Flower Power IPA is an old favorite of mine. I was first introduced to the beer by my friends Kim and Amy who live in Syracuse. In my memory it is a citrus forward IPA with enough grapefruit aroma and taste to match up with just about any beer made. For about a year it was essentially not available in Columbus (I heard due to hop shortages and/or an upgrade in production capability at Ithaca Brewing). I’ve had it once since it became available again and to be honest I was not convinced it was as good as before. Today I’m sampling a ½ growler of Flower Power, I picked up at Savor Growl on Indianola, while watching the Ohio State-Wisconsin game.
Vitals
- Brewery: Ithaca Brewing (Ithaca, NY)
- Style: IPA
- ABV: 7.50%
- IBU: 75
- Price: $7.50 for a ½ growler from Savor Growl
My Review
This beer is a clear honey color that pours with about 2 fingers of pure white head. The smell is what you would expect from a good IPA, floral hop aroma with a bit of citrus. Before even taking a drink I have to say this is a change from my memory of Flower Power. It used to be you could smell the grapefruit hop aroma from across the room. The taste is also not what I remember. A nicely balanced IPA, with floral hop and pine flavors on top of a pale malt base, and relatively little bitterness for this style. My memory and notes are that of over the top grapefruit citrus flavors, but the citrus flavors of this beer are buried deep in the background.
Summary
Overall an easy drinking, solid IPA that you won’t regret purchasing, but whereas I used to rank this as one of the top 3 IPAs on the market I’m downgrading its rating to simply good.
PS – Don’t miss the video review of Flower Power posted in the Taste Tests section. It’s very interesting to hear what Amy, long time Flower Power apologist, has to say about this version of the beer.
Rating: 7
Rating scale: 10 = perfection, 9 = excellent, one of the top beers in the world, 8 = very good, one of the top beers in its style category, 7 = good, a solid beer I’m happy to be drinking, 6 = average, not bad but not something I’m likely to buy again, 5 = below average, 3-4 = poor, should be avoided, 1-2 drainpour.
Pat's Pints 
We are coming in a couple of weeks I think. Be on the look out for zombie dust and we can can post the best IPA’s out of Columbus on Columbus Day weekend. Your followers will be sure to multiply.
Still waiting to sample zombie dust. The only possible contender to the IPA title
Zombie Dust is #1 on my list of beers to try. Apparently they had a keg at the Savor Growl on Indianola earlier this week, but it only lasted for 1/2 a day.
Don’t be a hater. It must be you and not the beer. I have had several since the Flower Power drought all better than the next.
At this point I would direct all of the followers of the blog to watch the videos in the IPA Blind Taste Test series (posted in the opinion, surveys, and taste test section) and let Amy’s actions speak for themselves.
Wtf! Downgrading is unnecessary. Perhaps an old batch. You need to visit closer to Ithaca and rate again.
Well it could be an old batch, freshness is everything with an IPA. I’m still working on the growler and I have to say the more I drink the more I’m liking it, but then again that happens with a lot of beers. I hear you are coming to Columbus this fall. I’m already planning a video blind taste test as blog event while you are visiting. Bring some fresh FP and we’ll see.