Flower Power India Pale Ale | Ithaca Beer Company
Brewed by:
Ithaca Beer Company
New York, United States
ithacabeer.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.20%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Enjoy the clover honey hue and tropical nose. Simultaneously punchy and soothing with a big body and a finish that boasts pineapple and grapefruit. Flower Power is hopped and dry-hopped five different times throughout the brewing and fermentation process.
Added by Todd on 09-17-2002
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 5,354 | Reviews: 1,307
Reviews by jwikan:
5/5 rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I just poured this one after a year or so break from Flower Power and this confirms my past thoughts and feelings. For my taste (I am a brewer) this is pretty much a perfect IPA.
Just a beautiful nose, nice sweet malt profile (I am assuming it was mashed out as high of a temp as possible), the hops profile is astounding! Not to much simcoe (think cat pee smell) not to much bittering hops and a pile of flavoring hops. Must be dry hopped to the max!To capture the nose, a wide wine glass does the trick. You may miss it if you drink it from the bottle.
Carbonation = stellar
Why in the heck would we rate a beer on appearance, who cares?
FYI we are lucky to have the inventor working up here at Peekskill Brewery now, and it seems every beer they put out now has a bit of the FP magic.
If I find an IPA beer thats better I will just have to give it a 5.1 but as long as one doesn't drink a 5 every single day it should stay a 5. I am not going to wait until I die to give a beer a 5. I think 20 years of testing is fine.
1,028 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I just poured this one after a year or so break from Flower Power and this confirms my past thoughts and feelings. For my taste (I am a brewer) this is pretty much a perfect IPA.
Just a beautiful nose, nice sweet malt profile (I am assuming it was mashed out as high of a temp as possible), the hops profile is astounding! Not to much simcoe (think cat pee smell) not to much bittering hops and a pile of flavoring hops. Must be dry hopped to the max!To capture the nose, a wide wine glass does the trick. You may miss it if you drink it from the bottle.
Carbonation = stellar
Why in the heck would we rate a beer on appearance, who cares?
FYI we are lucky to have the inventor working up here at Peekskill Brewery now, and it seems every beer they put out now has a bit of the FP magic.
If I find an IPA beer thats better I will just have to give it a 5.1 but as long as one doesn't drink a 5 every single day it should stay a 5. I am not going to wait until I die to give a beer a 5. I think 20 years of testing is fine.
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More User Reviews:
3.93/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep copper with a two finger head that settles nicely leaving big globs of foam down the side of the glass,aromas of pine needles and some nuttiness.Taste is a hop heaven piney and resiny with nutty malt backbone very dry makes you want more.A soapiness in the finish may keep the drinkability a little lower but if you like hops you'll like this for sure,well made and highly drinkable well done.
406 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep copper with a two finger head that settles nicely leaving big globs of foam down the side of the glass,aromas of pine needles and some nuttiness.Taste is a hop heaven piney and resiny with nutty malt backbone very dry makes you want more.A soapiness in the finish may keep the drinkability a little lower but if you like hops you'll like this for sure,well made and highly drinkable well done.
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3.74/5 rDev -11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
One pineapple & a loaf of bread.
Two tablespoons of honey & a field of hops.
A twig from a pine tree & a bouquet of tulips.
A dash of white pepper & a dog's kiss on the cheek.
Golden-amber, medium-bodied, & floral, hence its name.
Bitter on the attack & finish;
A bitterness that needs a blue cheese to spar with it.
A bitterness that needs some French fries or kettle chips.
It has a maltiness that summons Upstate's vast western region, full of as much mystery as the City.
The porches, the factories, the small towns, the mountains, and rivers.
The snow, the birds, the universities, the tractors, and the wind.
614 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
One pineapple & a loaf of bread.
Two tablespoons of honey & a field of hops.
A twig from a pine tree & a bouquet of tulips.
A dash of white pepper & a dog's kiss on the cheek.
Golden-amber, medium-bodied, & floral, hence its name.
Bitter on the attack & finish;
A bitterness that needs a blue cheese to spar with it.
A bitterness that needs some French fries or kettle chips.
It has a maltiness that summons Upstate's vast western region, full of as much mystery as the City.
The porches, the factories, the small towns, the mountains, and rivers.
The snow, the birds, the universities, the tractors, and the wind.
614 characters
4.31/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
My goto, readily available, IPA here on the east coast. Great summer IPA.
73 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
My goto, readily available, IPA here on the east coast. Great summer IPA.
73 characters
5/5 rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of my favorite beers. A fantastic IPA.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
One of my favorite beers. A fantastic IPA.
42 characters
4.19/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a growler into a pint glass. Color is a really nice orange-gold, a bit hazy. Two-finger dense and frothy white head leaves decent lacing. First hit of the smell for me was grapefruit and cat pee ( the good kind), though the aroma became much more muted after that first blast, resolving to a subtle citrus and tropical fruit. I get more of a spicy herbal flavor that carries through to the finish, which is pleasantly lingering with medium bitterness. Good carbonation keeps things lively. The malt provides a sweetness which for me is just right (the sweet spot?) to balance the spicy hops. This is a delicious IPA--glad I got it.
643 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a growler into a pint glass. Color is a really nice orange-gold, a bit hazy. Two-finger dense and frothy white head leaves decent lacing. First hit of the smell for me was grapefruit and cat pee ( the good kind), though the aroma became much more muted after that first blast, resolving to a subtle citrus and tropical fruit. I get more of a spicy herbal flavor that carries through to the finish, which is pleasantly lingering with medium bitterness. Good carbonation keeps things lively. The malt provides a sweetness which for me is just right (the sweet spot?) to balance the spicy hops. This is a delicious IPA--glad I got it.
643 characters
3.96/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I'm really liking the smell of this beer right away. Quite citrus and some dankness fruity. First sip the citrus was lighter than I would have thought which quickly gives way to a dry malt finish with some light bitterness coming through. Good beer but really no sweetness/fruitiness coming through from what I detected on the nose. Feel like I could drink this easily and alcohol content hidden. Like it.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I'm really liking the smell of this beer right away. Quite citrus and some dankness fruity. First sip the citrus was lighter than I would have thought which quickly gives way to a dry malt finish with some light bitterness coming through. Good beer but really no sweetness/fruitiness coming through from what I detected on the nose. Feel like I could drink this easily and alcohol content hidden. Like it.
405 characters
4.36/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Look: Great unfiltered IPA look . Nice head and lacing
Smell: Piney and floral notes. Citrus hops and dank flavor all day long
Taste: Sweet grapefruit peel, bitter hops.
Feel: Went down so nice......very creamy ....and good
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Look: Great unfiltered IPA look . Nice head and lacing
Smell: Piney and floral notes. Citrus hops and dank flavor all day long
Taste: Sweet grapefruit peel, bitter hops.
Feel: Went down so nice......very creamy ....and good
229 characters
4.36/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a pale, golden color, straw in some spots and light amber in others. Murky and translucent, then topped off with a white cap that settles to a quarter-inch and shows some decent staying power. Nice, drippy lacing is left near the top of the glass.
Flower Power, like the name might imply, is powerful and fruity - loaded with citrus, huge pineapples, apricots, and maybe some mango. Light hop resin sits in the background along with some light pine, but stays secondary to the citrus overload. I've heard people compare this beer to Zombie Dust, and I see where they're coming from. This citrus isn't quite as powerful here (and neither is the rest of the hop profile, for that matter), but it's drawing some slight resemblance.
Somewhat surprisingly, the first thing I notice on my palate are the hops, and they exhibit a mildly spicy, white-pepper flavor, something that I wasn't picking up on in the aroma at all. Some resinous flavors come through and the bitterness smacks your tongue quickly and all at once. Slightly oil and leafy. Lemon and orange zest play a big role in the flavor, as well as light apricot and pineapple. The palate isn't picking up the fruit as much as the nose, but it's definitely there, and certainly more noticeable in the latter half of the sip.
The bitterness is pretty powerful and probably helps tone down the fruit at first. Sweetness from the malt is there, giving off a light, sweet bread flavor. Other than being a backbone for the huge hop profile, it doesn't do much else. The aftertaste is full of a peppery bitterness, a little fruity pith, and some dry, bready malt. Maybe even a little ashy as the beer gets warmer. Medium bodied, a little stickier than expected, decent carbonation.
I can see why people might substitute this beer for Zombie Dust where it's more readily available. Similar in many ways - and although I prefer ZD much more, this beer is still pretty damn delicious. If it was available in my area, I'd probably drink it all the time. Goes down easy and gives you a nice fruit, bitter hop kick.
2,069 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a pale, golden color, straw in some spots and light amber in others. Murky and translucent, then topped off with a white cap that settles to a quarter-inch and shows some decent staying power. Nice, drippy lacing is left near the top of the glass.
Flower Power, like the name might imply, is powerful and fruity - loaded with citrus, huge pineapples, apricots, and maybe some mango. Light hop resin sits in the background along with some light pine, but stays secondary to the citrus overload. I've heard people compare this beer to Zombie Dust, and I see where they're coming from. This citrus isn't quite as powerful here (and neither is the rest of the hop profile, for that matter), but it's drawing some slight resemblance.
Somewhat surprisingly, the first thing I notice on my palate are the hops, and they exhibit a mildly spicy, white-pepper flavor, something that I wasn't picking up on in the aroma at all. Some resinous flavors come through and the bitterness smacks your tongue quickly and all at once. Slightly oil and leafy. Lemon and orange zest play a big role in the flavor, as well as light apricot and pineapple. The palate isn't picking up the fruit as much as the nose, but it's definitely there, and certainly more noticeable in the latter half of the sip.
The bitterness is pretty powerful and probably helps tone down the fruit at first. Sweetness from the malt is there, giving off a light, sweet bread flavor. Other than being a backbone for the huge hop profile, it doesn't do much else. The aftertaste is full of a peppery bitterness, a little fruity pith, and some dry, bready malt. Maybe even a little ashy as the beer gets warmer. Medium bodied, a little stickier than expected, decent carbonation.
I can see why people might substitute this beer for Zombie Dust where it's more readily available. Similar in many ways - and although I prefer ZD much more, this beer is still pretty damn delicious. If it was available in my area, I'd probably drink it all the time. Goes down easy and gives you a nice fruit, bitter hop kick.
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4.63/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A: Golden with a somewhat good clarity. Produces a good head stand with a rocky, off-white head that has good retention.
S: It smells like a bag of hops with a strong hops aroma of citrus and tropical fruit being mostly lemon, lime and pineapple with some papaya. There is light malt sweetness and a light flower alcohol aroma as well. Some of that grassy, herbaceous aroma from the hops. One of the best smelling IPA on the market.
T: Great hop flavor dominates with a strong citrus and tropical fruit hops flavors and a very strong hops bitterness. The malt is there with a just enough to clean sweetness to support the hops. The finish is dry and the aftertaste is of citrus and hops bitterness. The balance is fairly bitter but not as aggressive as some IPAs.
M: A medium-light body with moderately-strong carbonation.
O: Still one of my hands down favorite IPAs. The hops aroma and flavor is outstanding with a ton of West Coast citrus character and herbal notes. If I could take only one beer with me to a deserted island it would probably be Flower Power.
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look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
A: Golden with a somewhat good clarity. Produces a good head stand with a rocky, off-white head that has good retention.
S: It smells like a bag of hops with a strong hops aroma of citrus and tropical fruit being mostly lemon, lime and pineapple with some papaya. There is light malt sweetness and a light flower alcohol aroma as well. Some of that grassy, herbaceous aroma from the hops. One of the best smelling IPA on the market.
T: Great hop flavor dominates with a strong citrus and tropical fruit hops flavors and a very strong hops bitterness. The malt is there with a just enough to clean sweetness to support the hops. The finish is dry and the aftertaste is of citrus and hops bitterness. The balance is fairly bitter but not as aggressive as some IPAs.
M: A medium-light body with moderately-strong carbonation.
O: Still one of my hands down favorite IPAs. The hops aroma and flavor is outstanding with a ton of West Coast citrus character and herbal notes. If I could take only one beer with me to a deserted island it would probably be Flower Power.
1,070 characters
4.18/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Without a doubt, one of the best and easily drinkable IPAs I've had in a while. It did not present as an overly hoppy beer on smell, and the taste and finish was clean and crisp. Pours just a little cloudy; it had a floral and fruity taste, but not overly so on either count. I would buy this regularly. It actually went down a little too easily!
346 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Without a doubt, one of the best and easily drinkable IPAs I've had in a while. It did not present as an overly hoppy beer on smell, and the taste and finish was clean and crisp. Pours just a little cloudy; it had a floral and fruity taste, but not overly so on either count. I would buy this regularly. It actually went down a little too easily!
346 characters
4.46/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.16/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Flower Power India Pale Ale from Ithaca Beer Company
Beer rating:
4.22 out of
5 with
5,354 ratings
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