Flower Power IPA

Focusing on only a handful of beers since 1998, Ithaca Beer Company is dedicated to quality over quantity. The supremely hoppy Flower Power IPA is dry hopped with Amarillo, Chinook, and Simcoe, and throws off aromas of grapefruit, Mandarin orange, and Key Lime that ride over bready malt. Big notes of pineapple and orange peel, and even some cattiness caught Pete’s attention. He felt the nose lacked the malt to balance things out. Rick also picked up on the trademark Amarillo hop cattiness, but felt the notes of orange pith and pink grapefruit held it in check. Like Pete, Rick wanted for a little more maltiness to balance the pungent hops. Topped by a frothy, pure white head, this beer is a shimmering gold, tinged by the merest hint of a chill haze. Dominated by floral, citrusy hop flavors, Flower Power evinces surprisingly delicate hop bitterness, relying on its pronounced hop flavors to carry the day. Tim enjoyed the light, clean pale malt flavor and praised the “juicy lemon, verbena, and resiny” notes, yet felt the bitterness was just a tad low. Lee likened the overall fruitiness to “strawberry preserves on a proper English biscuit,” but found the bitterness just a bit lacking. If you have friends who want to venture into IPAs, but are leery of an intensely bitter experience, Flower Power is the perfect starting point.