Southern Tier Iniquity

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

TAP: very dark red/brown pour with frothy light brown head. Huge roasty nose with some dark fruit. Heavy creamy mouthfeel, roasty smooth, hardly any hop kick until late. Good stuff!

Draft - Poured an almost black with a big tan head that produced some very nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is pretty much all citrus/grapefruit and pine hops. Flavor is also very hoppy (yum) with some roasted malts to provide some balance to the hop bitterness. Excellent beer...

22. Bang bang here we go: another big bad black IPA. Oxymoronic or not, this is definitely becoming a style. Pours jet black with a big, towering tan head. Plenty of webby lace. Big piney nose with distinctyly toasty notes, alongside some forest air. Pretty awesome nose, actually. Creamy medium body, just light enough to be refreshing. Plenty of sharp, bracing piney bitterness, but in a sweet and refreshing way (very little resin). Roast and toast aplenty on the mid-palate; they tie in beautifully with the hops. Nice stuff.

On tap at the Muddy Pig. Pours almost black with a nice beige head. Aroma is floral hops with pine and grapefruit. Roasty malt balances out the taste. Smooth with a nice roasty citrus hop finish.

Mildly pleased that this one is less than 10+%. Who knew there would be a day that I would tire of high octane brews. Yes, it’s still 9% but give my liver a break from the overly big stuff. I protest too much. Deep dark cherry color with moderate, but stable light tan head. Chocolate hops, and dark malts in the nose. They’re not quite working for me. They seem a bit disjointed. Perhaps a bit too much grain. Light roasted malt mixes with toffee, caramel and light pine. Initially, I’m not quite ready to embrace, but with time I get the black malt and hops mix. A light tar and citric blend that teases the palate and senses. A strong hoppy schwartz. The more I have the more I start to believe the schwartz is with me. A profound blend of dark malt and hops, that I have not found in my recent adventures with dark, hoppy brews. I think about grilling grapefruit and just about any meaty fish. Enough sweetness in the finish to add depth and a lasting linger. Would work well with the main course or with dessert.

(22oz bottle) Small beige head atop dark brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, floral/orange, caramel, pine. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, orange/grapefruit, some nut, light chocolate, pine, syrup. Medium-full body, light syrup, very low carbonation.

Dark chocolate brown color with a fluffy head. Aroma is sweet with some nice pine hops and caramel. Taste is sweet and hippy, pine and some citrus. Sweetness finishes and hope don’t overpower.

22 oz bottle poured into my tulip fresh on the heels of the dissappointment that is Oaked Unearthly, likely from Binnys South Loop (Chicago, IL). Pours a near pitch black pour, opaque, with moderate light brown bubbly head that laces fairly well. Aromas push some nice floral bitterness and roasted malts, with a touch of creamy sweetness and chocolate. Very nice. Initial is similar, putting a nice malt bill into the fold with caramel, chocolate, and roasted malts leading into a solid floral hoppiness, some light citrusy grapefruit, but largely a a solid bitterness to compliment chocolate, light coffee, and roasted malts. A bit of a thick syrup feel, but I get that left and right from ST. This is a pretty good brew, as the lingering bitterness and darker malt elements work well together. A bit too thick for me. Cheers!