Tag Archives: southern tier

Southern Tier 2XIPA

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There were surprisingly few leftovers from our Octoberfest weekend. This was one of them, though, and was one of Ron’s favorites.

I say “was”, because they are all definitely past-tense now.

They say:

Not quite an imperial, but certainly not a standard India pale ale. Our double IPA is a hop lovers dream. Citrusy and clean with an incredible finish. (8.3% abv)

It’s light amber with a half-inch of white head and a bit of chill haze. Big, spicy hops dominate the aroma, with grass and grapefruit. Big flavor with a huge amount of hops; that’s a real tongue-scraper. I really like that, although I don’t think I can have more than one or two in a sitting. I can see (or rather, taste) why Ron liked it so much.

Southern Tier Brewing

Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout

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Beer-a-Day #284Souther Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout

We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition.

By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Crème Brûlée, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew.

Opaque black beer with medium brown head. Vanilla dominates the aroma. It similarly owns the flavor, with a bit of a stout backbone and a little alcohol heat. This is a beer to share with friends as a dessert.

Ron says: Huge vanilla aroma. Huge. A little of the alcohol smell but none of the burn. A couple of four-ounce glasses and a brunette are a perfect end to an evening.

Hop Talk Advisory Panel says: An enjoyable stout with some complex flavors, though the vanilla definitely stands out. While not unpleasant, the higher alcohol content is not unnoticed.

Southern Tier Brewing – The Beers

My new favorite porter has fruit in it – Southern Tier Raspberry Porter

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My new favorite porter has fruit in it and it is from, none-other-than, Southern Tier. For the first time ever while browsing my candy store did I come across a fruit beer and purchase it with high hopes of liking it; and it didn’t disappoint.

southern-tier-raspberry-porter-hoptalk.jpgI’ve been searching for excellent porters according to my own criteria for a long time, and few fit the bill. I’ve also stayed away from fruit beers, again, because of my own personal tastes. The Southern Tier Raspberry Porter does several things right making this my new favorite porter.

First off, quality. They are consistent, clean, and anywhere from good to excellent across the board. Secondly, they stepped away from the trend to add smoke or harsh roasts to the brew, something that is acceptable for the style, but not a requirement. Lastly, they only give it enough raspberry to make you think it, dream it, catch a fleeting whiff of it… but not chew it.

The hops shine through in this porter, something I think most porters miss; though, they could shine brighter. This would be my only negative about this beer, that it could be bigger with hops and malts; but it is a small complaint. I appreciate that they didn’t just make it bigger by adding more burnt roast flavors to make it harshly bitter and hiding the bittering hops, and well, the beer. This beer is very drinkable the way they made it.

Alan over at a Good Beer Blog agrees, but we don’t know what’s up with those Beer Advocates. (Alan suspects they fear small berries… I can go with that.)

Southern Tier – Big Surprise in Mystery Twelve

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I’ve become a huge fan of Southern Tier. I absolutely love their Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale. Their IPA, porter and harvest are also fantastic. So when I saw a Mystery 12 pack for sale at my local “candy store”, I couldn’t pass it up.

On the box, three of the four beer styles are listed; the fourth being the mystery beer. I don’t know if they make different mixes, but this box was labeled as containing Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale, the IPA and a raspberry wheat. Now, you may know by now my feelings on fruity beers, but I was feeling lucky and I really wanted to know what the mystery beer was. I was hoping for something I’ve never tried before. I was wishing for the imperial coffee stout called Jah*va.

It turned out that the mystery beer was their dark porter. I like that porter, so I wasn’t that disappointed despite that I was hoping for something new. I then chilled a pair of each for the weekend.

southern-tier-raspberry-wheat.jpgI decided to start off with the raspberry wheat. I wanted to get them out of the way clearing the path for some Extraordinary and IPA bliss.

Here comes the big surprise… the raspberry wheat was fantastic! No, I’m not kidding. I had my second one the next day to make sure I wasn’t just incredibly thirsty the day before. (plus I wanted to photograph it for Hop-Talk)

This beer poured a light amber color, with a short, fine bubbled head. It tasted like beer. By this, I mean that it tasted primarily like beer with hints of raspberry tartness in the background. It was incredibly thirst quenching. As I finished the beer, the raspberry tartness seemed to turn to a raspberry sweetness. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer on an unusually hot afternoon back in October.

Southern Tier has done it again; they continue to impress me.

Thank you, Ron

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So, I’m home, hanging out with the kids, just chillin’, when the doorbell rings.

It’s the UPS man.

I wasn’t expecting a package, but who knows what last-minute thing my wife might have gotten.

It’s addressed to my family. From Ron’s family.

Well, isn’t that curious? While we send each other greeting cards, our families don’t exchange gifts. Not that we wouldn’t, of course, but by the time I buy gifts for my own kids, their cousins, their step-cousins, grandmas, grandpa, and child-free aunts and uncles, the gift budget is stretched thin. I know Ron is in the same boat.

So this, obviously, is a surprise. I honestly have no idea what it could be. So I call the girls up from downstairs. “Look, girls. We got a package.”

“What is it?” they ask.

“I don’t know. Let’s open it and find out.”

I slice open the tape. There’s a bunch of things in bubble-wrap. I grab the first one.

By golly, it’s a bottle of beer!

Six more bubble-wrapped bottles follow. Plus a note:

Enjoy this sampler of fine ales and lagers, hand selected, specifically with you in mind. Cheers! (I had the hardest time choosing just seven! Enjoy!)

“You shouldn’t have called us,” says my youngest, disappointed, as they head back downstairs.

Hawesome! A couple of them are even from my wishlist.

And they say Christmas is for the kids.

giftfromron2.jpg

(Yes, that is my daughters’ purple Disney Princess tree in the background.)

Thank you, Ron. I will enjoy every last drop.

I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.
– Walt Whitman

And a Case for Mom

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extra-ale3.gifI had a chance to visit my mother over vacation down at the New Jersey shore. On a wonderful summer afternoon, after beaching it for the day, we all sat down for a late afternoon lunch of deli sandwiches on fresh rolls from the bakery and fresh Jersey fruit. My mother doesn’t have a beer often, but it was vacation and this was the perfect time to enjoy one.

I had a special beer reserved for her in the cooler. It is a talent of mine to study what people like and dislike, in beers, wines and foods, and try to find and match the perfect beer to the person and situation. For this occasion, for my mom, I chose a Phin and Matt’s Extraordinary Ale. Its light but crisp hop bite and sweet background, along with a modest alcohol content seemed ideal.

How’d I do? She loved it! Very much so, she said so many times. I explained that it was a local New York beer, from Southern Tier, and that it is very popular in upstate New York.

I’ve had success with my father as well. I had him try a Victory Prima Pils because of how the aroma reminded me of stealing sips of beer from my grandfather’s mug when I was about 10 years old. My dad’s reaction? “Wow, this tastes like Dad’s beer!”

So just the other night I was talking to Mom on the phone and making arrangements for another trip to New Jersey for a visit later this Fall and she asked if I could bring her some of that beer I had gave her over the summer. Of course! I’d love to! I pat myself on the back for another successful hook up. Then she tells me she wants a case of it… a case! Major success!

p.s. That will last her for a long time.