Ithaca Excelsior! Fourteen

While at the LeBleu release, I picked up a bottle of Ithaca Excelsior! Fourteen, a hoppy black ale. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, lemon, toasted malts, cream, pine, pepper, and spruce. The taste is dry and has a pine, pepper, and lemon hop bite on the front end. A solid chocolate, toasted malts, and caramel base provides a great foundation for the beer, and it has a vanilla and cream tasting finish. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. This was a well put together black ale with plenty of hoppy, citrusy goodness. The best part was the light caramel, vanilla, and cream accents that really bridged the gap of all of the flavors.