Ithaca Beer Company Cascazilla

Full disclosure upfront: I might have had this beer before. I can't be sure, though. I once spent an afternoon in the brewery and store of the Ithaca Beer Company and tried a number of their beers, which probably included this one. But I'm going to review it anyway. Ithaca's a beer company which I support wholeheartedly and will buy their products whenever I come across them. Their Nut Brown Ale is heavenly. But on to the CascaZilla!

According to the brewer, the name is both a play on the name of a local gorge (after all, Ithaca is Gorges), and a reference to the "monster amounts of Cascade hops" they use in the brew. Being a hop fiend, I don't know that I'd call the amount of hops in this brew monstrous, but it's healthy, especially given that Cascade is a medium-to-mild variety of hop. I've always been a fan of red ales, and find any excuse to put caramel or crystal malts in my homebrews to get toward that reddish amber color that makes me so very happy. This brew is nearly perfect in attaining that color. Its head is creamy and full, and pouring it opens up aromas that promise a comforting brew to come.

It's a bit strong for sessioning at around 7%, but even so, I could happily sit and consume several of these of an evening with no need to be driving anytime soon. Maybe around a couple of dorky multi-hour board games that I enjoy, or an in-home date night with a dinner and some DVDs. This is a full-bodied and strong brew that is comforting in the cold New England winter (and presumably in the cold Ithaca, New York winter as well), and it's great to find a beer that's wintry comforting and isn't a stout or a porter (although I have no objection to stouts and porters.)

This beer, like all Ithaca beers, is vegan friendly. I am very happy with this beer and will certainly buy it again. I rate it an A-. My name is Joe.

Redbridge Gluten-Free Beer

The next six pack in the lineup was Redbridge Gluten-Free Beer brewed by Anheuser-Busch. (St. Louis, Missouri). It's made from sorghum rather than wheat or barley so as to keep it gluten-free, which of course makes it one of very few beers available to those of you who must remain gluten-free for your own well-being.

At first, I worried on learning that this was an A-B product that it was going to be a gluten-free Bud Light, but on pouring it into a glass, I was pleasantly surprised. The color is a reddish amber and the aroma is beery, if nothing else. The head was a pleasant surprise, and I thought I may have stumbled on a variety of cream ale. The taste is definitely unusual due to the atypical grain content, and I don't think anyone will be mistaking this for a gluten-filled brew, but that doesn't mean it's no good.

It's got a pleasant if slightly overpowering maltiness and negligible hop content, making it fairly easy-drinking. It doesn't sit heavy but doesn't flow like your more popular A-B products, swilling down like slightly tainted water. In other words, it's alright, it's not great, and it rises slightly above mediocrity. For someone whose diet limits them to the Gluten-Free beers, it's a good option for keeping some flavor in your beer, but if your diet has no such restrictions, it wouldn't make it terribly high on the list. Overall, I give it a C+. My name is Joe.

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Speaking of dietary restrictions, I've decided that, in honor of one of my fellow bloggers, going forward I will identify (when I can) in my reviews whether a given beer is vegan. Not everyone may be aware that many beers are non-vegan due to some unseen refining ingredients, so I figure it can't hurt to let you know. On that note, according to my research, all Anheuser-Busch products are free of animal products, except for those which contain honey -- both of which have the word "honey" in the name of the product.