I’d like to take a moment to revel in how amazing our world is right now. People can make phone calls on their watches. You can now get HBO a la carte, without signing a ridiculous cable contract that comes with 152 channels that you don’t want to watch. And breweries are producing hop forward double IPAs that don’t taste like bitter bombs. These are amazing times we’re living in, people. Amazing.
Ithaca Beer Company is about to release their contribution to our amazing world with their double IPA, Creeker. IBC has brewed the beer off and on in the past, but starting in February, they’re going to bring it on as part of their year-round lineup. If you live in the brewery’s eight-state distribution area, you should rejoice; Creeker is a nuanced beer with all sorts of crowd-pleasing layers.
Ithaca Beer Company packs Creeker full of killer hop strains, from the classic Simcoe and Cascade to the more fruity Mosaic and Citra, and you get a nice tour of those hop varieties throughout this bottle. It pours a bright orange with a thin white head and smells like pine and pepper. But the fruit hits you hard up front, delivering sweet citrus, like mandarin oranges, and mellow notes of pineapple and melon. After that initial sweetness subsides, the sip dries out, offering subtle hints of pine, and giving the pepper a chance to come back into play. There’s a pleasant pale malt undercurrent running through it all, helping to develop a smooth, round mouthfeel. As the beer dries on your tongue, that body moves from soft to zesty. It’s also undeniably boozy at a hefty 9% ABV. Overall, what you get with Creeker is a complex beer that offers a wallop of sweet fruit to please casual IPA fans, but also plenty of “hidden” layers for those looking for a multi-dimensional beer experience. Let me revise that: a boozy multi-dimensional beer experience. Did I mention Creeker weighs in at 9%?
I’ve never had anything from Ithaca Beer Company before Creeker showed up at the office, which is strange because the brewery has been around since the late ‘90s. Blame it on the small distribution footprint. But, the brewery is expanding, so maybe I’ll start to see IBC on shelves near me soon. It wouldn’t surprise me. Like I said, these are amazing times we’re living in.
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
City: Ithaca, New York
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 9%
Availability: Year round starting in February, draft and four pack bottles