The Southern Tier Appreciation Thread

Didn't read the thread but, I love ST beers, just polished off some regular and some oak aged Unearthly this week, and have a 3 year Choklat vertical in the cellar along with some of the 2011 Pumking (which is a truly stand out pumpkin beer if you ask me). I've also enjoyed the Creme Brulee Stout and the Krampus.

That said, Phin and Matt's and that cherry beer just don't do it for me.

 

I guess, but it tastes more like Hershey's chocolate syrup than anything related to beer.

I like some of their IPAs and Pumking, but the stouts are artificial tasting and over the top sweet. bla.

 

The only thing I even sort of like by them is Pumking and I think this becomes pretty cloying fairly quickly; for a "pumpkin ale," I get very little pumpkin in it at all. Still, I do like one from time to time.
Everything else I have had by them (Jahva, Choklat, and especially Creme Brulee) I have thought was pretty terrible.

 

i love Choklat, Backburner, and many of their year-round stuff...didn't really appreciate Creme Brulee, though.

 

Great brewery, lucky enough to still have them available here in RI.

 

Oak Aged Unearthly also ranks really highly on the Oak Aged IPA (1 or 2 vieing with Olde Hickory Bestway IPA).

 

It's impossible for a beer or brewery to be underrated or overrated. The ratings are what they are.

Southern Tier... if you like diabetes, you'll like anything in the ST big beer series.

 

One of my favorite brewery's!
Pumking
Choklat
Creme Brulee
Jah-va
Mokah
Oat
Back Burner
Iniquity
Hop Sun
Raspberry Wheat
Unearthly
Oak Aged Unearthly
Gemini
2XIPA
2XStout
and unfortunately not made any longer... the STELLAR Cherry Saison

 

Agree on 2XIPA. I like it a lot.

 

I always seek out their beers when visiting east coast.

 

the pumking is good, but what is really worth seeking out is the oak aged pumking - its draft only
was lucky enough to have it @ The Ginger Man, NYC a few months back and it was the best pumpkin beer ive had to date

additionally, I think ST makes great beer and is incredibly consistent. only beer of theres I was ever dissatisfied with was old man winter though lots seem to enjoy it...

the 2x IPA and the Porter are awesome, their pale ale is a bit extra pale and great for introducing non-craft drinkers to

 

hopefully with their planned expansion, im about 6 hours from their location id like to get out there sometime.

 

The other thing that's nice is that I've started seeing Southern Tier Pale and IPA show up on draft at bars and restaurants that aren't specialty beer bars. A very welcome change from a craft selection that usually consists, if you're lucky, of SABL, Harpoon IPA and MH #9.

 

You and me both. Especially on tap. Mokah is outstanding.

Also, for a straight-up, chocolate-dessert stout, I don't know how you do better than Choklat. That beer is exactly what it is supposed to be.

 

Best:
- Pumpking
- Iniquity
- 2XIPA
- Choklat
- Mokah

Borderline:
- Gemini
- Unearthly
- BA Backburner

Average:
- 2XStout
- Hop Sun

The rest is meh, for me at least.

I went to their Public Day a few weeks ago and they had Bourbon Barrel Aged Backburner Barleywine. It was quite good, but the bourbon was almost overpowering. The ABV of Backburner is 9.6%, and the BB Backburner was OVER 11%! The owner Phin said in some of the barrels there were pools of bourbon left and caused the beer to increase so much.

I asked if we would see any of the Blackwater Series see any time in a barrel and he said "maybe". He told me about a contract that he made to get bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace.

That makes me excited. I want them to knock a BB-aged beer out of the park!

I would love to see Oaked Pumking in the bottle! Growler fills of this are still available here in some places.

I also tried a new one they still planned on tweaking called "Live". A nice sweet juicy hoppy Pale Ale. I hope they release it.

 

Way too many of their Blackwater beers are too sweet for me, but are drinkable and often good. Their seasonal lineup is trash and really needs to be refocused, and their year-rounds are solid. Pale, IPA, Phin and Matts, and 2XIPA are all good to great.

 

FWIW, I had the OA Pumking at Gingerman and really didn't get much wood from the beer. Still good though.

 

Yes, I tend to agree. When Oaked Pumking is available I'll get it, but its hard to tell the difference. I had them side by side a couple weeks ago, and preferred Oaked. More mellow and robust is the only way I could describe the difference.

 

Take a light bodied pumpkin ale and drop in a shot of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka...voila! Pumking