November 11th, 2008 beckel
Here should ideally be another wonderful beer from the brewery that I have come to respect so much, Southern Tier from Lakewood, New York. Part of their Black Water Series of imperial brews this bottle states it was brewed in Fall 2008. It will certainly be a treat. When pouring this beer it initially seemed completely flat creating no disturbance as I poured directly into the bottom of my tulip glass, until then end of my pour where the beer was allowed to settle momentarily before creating a half inch of nice dark chocolate brown head that lasted for just under two minutes. The color is pitch black leaving light no chance of passing through this beer. The aroma is nice, I notice hints of coffee first, then black licorice and some softer dark malts, some gently caramelized. The flavors in this beer are solid, initially I notice simple dark malt on the tongue which evolves into sweet mellow coffee and chocolate flavors with a slight bitterness wrapping up the taste. Though this beer is 11% ABV the multitude of flavors do a wonderful job hiding its content. Though I am sure the oats in this beer aid in its smooth flavor I only occasionally catch them standing out. The mouthfeel of this beer is very smooth and not particularly syrupy, though the body is a bit heavy. Though I’m not regularly a big fan of dark beers the roasted but sweet dark flavors in this beer are wonderful and gently balanced with a slight bitterness making this a very quality brew. This would make a grand evening sipper for anyone who enjoys a flavorful but simple dark beer and doesn’t mind a solid alcohol content and some sweetness to compliment. To another lovely Southern Tier brew, now I get to restock my fridge without feeling guilty. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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September 7th, 2008 beckel
I’ve been wanting to savor Pumking for sometime since I purchased it as I have yet to be let down by a Southern Tier Ale. I always question flavored ales but if their creme brulee is any example of what they can do to a beer I highly doubt I will not approve of the quality of this beer. Pours a nice roasted orange color that is transparent but deep. Head is a solid inch and 1/2 and cascades very nicely producing creme colored bubbles that are quite fluffy. Aroma is wonderful, sugar and spice hit the nose immediately and lead me to believe I am about to bite into a lovely fresh pumpkin pie. Though I am a bit sad I don’t have any actual pie to accompany this beer the flavor almost makes up for it. Sugary and Spicy flavors are immense and wonderfully compliment the great pumpkin flavor of this beer, a little bit of alcohol is noticeable but almost nothing considering its 9% ABV. Though full flavored this beer is very drinkable and has a rather light mouthfeel. This would be a great desert beer or a lovely beer to drink with a good hearty meal. It is a bit odd for me to think of enjoying a pumpkin pie flavored beer but this was a delightful experience. If you like a sweet somewhat creamy beer or happen to have a fondness to pumpkin pie this is absolutely worth consuming. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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August 21st, 2008 beckel
I simply couldn’t pass up this beer when I saw it on the shelf, so here’s to another lovely Southern Tier brew. Upon opening my bottle of their Imperial Creme Brulee Stout I can already smell its lovely aroma of vanilla beans that it is brewed with. After pouring this beer smells even better, creamy caramel and vanilla scents are overwhelming and can be smelt a foot away. Also detectable are some dark malt scents but the creme brulee scent makes the others hard to identify. The color of this beer is grand, deep dark black with lovely creamy brown head that seems tame at first but cascades marvelously and creates a few inches of tight bubbles that remain for some time. Wow, this is a very interesting beer with a suiting name. The flavor is sweet and creamy with a hint of a flatter flavor that is somewhat coffee like but not very bitter or strong due to all of the sweet creme brulee like flavors, kind of tastes like a sweet roasted toffee. The caramel flavors are very different that you would typically find in a beer, tasting more like roasted sugar than roasted malt. The 10% ABV of this beer is some what noticeable but not at all harsh because of all of the creamy sugary flavors. The mouthfeel is medium but it is still quite drinkable for a stout, not nearly as heavy as I expected. This is definitely a nice beer but a bit on the sweet side as one should expect from its name. If you like a sweet creamy stout this is a lovely choice. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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July 9th, 2008 beckel
I had the pleasure of attending the Southern Tier tasting at the Blue Nile last night and sampling a few of their beers, their coffee stout is delicious, I’d say even better than Summit’s Oatmeal Stout but thats not what this is about. So today I am drinking Southern Tier’s Big Red an Imperial red ale. As the name suggests this beer pours a lovely red color. Head is plentiful but not too massive and light white in color. Aroma is very nice, largely of sweet malt. Their website suggests pouring this beer in a sniffer to enjoy the scent, and I understand why. Flavor is good and amazingly unbitter for its 93 IBU. Hop flavor is definitely present, but the malt profile is so intense it can be hard to tell. With the sweet malt flavor of this beer few will guess its 9.5% ABV. Mouthfeel is medium and very smooth. Though I prefer a more hoppy beer this beer certainly gets my approval and I would definitely drink it again. Anyone who likes a strong amber or a malty imperial ale will really like this beer. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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June 17th, 2008 beckel
I was turned on to Southern Tier on my birthday when I had a goblet of Hoppe their Imperial EPA which was quite flavorful and complex. So when I saw a number of their bottles at The Four Firkins I had to try some more of their beers. This Imperial IPA pours a slightly hazy but filtered looking light orange color. The smell is quite complex, very hop filled with slight orange marmalade scent in the end. This beer produces a surprisingly little amount of head with a light tan color. Packing in a mega 11% ABV and an insane 153 IBU the scent of this beer is amazingly smooth. Tastes strongly of hops of a number of varieties with a little bite towards the end that is then smoothed out by the malt flavor. A very well balanced beer and surprisingly unbitter, an impressive feat considering the ABV and hop profile. The mouthfeel is relatively smooth but a bit stickier than expected. If your looking for a strong beer this is not a bad choice, though it is very intense and perhaps even more hoppy and alcoholic than I care for, which is surprising but I would definitely drink it again. I look forward to trying some more of their beers. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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