Fourteen
Ithaca Beer Company

FourteenFourteen
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From:
Ithaca Beer Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
8.2%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 8.46%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
153
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 06, 2022
Added:
Apr 14, 2012
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  17
Fourteen Anniversary Ale is a hoppy black ale bursting with so much flavor you might think you’re tasting double. Made with ingredients gathered from seven parts of the world, Fourteen will seize hold your taste buds and never let go. Enjoy the intensely floral nose from dry-hopped Cascade and Galaxy hops, the surprisingly light body from 2-row barley, wheat malt, black wheat, and Caramalt, and the strong bitter finish from Chinook, and Cascade hops. Fourteen is like a fast-moving squall, dark and complex with a beautiful black rainbow finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SpdKilz:
Photo of SpdKilz
Reviewed by SpdKilz from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A huge thanks to Whartontallboy for this great extra. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours into my tulip with literally a 100% opaque black color. About two fingers of creamy looking head is achieved with a somewhat hard pour that dissipates at a moderate pace leaving chunky lacing

Smell – Earthy hops, bittersweet chocolate, a great roast aroma, and some floral/citrus notes at the end.

Taste – A nice bitterness up front from the hops which fades to char and roast, bittersweet chocolate, and just a hint of honey? Sweetness. As the beer warms some coffee flavors become apparent but not overly so.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, nice creamy mouthfeel, carbonation on par for this style.

Overall – A solid black IPA. Not the best out there, but a respectable one nonetheless.
May 12, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had this on draft.
A: pours a dark body with a small, tan head with nice retention and lacing
S: sweet smelling slightly hoppy smelling beer; interesting smell
T: sweet tasting; some alcohol notes; very subtle, grapefruit rind aftertaste
M: full-bodied and pretty smooth; decent
D: nice feel and taste combo; pretty interesting beer; nice overall
May 06, 2022
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
A dark cocao brown, light brown head. Nice lacing. Nose ha a sweetness with chocolate and coffee. Taste has an initial chocolate malt followed by lots of coffee and a luscious piney hop presence. Rich creamy feel while being light and supple to drink. Great drinkability with a cripness and quenching drynes. Really good brew.
Apr 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by nathanmiller from New York

Dec 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jpd7374 from Pennsylvania

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by trxxpaxxs from New York

Sep 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by gcare02 from Pennsylvania

Jun 13, 2014
Photo of TheBrewo
Reviewed by TheBrewo from New York

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
We peel the foil and crack the bottle of Batch # E! 044, pouring into our Founders snifters per the label’s suggestion. It shows the color of cola, letting up ruby hues towards the bottom when held directly to light. It holds a foamy one and a half finger tall head of latte colored bubbles, showing solid retention. Lacing is sheeted, thick, and ridged. No real haze or sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be light. The aroma gives slippery notes of black leather, licorice, butterscotch, burnt barley, dark wheatiness, soft medicinal phenols, shoe polish, browned apples, grassy and herbal hops, syrupy brown sugar sweetness, envelope adhesive, lactic creaminess, toffee, cinnamon and black pepper, soy sauce, ginger, cardboard, fresh coconut, and icy metallics. Our first impression is that although the hops have faded noticeably, the malts more than make up for it with a healthy burn and smoke following through to the back. As we sip, the taste begins with bittersweet licorice, smoked wheat and black maltiness, cashew oiliness, biting herbal hops, curious scotchy peatiness, salted caramel and brown sugar cloy, and light bubblegum esters, earthy and soiled hoppiness. The middle peaks with smooth heavy creamer, citric hop acidity, twiggy resins, cooked coffee malts, mineral, powdery ale yeastiness, and alcohol. The end washes through with chlorine and bright chemical phenols, clove and black pepper spice, fusel booziness, soy sauce saltiness, burnt smoky malts of black, wheat, and caramel varietals, brown rice, lacquer, and ceramic. The aftertaste breathes of raw coffee and espresso bean, burnt gingerbread, smoldering campfire smokiness, aluminum, freshly pulled leather, black and caramel maltiness, cherry and red apple fruit juiciness, salt water taffy, vegetal leafiness, sunscreen, fish oil, and powdered vitamins. The body is medium but chewy, and the carbonation is medium. Each sip gives excellent slurp, smack, cream, froth, glug, pull, and pop. The mouth is creamed and coated, but drags into a chalky, tannic astringency. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks back very nicely.

Overall, the best thing about this brew is its flavoring, but the nose is not too far behind. This is Ithaca’s fourteenth anniversary brew, and although their sixteenth was just released not too long ago, this one is holding up quite nicely with the age on it. The hops have diminished as expected, but this did something kind of amazing. It allowed for the malts to deepen and darken, unmasking layer after layer of smoky, malty complexity. The hops are still present, but in a very earthy and organic way, playing well with the depth and frankly surprising smokiness of the malts. The creaminess of feel adds yet another piece to the puzzle, softening any perceived harshness of malts. This is by no means our first Ithaca beer, but it is our introduction to their anniversary and “Excelsior!” series.
May 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Durandal_777 from Pennsylvania

May 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ElliotF

Apr 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tuka from New York

Jan 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Griffith from Connecticut

Jan 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by ystazi from Illinois

Nov 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by brentblack1 from New York

Oct 19, 2013
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Deep dark brown, nearly black in color. A modest foam and not overly carbonated in the mouth.

Nice resiny flavor with a good dose of the dank hops and burnt malt. what makes it pleasant is the malty sweetness that gives the stuff some foundation. Hops are piney and spicy.

A fruity tart taste gives this some balance. Hoppy enough to give a little tingle to the lips, but mellows out to a modest hop burn. On tap at The Perch in downtown Philly. [notes from 05/24/2012 visit]
Oct 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by mkh895 from Arizona

Sep 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by smithj4 from New York

Sep 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by metter98 from New York

Sep 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by ncaudle from Virginia

Aug 31, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by drewone from California

Aug 26, 2013
Fourteen from Ithaca Beer Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 153 ratings