Southern Tier Hoppe

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Lakewood, New York USA

11-DEC-2009, bottle @home. "Imperial extra pale ale" - what is that? Is it a pale ale or an IPA? - or even an IIPA? I can see that it is categorized as an american strong ale here on ratebeer? Why is that? Well, too many questions, let’s see what comes out of the bottle. Beautifull golden/orange with nice lasting fine white head. I have just had a Rise IPA, and what a contrast in aroma! This one is really bitter, with loads of pine, grape, and grass. BUT also very malty, and more and more as it warms up. I guess I can see that the american strong ale categorization does make sense. At least it is not a pale ale og IPA. Maybe an IIPA, but again I guess more correctly an american strong ale. Also as it warms, the alcohol is more pronounced on the nose, and some leafy (minty) tones come through as well. More and more charamel, and also some yeasty notes. Very, very creamy. Nice medium carbonation, and then the very long aftertaste with the hoppy bitterness. The more I drink, the more I like it. Is that due to the raizing temperature or simply the alcohol level? Anyway, this is a wonderfull beer. Always happy with Southern Tiers brews.

An imperial extra pale ale? What the fuck is that, I asked myself. Well apparently now I have an idea (although I’m not entirely sure) and thus far I like it. It actually is pretty true to the name. Somewhat like an American trippel interpretation, but with more booze kick and less sickly sweetness (which is my problem with many trippels). Brew smells musky and boozy in a good way. Tastes outstanding, extremely balanced and smooth--for a light-colored beer with a bruiser abv% and not much in the way of hops, man, I’m in disbelief at how well this turned out.

Strong aroma of dried hay, with strawberries, and rose hips. Clear golden, medium white head, constant streams of carbonation, good lacing. Medium body, hay and toffee flavor, with strawberry notes detectable. Peppery celery finish. Intense, with fair balance and a bit of fruitiness, considering the base style. Still, this beer is mainly about the bitter. I like it.

Bomber. Pours a clear golden yellow with a Serious white head. Aroma of citrus hops. Some taste of lemon or graperuit and some sweet maltiness. L ight body and an oily texture Great finish and very refreshing. For a beer named hoppe it’s not overly hoppy and the 8% alcohol is pretty well hidden.

For a hop bomb this sure was malty. I felt the malts almost overpowered the beer. Great malt profile it is though, and the hops are all grapefruity which mean mmmm for me. Not sweet though not dry, there’s a wetness from the maltiness that doesn’t get too sweet and stays pleasant throughout. Nice one.

Medium offwhite head. Yellow body. Harmonic floral honey, fruit, and malts aroma. Very impressive. Dry-sweet citric peachy gasoline taste with herbal notes. Mid-bodied. Sharpish chalky mouthfeel. Dry-sweetish strawy banana aftertaste disappears quickly. Relatively mild and balanced for the alcohol. (0.65l bottle from DavidL.)

A nose of grape, lemon and alcohol. Taste is of grape, grass, metal and cucumber. Finish is bitter and alcoholic. This brew was so so.

22 oz. bottle from Jungle Jim’s. Pours a cloudy gold color with a small white head. Aroma of wheat, yeast, sweet malts, bread, straw, and just a little alcohol. The alcohol is also well masked in the flavor, which also has notes of bread, wheat, yeast, sweet malts, light citrus fruits, straw, and grass. Sweet, malty, and crisp. Light-medum bodied, with a wheaty mouthfeel. Alcohol more apparent as it warms. Bitter finish. Southern Tier continues to deliver.