Cuvee Series One (Oak Aged Series)
Southern Tier Brewing Company

Cuvee Series One (Oak Aged Series)Cuvee Series One (Oak Aged Series)
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From:
Southern Tier Brewing Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 13.26%
Reviews:
227
Ratings:
308
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 11, 2021
Added:
Jul 15, 2008
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  29
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by prototypic:
Photo of prototypic
Reviewed by prototypic from Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Cuvee One is copper in color. It's very clear, and has a distinct reddish tint when held to light. A vanilla colored head crowns the top. It rises to about a finger and a half in depth, and falls quickly. I suspect the high abv killed it. Lacing was a little sticky, but rather light.

The nose is alright, but isn't great by any stretch. For starters, it's a little weak. It does have a sweet caramel malt scent that resonates throughout. Oak is noted and adds a little character. That's a positive. There's an ancillary vanilla scent attributable to the oak aging. Alcohol is definitely noted, but I probably wouldn't guess 11%. It doesn't come through that strong. Light fruit notes round it out. Above average? Sounds about right.

The flavor keeps the pace. It definitely has a caramel malt base. At least it tastes like it. It's sweet and a little sugary. Oak is strong in flavor and actually drives it above average. There is a little vanilla, but not much. I expected more. There's an interesting berry-like flavor that lingers throughout. It doesn't add anything, but isn't overtly bad. Alcohol is noted, but again, isn't all that strong. It has a slight warming effect, but not much of one. It's nowhere close to hot. It finishes oaky and sweet.

Cuvee One has a medium body that leans thick. It's nice and smooth. Actually, the feel is its best attribute. Drinkability, on the other hand, is rather average. The flavor's alright, but isn't great. It goes down relatively easy for such a big beer, but I'm not overly enjoying it. Finishing a bomber will be work.

To be honest, I'm disappointed in Cuvee One. I had hoped for better. It's alright, but doesn't have near the depth or complexity it needs to really succeed. Perhaps I'm just not all that into sweet caramel flavors with an oaky edge. I guess it's probably worth a try, but it's far from Southern Tier's best. They have far better beers in their roster. I'm hopeful that Cuvee Two will be better, but I'm not nearly as excited to try as I was.
Apr 17, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a bottle from 2007 or 2008, so this is 14 ish years old. The beer has been at cellar temp 99% of that time, except for during two moves on short drives via car.
This is a 22 oz bottle poured into my snifter
The beer pours a bright clear chestnut color with slight ruby highlights and no carbonation streams. A creamy khaki colored head of 1 cm foams up and prevents me from emptying the bottle into my snifter. The foam recedes to a sturdy surface layer that remains through my sampling.
Aroma is rich and malty with caramel, brown sugar, raisins, some slight port wine character and a bit of oak barrel. No hops and not hot or fusol notes either. Seems pretty solid for an old strong ale.
The first sip reveals a medium body with very soft texture and almost non existent carbonation. Not quite still as I can swish the beer in my mouth and have a reaction.
The flavor is heavily malt forward with similar notes as the nose. i get brown sugar and toffee mixing with raisin and some light chalky character, maybe a cocoa powder note. Definitely like a bakers choc not sweet at all.
I do get a little warming booze on the swallow, hops are gone, coconut and almond mentioned on the box not present either.
After reading reviews, I was prepared to drainpour, but I actually really enjoy this aged brew and look forward to series #2 and Series #3 now! glad I was patient.
Jul 11, 2021
 
Rated: 3.47 by gratefulbeerhead from Indiana

Jan 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by jaydoc from Kansas

Jan 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.27 by acurtis from New Jersey

Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Apr 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Jan 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by WastingFreetime from Wisconsin

Dec 28, 2015
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.67/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: Pours a murky deep amber in color with light amounts of active visible carbonation and light amounts of copper and golden yellow highlights. The beer has a quarter finger tall foamy beige head that quickly reduces to a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of sweet caramel + toffee malts with moderate amounts of oak + vanilla.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of caramel and toffee malts with light flavors of toasted malts and moderate to strong amounts of caramel/toffee sweetness which is almost cloying. Moderate flavors of oak and vanilla with a hint of booziness in the finish.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of alcohol warming in the finish.

O: Having been cellared for roughly 7 years, the mouthfeel of this beer has definitely mellowed. Still very sweet, almost cloyingly so and the oak from the barrel agin is definitely more prominent than I expected.
Dec 13, 2015
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: The beer is hazy caramel amber in color. It poured with a minimal head that left just a thin layer of bubbles around the collar.
S: Light aromas of oak are present in the nose along with notes of caramel malts.
T: The taste follows the smell, having flavors of oak along with notes of caramel malts and brown sugar and hints of toffee.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly sticky on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Having been aged seven years, this beer seems to be somewhat muted from what I would normally expect, especially since it doesn't have a heavy and sticky mouthfeel.

Note: 2008 vintage

Serving type: bottle
Dec 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by smithj4 from New York

Dec 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by crow from Illinois

Dec 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.81 by wethorseblanket from California

Dec 09, 2015
Photo of SPLITGRIN
Reviewed by SPLITGRIN from Kentucky

3.62/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A frothy inch of perfect bready tan foam is achieved with a vigorous pour. Head only stays a minute and fades leaving a quarter inch of lace and some pond scum like skim. Body is a pale orange amber tone. Nose is considerably sweet with layers of malty goodness including a nice graham cracker feel. Kind of like a scotch ale in terms of smell. Flavor holds true with first sip, sweet, creamy and quite bready with the first sips. Consistent throughout the palate with sweet cracker bready notes. Enjoyable but very thick on the palate as it is on the mouthfeel. Easy to drink but incredibly sweet and lacking depth and character they were looking for in a special release oak aged brew with the term cuvee used.
Sep 25, 2015
Photo of bgold86
Reviewed by bgold86 from New York

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a 12 ounce brandy glass, pours a beautiful mahogany dark orange, deep nose of raisins, apples and dates. Big time green/dark red apple taste, lots of apple sweetness.
Sep 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Apr 15, 2015
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter; bottled in 2008, so around 6.5 years old. Pours slightly hazy ruby red/copper color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a spotty cap that lingers. Some light spotty lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted bread, vanilla, oak, light nuttiness, light herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and oak notes; with good strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toasted bread, vanilla, oak, light nuttiness, light herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light amount of herbal/oaky bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, date, apricot, apple, caramel, toffee, toast, vanilla, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and oak flavors; with a great malt/oak balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy, and slightly slick mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with minimal warming lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent oak aged strong ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and oak flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Mar 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by nathanmiller from New York

Dec 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by trxxpaxxs from New York

Oct 06, 2014
Cuvee Series One (Oak Aged Series) from Southern Tier Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 308 ratings