Downshift
Southern Tier Brewing Company

The first non-alcoholic offering from Southern Tier Brewing Company. A larger player in the independent craft brewing industry. Like many breweries, its first offering in a new market segment is played conservativly and classified as an American style IPA.

The body itself is murkey with a golden, also amber color at its center. The thickness is average and the head and carbonation is limited to modest. In line as of this writing with most non-alcholic beers on the market. The aroma gives off a citrus, heavily hoppy, and sharp sour smell at the end. The taste is hop heavy with layered in-between the flavor profile is the expression of citrus and floral notes derived from columbus, citra, and cascade hops that make up its profile. Leading into heavy bitterness, although moderate when judged as an IPA. The malt is 2 row, munich, and cara 8 and plays a secondary role in giving the beer a mild, lightly toasted taste.

Overall, this beer is a step above in quality to mass market beer and for a non-alcholic entry is certainly better than average. However, when judged by the standards of the entire craft brewing industry and the style of beer it's classified as. It blends into the market as a general, perfectly stable and enjoyable experience. But not remarkable or exemplary in anyway. Having to compete with a market oversaturated with as of the time of writing. A oversupply of domestic IPAs whose nature as a product limits the expression of its flavor profile.

A: crystal clear; deep gold in color; a 1 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a wispy cap with a moderate tight collar; very nice lacing;

S: not especially aromatic; what’s there is a citrusy sour milk vibe;

T: follows the nose from start to finish; moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish;

O: not a pleasant aroma or flavor;

 

12 oz can, best by date that I think reads 8/14/25 but it's a little smeared

Pours clear light yellow golden color, foamy white head. Aroma of grainy pale malt, with floral and grassy hops. Similar taste, with a bitter finish. Thinner bodied.