Ithaca BullsEye Red Ale

I give a lot of credit to Ithaca Beer Company for really advancing my love of craft beer. When I was in college I remember falling in love with their Apricot Wheat, a beer that to this day I consider a fantastic summer crusher. I also loved their long-departed Pale Ale. As my tastes advanced I found myself enjoying their Nut Brown Ale, Flower Power IPA and CascaZilla Red Ale. I have always thought they made delicious beer but admittedly I do not buy their products as much as I used to. When I saw their new Bullseye Red Ale, I purchased it immediately. This was a brewery I have enjoyed over the years tackling a style I love and one they have succeeded at before. It was the kind of beer I could not wait to have in my glass. Ithaca’s latest take on a red ale clocks in at 5.5% ABV, which is a full percentage point lower than CascaZilla making it more sessionable. However, if its aroma is any indication, Bullseye is far more complex. The aroma is floral, spicey, piney, woody, citrusy with a toasted bread, toffee and caramel malt backbone. The taste matches the nose with its complexity. Grapefruit and pine come through initially before some bready, caramel malt sweetness provides a nice touch of balance. The finish is earthy, spicy, piney and dry. There is a lot to like here about Bullseye. Its flavor certainly compliments the season nicely. My issue with this beer is the lack of body. The flavor of the beer is great. What is unfortunate is that the flavor is extremely muted. My first thought after I took my first sip was, “this beer would be amazing if it was not so watered down.” It tastes exactly like a light beer version of a cold weather red ale. I wanted to love this beer so much, but I became more and more frustrated as I worked my way through the glass. This review does sound more harsh than it should. I am just disappointed because while I did like BullsEye, I wanted to love it. Still, this is one of my favorite styles of beer and I am thrilled to see Ithaca re-imagine it. While they did a decent job, I can’t help but wonder what could have been if these complex flavors were allowed to shine more. Overall rating: 3/5 Rating Scale: 1. Repugnant and undrinkable 2. Acceptable but forgettable 3. Good, worth a purchase 4. Excellent, a step above the norm 5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW! To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page Look for me on Instagram & Untappd and Twitter @ACraftyLook For more beer reviews check out: http://www.acraftylook.com Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Rating Scale:

1. Repugnant and undrinkable

2. Acceptable but forgettable

3. Good, worth a purchase

4. Excellent, a step above the norm

5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page

Look for me on Instagram & Untappd and Twitter @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews check out: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!