Box of Hops (Spring) in Review
This year Ithaca Beer Company is jumping on the hoppy train and released a spring Box of Hops. Of course Flower Power, the old stand-by, was there. Returning from a couple years back was also Pacific Gravity. I've previously been on record as to preferring it over Creeker, although I need to test that officially as this version came out a bit "hot". There were also two new offerings, which will be the focus of this post. From My Beer Buzz:
Brewed to commemorate our Tough Mudder Race on Earth Day, Mudder Earth is a soft and slightly hazy IPA featuring a hoppy flavor profile of pineapple, papaya, berry, melon and bubblegum. The addition of Nelson Sauvin hops, known for a distinct white wine, grape and gooseberry profile make for a complex and distinctive character.
First we'll focus on Missing Link. I was intrigued but concerned when officially reading the description. Unfortunately, my concerns bore out. "Slightly hazy" ended up seeming more like a use of buzzwords, as it was barely hazy while not completely transparent. The big problem is that "slightly hazy" gives off an impression of a modern IPA--and this was anything but. It was malt heavy. Munich malt sweetness heavy. And it was easily as boozy as it was tropical. The citrus wasn't as prominent as expected. It seemed it was supposed to connect the old world IPA with the new--the missing link between old and new. To me? It was just a miss.
The next new one was Mudder Earth . I had a glimpse of this at the Ithaca Beer Brunch, but a full version was warranted. This was way closer to hitting the mark based on description. Mudder Earth came across much more soft/smooth, and the tropical flavors come through a bit better. Nelson sauvin can give such an interesting flavor and it shows here. There's a combination of white wine and berry--from the nelson and mosaic both--each providing a juiciness that is lacking in the Missing Link. Overall, it's a solid beer that I'd seek out seasonally for special events. I'll imagine it'll remain in the lineup for "Tough Mudder" season at Ithaca Beer which is transitioning towards the summer. "Slightly Hazy" remains mostly a buzzphrase...
Concerned?
I have general concerns about Ithaca Beer Company to remain modern and attract the next generation of beer drinkers. I don't get why Box of Sours came out just a couple weeks before this instead of during the summer, when drinkers are more likely to seek out a thirst-quencher. Released right on its heels, Box of Hops employs "slightly hazy" as a buzzword for the two new releases but doesn't exactly deliver. Instead, you end up with 3 Double IPA that drink more like old-school DIPA--boozy and a bit heavy.
Their "Pulp Addiction" series has some traction, but the releases are spread out perhaps a bit too far. The most recent, "More Citra He Said", was released in February and featured a-whole-lotta citra which was pleasant to me. A bit catty, not super soft or hazy, but it checked all the boxes as one of their juiciest beers. The next? Well it won't be released until May close to three months after the latest. When even Middle Ages (Syracuse) is releasing single batch IPAs close to once every month in cans, it's head-scratching to see the delay. Ithaca seems stuck in "no-man's land" between a regional and local brewer.
To wit, I remember reading an article about Ithaca's expansion in 2015, the same year we moved to Ithaca. At the time, it was reported that Ithaca Beer was producing 24,000 barrels per year and the expansion would allow for up to 90,000. As I walked to their barrel room for brunch this past Sunday I asked the question I had been longing to since reading that article. "How much are you producing today?" I hadn't seen an answer recently. NY doesn't make this data easily accessible, but they were happy to oblige on our way to brunch. They're producing about 24,000 barrels here in 2019. Nearly 4 years after expansion, essentially the same amount. In general, this long addition to a simple post about the Box of Hops is related. I'm not sure Ithaca Beer has a pulse on the modern beer drinker. Flower Power accounts for 60% of their sales, which seems high for an old-school west coast IPA. At some point, it seems like they are going to have to connect with a modern beer audience or...well..I'm not sure they'd ever go out of business (unless the debt from expanding is too much), but I could see them shrinking their footprint greatly. These "slightly hazy" IPAs didn't hit the mark. Pulp Addiction might move the needle--but how much when it is released every 3 months compared to modern breweries releasing special variations much more frequently? Can Ithaca Beer continue to move at a glacial pace? Perhaps their tourist draw is enough to keep them afloat, but I can't see growth to 90,000 without more innovation.
Brewed to commemorate our Tough Mudder Race on Earth Day, Mudder Earth is a soft and slightly hazy IPA featuring a hoppy flavor profile of pineapple, papaya, berry, melon and bubblegum. The addition of Nelson Sauvin hops, known for a distinct white wine, grape and gooseberry profile make for a complex and distinctive character.
- Malts: 2-Row Pale, Oats, Wheat, Honey
- Hops: New Zealand Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic
- ABV: 7.5%
Missing Link is new slightly hazy double IPA featuring Hopsteiner’s experimental hop varieties #09326 and #06300, as well as Mosaic and New York Cascade. The mix of these rare hops imparts a tropical fruit and mixed berry hop profile with a pleasant malt sweetness and soft mouthfeel.
- Malts: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Oats, Carmel Munich
- Hops: Hopsteiner Experimental #09326 & #06300, Mosaic & New York State Cascade
- ABV: 7.5%
First we'll focus on Missing Link. I was intrigued but concerned when officially reading the description. Unfortunately, my concerns bore out. "Slightly hazy" ended up seeming more like a use of buzzwords, as it was barely hazy while not completely transparent. The big problem is that "slightly hazy" gives off an impression of a modern IPA--and this was anything but. It was malt heavy. Munich malt sweetness heavy. And it was easily as boozy as it was tropical. The citrus wasn't as prominent as expected. It seemed it was supposed to connect the old world IPA with the new--the missing link between old and new. To me? It was just a miss.
The next new one was Mudder Earth . I had a glimpse of this at the Ithaca Beer Brunch, but a full version was warranted. This was way closer to hitting the mark based on description. Mudder Earth came across much more soft/smooth, and the tropical flavors come through a bit better. Nelson sauvin can give such an interesting flavor and it shows here. There's a combination of white wine and berry--from the nelson and mosaic both--each providing a juiciness that is lacking in the Missing Link. Overall, it's a solid beer that I'd seek out seasonally for special events. I'll imagine it'll remain in the lineup for "Tough Mudder" season at Ithaca Beer which is transitioning towards the summer. "Slightly Hazy" remains mostly a buzzphrase...
Concerned?
I have general concerns about Ithaca Beer Company to remain modern and attract the next generation of beer drinkers. I don't get why Box of Sours came out just a couple weeks before this instead of during the summer, when drinkers are more likely to seek out a thirst-quencher. Released right on its heels, Box of Hops employs "slightly hazy" as a buzzword for the two new releases but doesn't exactly deliver. Instead, you end up with 3 Double IPA that drink more like old-school DIPA--boozy and a bit heavy.
Their "Pulp Addiction" series has some traction, but the releases are spread out perhaps a bit too far. The most recent, "More Citra He Said", was released in February and featured a-whole-lotta citra which was pleasant to me. A bit catty, not super soft or hazy, but it checked all the boxes as one of their juiciest beers. The next? Well it won't be released until May close to three months after the latest. When even Middle Ages (Syracuse) is releasing single batch IPAs close to once every month in cans, it's head-scratching to see the delay. Ithaca seems stuck in "no-man's land" between a regional and local brewer.
To wit, I remember reading an article about Ithaca's expansion in 2015, the same year we moved to Ithaca. At the time, it was reported that Ithaca Beer was producing 24,000 barrels per year and the expansion would allow for up to 90,000. As I walked to their barrel room for brunch this past Sunday I asked the question I had been longing to since reading that article. "How much are you producing today?" I hadn't seen an answer recently. NY doesn't make this data easily accessible, but they were happy to oblige on our way to brunch. They're producing about 24,000 barrels here in 2019. Nearly 4 years after expansion, essentially the same amount. In general, this long addition to a simple post about the Box of Hops is related. I'm not sure Ithaca Beer has a pulse on the modern beer drinker. Flower Power accounts for 60% of their sales, which seems high for an old-school west coast IPA. At some point, it seems like they are going to have to connect with a modern beer audience or...well..I'm not sure they'd ever go out of business (unless the debt from expanding is too much), but I could see them shrinking their footprint greatly. These "slightly hazy" IPAs didn't hit the mark. Pulp Addiction might move the needle--but how much when it is released every 3 months compared to modern breweries releasing special variations much more frequently? Can Ithaca Beer continue to move at a glacial pace? Perhaps their tourist draw is enough to keep them afloat, but I can't see growth to 90,000 without more innovation.
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