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!

Craft Beer Recommendations For Your Stubborn Macro Beer Drinking Family Member: From Your Pal, Sean

My Dad and I have a bit of a Thanksgiving tradition. He comes over and asks to try whatever beers I recommend from my refrigerator and I oblige. His sampling usually goes on for several hours. He calls it his “Trip Around the World.” At the end of it, he will pick his favorites, as well as tell me which ones he did not enjoy. He will then go home and the next beer he will buy on his own will still be Heineken, Corona or Guinness. While I have nothing against those beers, I still hold out hope that one day he will find a beer in my refrigerator that breaks this habit. One that is so good to him that it finds its way into his regular drinking rotation. I know I can't be alone in this. We probably all have a family member that regularly drinks macro beer when we wish they would find their way into the craft beer domain. So instead of reviewing beer this week, I am going to recommend what I consider several gateway beers that I use to try and steer people into craft beer. They are not crazy, complicated beers, they are just solid beers that are an excellent introduction to their respective style.

I mentioned earlier that my Dad likes Guinness. I gave him Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro for the first time and his mind was blown. Think of this as a slightly sweeter, more boozy version of Guinness Draught. At 6%, the booze is beautifully hidden behind semi-sweet chocolate and roasted malt. This is a perfect beer for the cooler months ahead. It's also super fun to pour...

(Sweet shirt, right?)

Saisons are not the easiest beer to give an inexperienced beer drinker. Some of them are too spicy. Some of them are a bit too funky. I have even had some that have tasted like I was drinking an ashtray. Brooklyn Brewery makes one of the best saisons I've had. It's a wonderful showcase for the sorachi ace hop. It has a beautifully light lemon note and a wonderful malt backbone. It's easy to drink and deceptively strong at 7.2%. If you know someone or are someone who absolutely despises saisons, try this one. You and/or they might be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat is a beer I had back for the first time in 2004. It was also one of the first fruited beers I tried. In my early days of craft beer drinking, I did my best to steer clear of fruit beers. I immediately enjoyed this one and to this day find a way to have a few. I actually got my wife into craft beer by having her try this beer. Because of that we actually served it at our wedding. It was a big hit with some people and too big of a hit to others. Simply put, this is a super easy drinking, fruit-forward beer. If you like apricot, you will probably like this.

Finally, I couldn't write this blog without touching upon something hoppy. Jack's Abby Calyptra Session India Pale Lager is perfect for your macro lager drinking friends. It has a wonderful lager backbone with a beautiful but not overwhelming tropical and citrus hop profile. At no point does it get too bitter. It is just an easy drinking 4.9%, and is perfect for a long, drawn out holiday celebration. This has also become a favorite of my father, I just can't seem to get him to remember the name. He just calls it “the purple can” and encourages me to bring it over when I visit. I have a fridge full of it for Thanksgiving, so I hope with repetition he finally remembers its name.

All of these beers are easy drinking and a beautiful example of their respective styles. Each one is extremely easy to drink. I just hope you err on the side of caution if you decide to have a session with the Sorachi Ace. I also hope that these recommendations help you, or help you get a friend or family member a bit more into craft beer.

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving Sláinte!