If you follow the court of public beer opinion on BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer as obsessively as we do, you've probably already heard about Ithaca LeBLeu, one of the most recent Ithaca beers released in their "Excelsior" big beer series. The hype surrounding this blueberry sour ale was overwhelming at its height, and sparked many a spirited (read: juvenile) debate about the whole "Excelsior" lineup. For our money, though, you needn't trade your entire cellar away for a taste of LeBleu, at least not when a slew of other delicious, relatively un-hyped Ithaca beers are at your fingertips.

Take, for instance, the newest batch of "Flower Power," Ithaca's seasonal American-style IPA. Powerful, sticky-sweet hops nearly jump out of the glass, evoking delicate peachy and grassy flavors on the palate that crescendo in a smack of piney bitterness. This hop character sits nicely atop a fulfilling malt backbone that hints at breadiness. You'd be hard-pressed to find a tastier AIPA in a six-pack, on either coast (yeah, you heard us West Coast!).  $12.19/6pk 

Another one of their six-packs, "Cascazilla," impresses our palates just as easily. Essentially, it's a fat, juicy red ale with a IPA-like hop bill thrown on top for good measure. This beer showcases brewer Jeff O'Neil's deft hand, as the hops selected don't overwhelm the beer; instead, the juicy, sweet caramelly malt bill works in concert with the resinous hops, maintaining an impressive balance that screams for another taste and, ultimately, another bottle.  $10.99/6pk

Look for an interview with Jeff O'Neil on our new blog later this week, over at www.gordonsbeer.com. Or, you can ask him questions yourself when he's at the store in a few weeks...

Upcoming Tastings 

If it wasn't obvious from the above love letter, we think that Ithaca beers are friggin' delicious. In that spirit, we have a couple special events coming up that we're excited about, including a few special Ithaca tastings:

TOMORROW, February 5th - Eric, the Northeast rep from Ithaca, will be pouring Ithaca's six-pack line at Main St. from 5-8pm.

Also, in the Culinary Center, Joe will be part of a pre-Superbowl tasting alongside some great wines. Come say hello and save him from trying to convert grape lovers to barley.

Finally, don't forget about the regular tastings at Moody St (Tonight!  Thurs. 5-8pm) and Watertown (Sat. 6-9pm).

Cheers,

Gordon's Beer Dept.