Southern Tier 2XMAS Ale

So maybe this is a few days late, but it's still the holiday season, and i'm still enjoying all the Christmas beers i can get my grubby little hands on.  The 2XMAS Ale comes to us from New York's Southern Tier Brewery, and is a holiday treat indeed.  The beer pours a lovely amber with a bubbly, off-white head and smells of spices and fruits, almost like what you would get in a spiced cider.  The flavor consists of figs, orange, clover, and some back end hops to keep things from getting too terribly sweet.  This is a great brew to drink while sitting around the house with family, and at 8% ABV, you might as well get comfortable.

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Southern Tier Warlock

The beers from Southern Tier are often hit or miss with me, but when they hit, they tend to do it out of the park.  Continuing on my pumpkin beer kick, we have the Warlock, an imperial pumpkin stout.  It's tasty.  The beer pours a dark, dark brownish black with a quickly dissipating tan head.  Aromas of molasses, dark malts, spices, and some hints of pumpkin and bread are prevalent, while the taste was more oatmeal with spices and notes of pumpkin.  Not quite what i was expecting, but still well done nonetheless.  Enjoy this 8.6% ABV brew to wind the evening down.

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Southern Tier Choklat

Apparently, tis the season for chocolate beers in my house.  I've been on a kick lately.  One of the best that i've imbibed thus far is the Choklat Imperial Stout from New York's Southern Tier Brewing.  It's a monster.  The beer pours a dark black with a mocha head, giving off a dominant aroma of dark chocolate.  The taste is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, but with some burnt malts, alcohol, and some back end tartness to round the whole thing out.  It's a perfect dessert beer...and it's 10% ABV.  Pair it with some cheese, mint candies, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale

It's almost October, so it's high time i post about one of my favorite kinds of beverages ever concocted by mad scientists and beer brewers, the mighty pumpkin ale.  Southern Tier's Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale pours a lovely, orange-ish copper, with little head, but a lot of aroma.  There is an overarching floral smell that combines with pumpkin, vanilla, and hints of alcohol.  The flavor is heavy on the aforementioned florals and pumpkin, but there are also aspects of yam and an almost cream-like feel (the vanilla maybe?), and the finish is sharp and spicy.  The ABV comes in at a respectable 8.6%, so this brew does not mess around.  Enjoy it.

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Southern Tier Iniquity Black Ale

Oh, how the darker beers always call my name.  Hailing from Lakewood, New York, Southern Tier Brewing Company offers up a veritable smorgasbord of different brews.  As they've only recently begun circulating their way into Austin, the only one i've managed to try thus far is their Iniquity Black Ale, a dark and foamy potion of sheer delight if i may be so dramatic.  This 9% ABV ale is smooth, malty, and sweet as you would expect from a darker ale, but the hops give off much more of a citrus flavor than bitterness.  At first, it's kind of an odd mix, as it's so unexpected, but ultimately, it really works well.  The beer would be the perfect companion for a steak dinner, and thus, is awesome.

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