The time is right (long weekend and all) to do a little series of related beer reviews, so they will be coming far more frequently over the next week. I am going to do a run of evaluations for beers that were brewed near where I used to call home in Central New York. Actually all but one will be from Ithaca Beer Co, but the theme still works.
Cousin Daniel gifted me these Ithaca Beer Co. beers when I visited him last fall. It was certainly a good way to get me hooked on the product so I will have to fly back there again to get my fix. For the first few you will notice that the pictures are not from the friendly confines of my house as I had to drink most of the gift while on vacation because I did not have room in my luggage to bring it back with me.
That is enough for now, time to begin the series . . .
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Co. (Ithaca, NY)
Name: Old Habit
Style: Rye Beer (Roggenbier?)
ABV: 9.0%
Tasting Notes: Stored in a cooler (not cold) and served in (what was my brand new Ithaca Beer Co.) pint glass. Bottle marked with batch E!017 . . . a supposedly infected batch that I can verify after opening my bottle (see picture).
Aroma: Heavy malt with oaky, port-like notes (can tell that it spent some time in a barrel). Some spice and slight alcohol as well.
Appearance: Deep brown color with heavy red tones. Tall (say three finger or more), light brown head that dissipates slowly with a heavy laced trail. Very clear with tiny bubbles visible.
Flavor: Thick malty flavor that has a dark fruit (currant) character and some strong notes of molasses-like sugar. Definitely notice the earthy, barrel aged flavor, though it is hard to say if the whiskey is noticeable. Some dryness at a long lasting finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body. Very smooth and creamy with some noticeable warmth.
Overall Impressions: Really nice, but something very different about it (not in a bad way). Great slow drinking beverage that is somewhat similar to drinking a port to me. Very glad to have tried and only makes me want to try even more Ithaca beers. If this was indeed infected, I would like to try it again in the future both for enjoyment and comparison.
Grade: B+ (or slightly better)
Ithaca Beer Co. - Old Habit
A close up for your reading enjoyment.
More reading enjoyment.
What Others Say