Pittsburgh Left Special Ale (2014)
Southern Tier Brewing Company
- From:
- Southern Tier Brewing Company
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Ale
- ABV:
- 5.8%
- Score:
- 82
- Avg:
- 3.48 | pDev: 10.92%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 09, 2015
- Added:
- Apr 28, 2014
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good
Brewed Exclusively for Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2014
40IBU's
40IBU's
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Stinkypuss from Pennsylvania
3.41/5 rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.41/5 rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a cloudy maroon brown with a short lived head.
Aroma of Belgian yeast, some doughy malts and brown sugar.
In the taste, lots of malty sugar, cake like with the sweet fruity nature of the Belgian yeast. Candi sugar, light herbal hops, low bitterness. Medium bodied, thick and prickly on the palete.
Overall, a nice stab at a modest Belgian style, and it is good. That being said, its not world class by any stretch.
May 17, 2014Aroma of Belgian yeast, some doughy malts and brown sugar.
In the taste, lots of malty sugar, cake like with the sweet fruity nature of the Belgian yeast. Candi sugar, light herbal hops, low bitterness. Medium bodied, thick and prickly on the palete.
Overall, a nice stab at a modest Belgian style, and it is good. That being said, its not world class by any stretch.
Reviewed by thecheapies from Pennsylvania
3.38/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Light maroon-brown color with a humbling puck of thin gray foam. Very hazed. Stillwater look with no visible effervescence.
Belgian nose with dark fruit and spice nuances. Very simple. Rather grassy, too. Thin. Beer-y, but very light.
Has a spicy flavor with peppery notes, clove, aspirin, and powdery yeast. Dry fruitiness covers tannic plum skin and quince. Medicinal dry finish.
Light drinking. A little buzz of carbonation through the middle. Body is too weak.
An okay Belgian Dark. Last year's Pittsburgh Left was much better.
May 03, 2014Belgian nose with dark fruit and spice nuances. Very simple. Rather grassy, too. Thin. Beer-y, but very light.
Has a spicy flavor with peppery notes, clove, aspirin, and powdery yeast. Dry fruitiness covers tannic plum skin and quince. Medicinal dry finish.
Light drinking. A little buzz of carbonation through the middle. Body is too weak.
An okay Belgian Dark. Last year's Pittsburgh Left was much better.
Reviewed by redearth329 from Pennsylvania
3.71/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
I knew nothing about this beer before I tasted it. I would have called it a Belgian brown ale, which I guess is close to how they bill it, so that's a good sign.
A - Cloudy dark brown with 1 finger of coarse light brown head. Not sticky at all. No apparent carbonation.
S - Malty, some toasted bread tinges, a bit of barnyard quality. Some clear Belgian yeast characteristics.
T - Malt backbone, bready notes, Belgian yeast ... nuttiness, cola, coriander... not a lot of hop character. My wife described lemon rind on the finish, although I don't see it... (edit: ok, now I do).
M - Effervescent carbonation, medium body, nice integration.
I quite like drinking this one. Seems to successfully combine two of my favorite styles: a Belgian and a brown ale.
May 03, 2014A - Cloudy dark brown with 1 finger of coarse light brown head. Not sticky at all. No apparent carbonation.
S - Malty, some toasted bread tinges, a bit of barnyard quality. Some clear Belgian yeast characteristics.
T - Malt backbone, bready notes, Belgian yeast ... nuttiness, cola, coriander... not a lot of hop character. My wife described lemon rind on the finish, although I don't see it... (edit: ok, now I do).
M - Effervescent carbonation, medium body, nice integration.
I quite like drinking this one. Seems to successfully combine two of my favorite styles: a Belgian and a brown ale.
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania
3.45/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.45/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This is a decent Belgian ale. Quite fruity with a firm sweetness. Seems a bit tight though with the edges not very well rounded. Fruit esters seem out of whack. If this had the edges smoothed a good bit, it could be something really nice. As it is, it's kind of a wad of Belgian ale-ness which works okay enough. I liked last years a lot better though.
May 02, 2014
Reviewed by Omnium from Pennsylvania
3.98/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Served on-tap at Beermuda for Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week 2014, 28X Tap Take-Over by ST
A - Hazy medium brown with one finger of fluffy off white head, little lacing going on.
S - Lots goin on here, belgian yeast and spice, clove coriander, pepper, orange peel, dried cherry and fig, roasted malt and some mixed nuts.
T - Complex like the aroma, creamy rich roasted malt, toasted nuts, buttery (but not in the diacetyl kinda way, think squash) tart orange, belgian spice, a little funky.
M - Tart, but a little creamy, interesting, well carbonated. Easy drinking.
O - Really good and interesting brew for this year, glad to have had it.
Apr 28, 2014A - Hazy medium brown with one finger of fluffy off white head, little lacing going on.
S - Lots goin on here, belgian yeast and spice, clove coriander, pepper, orange peel, dried cherry and fig, roasted malt and some mixed nuts.
T - Complex like the aroma, creamy rich roasted malt, toasted nuts, buttery (but not in the diacetyl kinda way, think squash) tart orange, belgian spice, a little funky.
M - Tart, but a little creamy, interesting, well carbonated. Easy drinking.
O - Really good and interesting brew for this year, glad to have had it.
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