated and rather creamy, but not overly thick. I like the mouthfeel to this, and I rarely make much of this category.

Really a winner in the Black IPA category, I think. More subtle than some 6 percent ABV beers, but well-crafted.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 22:37:35 | More by musicforairports

lovindahops

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was really excited when I found out ithaca was making a black ipa. I love the style but moreover, I love when a stud brewery like ithaca goes out and makes this type of brew!

A- a black hole of an appearance that is brilliantly overscored by the superb lacing that remains on the sides of my excelsior tulip. Light foamy head lays of the brew while the dark body glows from the glass

S- a resionious amount of pine lashes out while a citric grapefruit theme floats over. This is an amplified scent that is present big time. Very sweet and hoppy. The hops explode out of the glass

T- dark pine washes over in waves. Really the concept of a dark ipa does not burst with this much citrus and hoppiness. Dark and delicious I will love this taste profile

M- a syrupy and carbonates combination of flavor

O- ithaca you have done it again! A dark blast of pine and grapefruit that shows up as one of the beat black ipas I gave ever had. This was great fresh on tap. Seek out a bottle of 14 for yourself

Serving type: growler

04-22-2012 03:04:27 | More by lovindahops

atr2605

New York

3.1/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-ours black with a foamy tan head that leaves nice lacing around the glass.
S-Citurs and pine from the hops dominate the aroma, a bit of sweetness tries to come through
T-Lots of roasted malt, pine bitterness comes through and leaves a strange aftertaste.
M-medium bodied
O-Not a fan. Appearance is nice but the flavor and aroma didn't do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:07:37 | More by atr2605

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: black with a thick tan head that sticks to the glass and replenishes itself when you take a drink.

S: the hops come through most, giving it a citrus and pine smell, but there are some roasted notes present.

T: some hops citrus notes come through, but it's a lot of bitterness from the hops, some sweet malt, and some roasted flavor.

M: great carbonation and medium body give this a crisp feel, which works well with the style.

O: I'm not a fan of black IPAs, but this is alright. Still only got one bottle at the LeBleu release, but it's solid and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 22:54:57 | More by Holland