Ithaca Excelsior! Old Habit

A Robust American Ale brewed with four different rye malts, fresh centennial and crystal hops and our proprietary ale yeast. It is partly fermented in Tennessee rye whiskey barrels, then carefully blended.

Enjoy the gorgeous ruby color, strong aromas of vanilla and black cherry, earthy flavors of nuts and oak and the warm, spicy finish.

3.7

209 reviews

Ithaca, United States

Community reviews

4.2 750ml crown cap marked "Released: June 07" and "Bottle# 1575" purchased at the brewery in Oct 2008. Stored fairly well. Light hiss upon opening. Poured gingerly, but no need, beer very mellow. Slow to form quarter inch head which quickly died to very minimal lacing. Dark brown leaning red. Aromas of candied apple, whiskey, and bran muffin. Well integrated alcohol considering overtones of whiskey flavor. Smooth, unctuous masterful texture. Tastes like rye whiskey and whole wheat waffles. Lower carbonation utterly persistent right to the murky dregs. Would absolutely buy and age again.

3.9 Bottle acquired from JahNoth in May 2008, thanks! Batch E!007, capped only. Nose has chocolate, heavy caramel and resin, light smoke, tar and ash, molasses. Murky caramel-brown pour with a short but pretty tan head. Taste reminds of an aged Bigfoot, with all the dulled hops and sledgehammer malt profile, but with the smokier, devilish character of an Old Ale. Somewhat oily body at first, low and smooth bitterness, lots of spicy rye and smooth woody tones. Vanilla and gentle earth (humus-silky). Alcohol well-integrated, gentle warming. Elegant, classy brew, a perfect winter sipper.

2.9 Had this one sitting in the cellar for a while and it appears this one is infected. Gushed upon opening. Pours really dark reddish brown with huge tan head. Aromas of caramel, malts, wood and infected tartness. Flavors of caramel, malts, earthy dark fruits, bit of wood, and quite a bit of tartness. Really kind of undrinkable at this point. Would have been pretty solid if not infected.

2.7 ottle froths. Dark brown with large white head. Iight malt, heavy Brett pineapple sweetness over-riding smell. Flavor is more caramel, lightly burnt, some Brett coming in dry, farmy finish. Bit metallic, but not so bad.

3.0 This poured a dark red to lighter brown and murky. Aroma was of infection, slightly tart, some dark fruits and figs, as well as some of the whiskey too. Flqavor was not quite as infected as the roma, but still there was a definate odd flavor, i think both from the bugs and the rye. Wish I was able to try a non infected one of this, it could be interesting.

1.8 Had this at the RB Pgh Tasting, lthy’s place, 5/21/11. Big thanks to MrChopin for this brew. This bottle was batch 017. Big thick pour once we got this foaming bomb to stop erupting & spilling over. The taste and palate is enormous thick chewy cloying something. The aroma is also cloyingly sweet. Thick and quite alky taste continues. Rude, nasty barley wine taste impression. Even tho a few of us here said it was infected, its difficult for my to differentiate this from other barley wines. No CO2. Does have a somewhat rude hint of sourness on the backend, I guess this attribute is what others are identifying as infected. Yes, a pretty interesting brew, and that mildly tart finish makes it unique among BWs. Thanks Kevin for the opportunity to have this beer, otherwise I probably never would have had this in a lifetime!

3.4 Brown-red, beige cover. Foamy. Aroma is lots of caramel. Taste is lots of caramel, some dark fruity. Something a bit off.

2.8 Bottle from Theresa’s Next Door, opened at DLD. Pours a ruddy brown with a ton of crap floating in it as it was a light gusher. robust foam on top. Nose is a brett infection, some funky notes but more horsey than I’d like. Some sweet vanilla and oak notes come through as does a certain cherry note. Fruity. On taste, this is an odd one. There is an overwhelming bitterness that grows unpleasant after a while, but the base flavors that do exist are round and full. Light spicy cherry type notes with some light sweetnees. It is astringent though. Damn, should have been a better beer.

3.8 750ml bottle pours a caramel brown with some cloudy, brown head. Smells infected. Nose is tart, sweet, estery, candy sugar. Flavor is sweet, apples, raisins, caramel, crystal malts. Finish is full bodied and sweet.

3.8 750 ml bottle. Gusher for me too, luckily I had a glass nearby and let it pour down the bottle into the glass. Didnt seem to want to stop gushing for quite some time. Pours a deep amber red with a small light tan froth. Aroma is a but metallic but that settled out. Picked up some dark fruit, black cherry, a bit sharp with some sweet nutty earthy notes. Flavor has a sweet and sour component. Lots of wood from the barrel, dark fruit, black cherry again, a bit of a vinous note, though its a soft tartness that works with the sweetness and earthy hops. A bit spicy in the finish which has a touch of cheesy funk. Medium to medium full body and a fizzy carbonation. I don’t think it was too bad, I enjoyed a lot of aspects of the beer.

2.8 INFECTED. That basically should sum up the review but I will continue. If there was a sour barley wine style then this would bea great example. Poured a deep dark brown body with a HUGE beige head. Aroma of sour fruits, green apple and sour cherry, chocolate, funk, medicinal notes and band aids. Fizzy body with strong carbontion. Flavor of chocolate, bad medicine, band aids and sour cherries. DRAINPOUR.

3.3 Bottle thanks to JTclockwork. Bottle didn’t gush, but by the aroma of the pour it was slightly infected. Aroma is of some light funky notes and a touch of some fruit. Aside from the funk, the taste is of some light roast, sour apples, some spice and that funk creeping in there again. Would like to try a non-infected bottle, but as a sour this doesn’t do too bad.

3.2 Bottle shared at Dmac’s. Pours black with tan head. Nose of funky sour apple, barrel and funk. Taste of funky sour apple skins, rye, wood, caramel, funk and toffee. Clearly infected, though still consumable as a sour.

2.4 I’ll I can say right now is that I’m extremely upset! I just put down $10 for a champaign bottle from Ithaca that I thought I was going to enjoy immensely. This Bullshit exploded on me and all over my desk. Damn thing was like a volcano. I had pour a great deal of it out just to stop the effluence. I’m not even sure if this is safe to drink, but of course I did. Folks are talking about "infection" on here, but I have no idea what this is about. All I know is that I have never had a beer gush like that--never. Okay...after I cleaned up the surrounding area I got into it. Strong whiskey, vanilla, and tartness on the nose and tongue. The beverage is so turbid that it looks dangerous to drink. Some nice flavors actually, but this whole thing really pissed me off. I want nothing to do with this company ever again. Dead serious. Batch# E!017

1.4 750ml bottle thanks to Crack1Open on BA. Major gusher!!! Hazy weird reddish-brown appearance with a massive fizzy tan head. Bretty, funky, oaky, aroma with slight dark fruit, infection evident. Tart bretty flavor with an odd acrid finish. Some plum and fig notes. Not good. Medium-bodied with carbonation WAY too high. This is terrible. Ithaca needs to do something about this infection problem.

3.5 Bottle traded by Maxxdaddy - very appreciated! Pours a hazy brown colour with a tan dense head. The aroma is dominated by caramel malt, ripe fruit, alcohol and hops. Flavour is sweet ripe fruit, caramel, alcohol, oak and hops.

2.5 Placeholder rating: Bottle from Ditmier - thanks Eric! Made the mistake of opening this at the island before a nasty gushing mess shot forth all over the floor, counter, and sink. Fun. Dark auburn color with a nice, creamy khaki head. Nose is malt forward with ample bourbon barrel notes. It has the dry, acidic, sour scent... Son of a bitch. Can’t get much past the acetaldehyde... what malty and soft bourbon notes I can pick up are really jammed by the infection. Finish just brutally sour and plastic-filled. A tragedy. Did a quick search on other cases of infection, but to no avail. I’d love to revisit and properly rate this... so, ISO.

4.1 E!017 batch. Possibly infected. Poured into a tulip. A: Pours A very dark mahogany with a bit of an almost purple hue. Pours with one of the most massively billowing heads I’ve seen and it stays up for a long, long time, leaving thick lacing in its wake. S: Initial whiff is a bit of sourness, so I’m guessing this is at least partially infected; however, if I hadn’t heard about these issues, I’d think it was appropriate. The sourness fits in quite well with the zip from the rye and the bit of whiskey that comes through in the nose. I’m actually really enjoying how this has all come together, intended or not. As the beer warms, the sourness fades a bit as well, bringing out more of the whiskey. T: A very slight amount of sourness (and maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks), nice whiskey, spicy rye, a bit of alcohol heat, and hints of dark fruits. M: Quite creamy and on the heavy side of medium-bodied. A slight alcohol touch. D: Pretty drinkable. Nice complexity comes through, especially as it warms. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 02-23-2010

3.3 Batch 17 bottle. Pours a murky brownish red with an enormous frothy beige head. In fact, I poured the initial glass and when I went back for more, the beer had foamed out of the bottle. Great lacing. Aroma has lightly tart cherries, musty earth notes and plenty of spicy rye. The whiskey is present but not dominant with some vanilla and oak from the barrel as well. The taste starts out with a mixture of smooth, spicy rye and tart cherries. The backbone features dark fruits and yeast with a finish that definitely features the whiskey and some dry oaky notes. The mouthfeel is crazy smooth due to the rye with the cherry tartness catching me off guard a bit. This is a complex beer and, like others have said, it’s unclear if the tart fruit character is intentional or not. I’m leaning toward a slight infection but I enjoyed the beer nonetheless.

3.2 Bottle shared at a recent BA/RB tasting... Definitely an infected bottle. Poured ruby/rust color with a thick, khaki head. Tart, wild yeast notes on the nose. Lots of carbonation, foamy, very full bodies. Bitter, cocoa, malted grains and lots of alcohol with spicy yeast flavors. Finished with vanilla, whiskey, and a yeast funkiness.

4.3 amazing aroma- oak, whiskey, chocolate, yeast, bread, brown sugar, orange peel. pours deep red/brown with sandy resilient head. taste is oak, whiskey, bittersweet chocolate, alcohol, brown sugar, maple, roasted rye malt, caramel finish. palate is sticky, full bodied with some carbonation. This is an awesome beer!

2.9 There are a couple of interesting notes here. The hop bitterness on the finish is very c-hop ish but all other notes of the hops are muted by the rest of what is going on with this beer. In fact there is almost too much going on that it does not quite come through as well as it was intentioned I am afraid. Aroma is a little fruity, a little spicy, and a little musty. Hops, hops, and yeast. Working together a little strangely again. Some wood and nuttiness from the barrel. A little bit of gritty, musty, earthy, dirty flavors mid palate followed but a stinging hop bitterness. I got it, it is not complementary these flavors.

3.2 (750ml bottle batch E!017 thanks to Exiled) clearish deep red-orange with nice bubbles. Nose of sweet caramel, brown sugar, mildly acetic/vinegar. Taste of caramel, mild infection, tons of spices, cinnamon, toasty, alcohol with decent carbonation.

3.5 Bottle I took to the Backwoods Brewdown up at Hill Farmstead. Bit of a gusher, but eventually pours a murky brown with a medium sized beige head. Still pretty hoppy, with some fuzzy malt. Toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, plums. Malt, oxidization, plums. Very oxidized, heavy plum on the finish.

3.4 Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle. The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a white head. The aroma is tart dark fruit and roasted malt. The beer is definitely infected, but it doesn’t smell too bad. The flavor is rye and tart cherries and other dark fruit. I also get some roasted malt. The beer is fairly dry and is nice and drinkable, even if it is not as the brewer intended. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

3.9 bottle, thanks to exiled, brown in color with foamy tan head, aroma of sour chocolate, flavor is malty sour chocolate, great cabonation balance, nice sour bitter finish

4.3 Bottle. 24.5 oz. Split with James and Vin. Pours a deep, dark mahogany brown with a rich, tightly-bubbled, frothy laced out beige head. Fluffed laced. Aroma of initial rustiness, sourness and earth, following through to hints of vanilla, black cherry, oak, funk, and some seriously earthy yeast. Full, rich, luxurious body with a supple, slightly tart palate. Very unusual approach to a barley. Very tasty and unique.

3.7 Bottle split with Pat and Vin. Pours a dark ruby brown with lots of chunks of sediment sinking to the bottom, nice foamy off white head which turns to lacing that lasts throughout. Aroma is sour cherry, bready, and oak. Mouthfeel is well carbonated with notes of earthy hops, sour tart, sweet candied malts, vanilla, cherry and slight spice.

3.8 Bottle at Natifest ’10. Poured hazy reddish brown color with a large frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate to heavy dark fruit, toffee and alcohol aroma. Medium to full body with a thick smooth texture and flat carbonation. Moderate to heavy complex fruity sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet and alcohol burn finish that was long lasting. This is a good complex beer.

4.1 Batch E!017. Nice nose....reminds me of beers that just don’t exist anymore...but then again, this doesn’t exist anymore, does it? Very deep vinous fumes...dark cherry, raison, wood, tannins, faded toasted rye and whiskey, grapes...me like nose. Dark room, dark pour, light tan head....lots of yeasty chunks, but to be expected. Flavors right along with the nose...vinous, soft, grapey...a little sweet, whiskey-like but not hot at all, a little licorice too...relaxing and softly complez beverage which has aged beautifully. Nice...reminds me a touch of barrel aged fish leviathan.