Welcome once again to the Everything Brewed Brew Review. I am continuing with my exploration of Red Ales for the month of February. I chose CascaZilla Red Ale from the Ithaca Beer Company out of Ithaca, New York. I picked this one for a few reasons. First of all it’s a red ale; secondly, I have also tried their Apricot wheat and really enjoyed it so I figured this one would also be tasty. Lastly, it was a 6 pack for under $10 (check local listings).
According to Ithaca Beer Co., the name CascaZilla pays homage to a gorge in Ithaca, NY called Cascadilla and to the “monster amounts” of cascade hops they use. And while you will definitely notice the intensity of the hops, it will be balanced nicely because of the use of all the caramel malts. It won the Silver Medal in 2008 for the American Style Red / Amber Ale in the Great American Beer Festival, so that tells us that it meets all the minimum requirements we need here at Everything Brewed to include it in this series.
So that’s what they would like you to know, but here’s what I want you to know about this brew. It’s just a damn good beer. It has a thick red ale appearance with a medium amount of head that leaves just a touch of lacing on the glass as you drink it. It has a spicy, hoppy introduction, followed by a mellow, slightly sweet, but full bodied middle, and a lingering – but not for too long – finish. By the time the flavor clears, you are already ready for another sip.
I had CascaZilla a few times this week as I was researching for this review. It paired well with pizza, hamburgers, and popcorn; and it also stood quite well on its own as an evening, fireside sipper.
So for all those reasons plus the fact that it’s a 7% ABV brew, the official Everything Brewed Rating will be 4 out of 5 Pints, making it worth the effort to hit up your local craft beer retailer and try some today.
Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. And don’t forget to check out the Ithaca Beer Co. at http://www.ithacabeer.com .
Cheers,
No comments:
Post a Comment