Ithaca Excelsior! Ten
Imperial American Extra Strong and Special Double Red Ale. Our anniversary beer, TEN is brewed with too many malts to list and an excess of American hops, including several additions during fermentation. Enjoy the russet color, aggressively hoppy aroma and flavor, rich body and fiery finish.
3.8
267 reviews
Ithaca, United States
Community reviews
750ml bottle poured into my Narke glass...Dark brown with amber edges give its a glassy sheen. The head sucks and is disappointing. Tope, whispy, watery and big bubbles form a weird cap that has good retention and lacing. Doesn’t look right...Malty rye aroma that is very strong; rye, caramel and grass hops...The taste is malty but has an undertow of vomit that is mildly distracting. Caramel and hops mostly. Seems heavily influenced by an ipa.
Overall, not to bad. I’d drink it again but don’t think I’d recommend seeking it out with much effort.
Bottle. Copper color with lots of carbonation. Big malt aroma still though there is now a touch of cardboard. Still tastey. Malty and spice with touch of rye. Caramel coffee toffee caramel. Nice but a note of cardboard is creeping in. Full body. Good.
17th February 2009
Cloudy red-brown beer. Initially a little unsatisfying as I was expecting something more very hoppy. But this beer gradually wins you over with it’s charms. Malty and very smooth and there is enough hop here to get your bitterness receptors salivating! A balanced red beer then!
Thanks to bmanning for sharing this in a tasting.
A: Pours a beautiful crimson with a nice white head.
S: Lots of sweet malt and some leftover hops; sweetness comes through from all angles.
T: Malt sweetness and still some remaining piney, tropical bitterness from the hops.
M: Medium-heavy with a good amount of carbonation.
D: Quite drinkable. A very solid brew--wish they’d make it again.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 09-27-2009
On tap @ Blind Tiger.
Deep brown/amber color. Strong malty aroma with some earthy and roasty notes, along with a light caramel sweetness and some hoppy notes. Full bodied and dry with a touch of bitterness. A little bit of heat from the high alcohol but not too much. Very smooth with good carbonation. Long, lingering finish. Another quality beer from Ithaca.
Bottle. Pours a very deep red amber color with very minimal head. The aroma is loaded with malty sweetness and caramel with a slight touch of hops. The taste is super sweet but was expected. Drinks actually fairly easy. Minimal alcohol notes for a 10% abv beer. Medium mouthfeel. starts with the aforementioned malt sweetness with a subtle hoppiness in the back end.
On tap at Blind Tiger VSK event. Pours a murky reddish brown coloration. Nice chewy malt flavor with cedar, plums, earthiness, and some hoppy backbone. finishes dry and warm, very nice beer glad I made the trek downtown to try.
Cloudy, murky, brownish, no head. Aroma is oxidized through and through, slight malt sweetness in backend. Flavor much the same. Cloying, syruppy sweet mouthfeel. Decent at best.
Thanks to Cletus for this. Reminds me of Lagunitas Imp Red a lot. Pours a cloudy brownish red with a thin off white head the quickly disappears. Aroma is intense earthy hops and malt. Spice that tickles the nostrils. Taste is a blast of gorgeous bitter and a huge malt mouthfeel. Slightly spicy that plays on the tongue long after the liquid is gone. Great beer.
Bottle, part of a tasting of batch 1 Ten at the Ithaca beer co tasting room. Absolutely awesome. I was worried this wouldn’t be aging that well, but it’s coming along very nicely. Tastes like a barleywine....not like "double Cascazilla" I was expecting. Smooth, sweet, with just enough complexity that it’s changing a bit every sip.
A: snifter. pours a deep rich amber/mahogany color. dark and rich. nice light caramel colored head. good retention rate. good lacing.
S: nice rich hop aroma, mostly oranges and pine. huge alcohol nose...massive. some sweet malts in the nose, slightly roasted hints.
T: huge alcohol taste...but it doesn’t kill the beer. wonderful caramel malt flavors. great malt backbone. good use of the hops, great balance with the malts. great flavor for a Double Red Ale. citrus, pine needles and some burnt caramel. long lingering aftertaste.
M: nice and warming mouthfeel. full-bodied, and enjoyable. good solid palate.
D: very nice brew, although 10% might be a little rough for most, especially in a 750mL. This is definitely worthy of a try if not more.
Presentation: It was poured from a brown 750ml bottle into a tulip glass. On the label there is nice description of the beer and a batch number. (Batch # e ! 014)
Appearance: The body has a deep russet brown color with a deep hazy orange glow when held up to the light. The pour produces a one finger thick white foam head which fades to just a thin film covering. Lacing is minimal, slick and spotty.
Smell: There are loads of nice citrusy hop notes in the nose as well as a solid base of sweet malt and sweet alcohol.
Taste/Palate: It starts with a deep rich base of sweet malt. It reveals hints of caramel, dark dried fruit and dark alcohol laced cake. This make for nice mellow warmth though out. Hop flavor is also present and adds some mild citrus as well as earthy and spicy bitter notes. The palate has a big full body soft carbonation and firm smooth, almost sticky texture.
Notes: Its big 10% abv, complex maltiness and mouth feel make for a solid and enjoyable slow sipping ale.
750ml bottle from Belmont Party Supply. Pours reddish amber with tan head. Aromas of caramel, toffee, faded hops, and roasted malts. Flavors of chewy malts, caramel, toffee, and muted hops. Really just a malt bomb at this point.
Bottle courtesy of secret Santa. Batch E!006. Pours a hazy amber-brown color with a small cream head . The aroma is very barley-wine like with roasted grains, almonds, toffee and fruits. Tastes of a barley-wine also, plenty of roasted malts, fruits and nuts. There was no real noticeable hop presence and a slight oxidation was detectable. The palate is full and smooth with soft carbonation. Finishes short and dry. Overall: I think that this ale is a slight bit past its prime, its still quite drinkable but the thrill is gone.
75cl bottle. Hazy amber-brown with a creamy beige head. Fruity aroma with caramel, bread crust, and spicy hops lingering in the back. Caramel malt sweetness with some raisin and moderate hoppy bitterness. Medium-full body with smooth carbonation. Has some fruity aged character similar to a barley wine, but stays a touch lighter on the palate.
Pours a ruddy brown with a filmy tan head. Aroma has lots of toffee and some subdued stone fruity notes, sorta barleywine-esque in a way. Flavor is bready with faded hops, toffee, grapefruit, and a surprising smokiness. Earthy, bitter hop finish. Medium-to-full body, resinous and a bit sticky.
(Old BA rate - bottle)
Batch E!009
Poured with a decent light khaki color of head that dissipates quickly. Slight spotty lacing. Murky golden-brown color. Aroma has spicy pine-like hoppiness at first; dark fruits; prune-like sweetness; slight alcohol presence. Aggressive hoppiness with more cedary and piney characteristics, but backed up with a hefty maltiness. Some sweetness from the malts, and a touch of fruitiness (plums and maybe raisins?). Very light but noticeable carbonation, and a touch creamy on the palate. Nearing on medium for overall MF, and definitely warming. Definitely a sipper, but a damn enjoyable one. Alcohol doesn’t trump anything in taste, but slows me down a bit with the sample...as it should.
Overall, really fantastic brew.
Hazy brown with a decent sized beige head. Aroma is of brown sugar and malt. Taste is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, light hops and fruit.
Pours deep hazy red/orange with thick white head, aroma is some aged hops, caramel, and biscuit. Taste is nice and smooth, creamy, with some subdued hops and caramel leading into a nice biscuit and slightly bitter finish. Good, I’m sure it was awesome fresh!
bottle, from secret santa. Good aroma, sweet, malty, little oxidized, but not in a bad way. Hazed brownish orange color, ok head, though I poured slow, got a better head on second pour. Bitter sweet flavor. Medium body, crea,y oily mouthfeel, bitter finish. Good brew, maybe a tad past it’s best. aroma and flavor were still borderline 8’s, so I bumped up my overall score. Thanks Santa....
Was excited to happen upon a few bottles of this recently. I’d read good things, so I thought I’d give it a try. Pours a deep read, almost brown, and produces a very large tan head. Nose is lots of malt, kind of grassy, and a bit of alcohol. Flavor is predominantly sweet malt. Kind of one dimensional, I think. A solid beer, but a bit of a letdown for this hophead. I sort of wonder if the hops haven’t receded, since it’s my understanding that this was brewed in 2008. If you’re a malt lover, this beer was made for you.
Location: 750 ml bottle from Whole Foods-Bowery, 4/19/10
Batch #: E!014
Aroma: The nose has a lot of fruit and hops to it with some sweet caramel and some woody notes as well
Appearance: It pours a slightly hazy reddish-brown color with a thick, creamy beige head that leaves streaks of lace on the glass
Flavor: The taste is sweet and hoppy, a well balanced and flavorful brew
Palate: It has a medium body, a somewhat oily mouthfeel, mild burn, and a soft carbonation
Overall Impression:
This stuff is quite good. A nice example of the hoppy amber style. This beer works pretty well. It is flavorful, drinks well, and it just works. The 10% is well covered, leaving only a mild burn. Another good one, I’m liking this Excelsior! series.
Draft. Brown pour with tan head. Interesting and probably over the hill. Red ale with hop that dropped out, has a malty finish.
750ml, red foiled bottle, batch E!014 courtesy of alexsdad06. thanks, brad! pours a beautiful, dark, ruby-tinted brown with a massive (no carbonation issues in this bottle), creamy, light beige head and sticky lacing. aroma is great with huge, resinous, piney hops (cascade much?!), orange citrus, candied apricot, and sweet toffee with hints of raisin, honey, and wet earth. flavor is wonderful as well with big, citrus hop notes of orange and lemon zest, wet leaves, and spicy pine resins up front balanced by sweet toffee malt and a hint of dark fruit with a touch of tobacco on the finish. palate is full bodied and nicely carbonated with a smooth alcohol presence. overall, a damn nice big brew.
Pours a clear redish brown color with almost no head. Pleasant aroma of resinous hops with malt and caramel. Good flavor of resinous hops, malt and caramel. The body is light to medium with an oily texture and moderate carbonation. Very interesting.
bottle was nearly flat, way past it’s prime. still smelled pretty nice, but had a level of light carbonation that was just not right, obviously just old. some sour and cardboard notes in the taste, the body is still discernable as a ghost of a good beer.
Bottle 75cl. @ cgarvieuk - Cigar City tasting.
Clear medium to dark amber color with a large to huge, frothy, good lacing, fully lasting, off-white to light beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, berry - fruity, cheese note, light alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, spicy hoppy. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20100206]
tasting on 3/6/10... this has held up pretty well - the hops are still bitter through the body, but aged on the nose... pours a deep red with an average white head... creamy body with barleywine like notes... big malts, lingering hops, some darker fruit notes... very enjoyable - glad I had some...
This pours a clear, deep amber body with a tall, 3 dimensional off-white head.
Sweet caramel malt aroma and flowery hops that persist even after being in the bottle two years.
The flavor is very sweet, not quite cough syrup, but it might get there if it weren’t for being held in check buy a good does of bittering hops that serve to balance and anchor the sweetness a bit.
Plenty of body. Not quite a Barleywine, but this approaches that territory.
Potent sweet sharp malt aroma, almost like a barleywine. It has a deep ruby red color with a huge full creamy head. The malts and 10% ABV are dominant in flavor and strong on the palate.