Southern Tier Krampus

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: European Strong Lager
Lakewood, New York USA

Tap. Sweet peach/cherry and barley malt. Clear copper color with nice head. Sweet peach malt with subdued lemon peel hops flavor. Excellent beer - nicely fruity without being too sweet and nicely blended.

22 oz. bomber bottle, $6 at Binny’s. Pours pretty dark for a helles. A rich, sweet malt smell from a distance. The label says it has Chinook and Willamette hops, usually part of an American Pale Ale, and you can start to smell them after a while. Taste has alcohol up front; despite attempts at civility, the alcohol still is pretty hot. I call it pale ale malts, but with a dry lager finish. Once I’m well into the bottle, the alcohol settles and becomes more warming. Hops are citrusy and have some pine cone to them, way off for a German beer, but this is clearly a style-buster anyway. Hey, speaking of Christmas, did you know the original 1967 recording of "Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers, the 11 minute version, blends in snippets of "The Little Drummer Boy?" Crazy, man! Guess I’m liking this beer, but I’ve got a headache coming on as I finish typing.

Krampus has a clear deep gold-red pour with a little amber and bronze color in the mix, produced a small off-white head, left some lacing on the glass, aroma of citrus fruit hops with bread malt fragrances in the background, there is a faint alcohol fragrance in the background but I hardly knew it was there, the alcohol did not take away from the enjoyment of this brew at all, fruity citrus hops with malt bread and malt sweetness flavors in the background, hops are forward in this beer, has a good hop bite at the finish and the malt flavor stays in the background even when the beer warms to room temperature, just a faint alcohol taste in the mixture but it is so miniscule, medium mouth feel, this beer comes across as a mix of a malty Helles and IPA on the nose but on the tongue, this is a hoppy beer with some malt in the background, I guess I know what a big hoppy lager would smell and taste like, this.

Bomber compliments of the Beer Pimp himself, Bri. Pours a luscious amber orange with a nicely laced bubbly tan head. Aroma is quite nice, some light spice big malts and a touch of fruit, possibly a bit of pear as it is the season. Almost had a oak like quality, overall tasty.

Ho-Ho-Ho!!! thanks to our Beer Pimp Brian form making our holiday more jolly! Enjoyed with the ever festive DrBayern, The Hawaiian Hula Boy Celticbrew, Uncle Tom, and our two newbies Lawyer Bob and The Boy Wonder Chris. Has a nice Hoppy aroma. Pours with a light copper color and an off white head that retains very well. Good malty taste up front. Good bittering on the backside. Found the after taste somewhat dry with a hint of grapefruit.

Pours medium bodied amber with good carbonation and a retention of an off white foamy head. Nice aromas of citrus and pine hops with some caramel and some slightly roasted malt. Flavor is of bitter pine hops and some citrus with a touch of caramel. Very bitter end that lingers every sip. Basically like drinking a strong IPA or DIPA.

I dig southern tier and am always happy to visit my family in new york because i know I’ll be drinking lots of southern tier while im there. This here beer pours an orange color with just a ring of suds atop. the nose smells sweetly hoppy with notes of orange, melon, and apricot. Flavors showcase subtly sweet yet plump fruit flavors, like apricot and peach. THe body is full and chunky, the flavors are clean and fruity. This is surprisingly thick and fruity for a lager...in fact, could be one of the best bottom fermented beers I’ve had in a long long while.

Draft. Pours a clear yellow with a thick, white head that has good retention and lacing. Some lemon, piney hops, resin on the nose. Taste is similar: like a piney/resiny IPA. This is pretty much an IPA made with lager yeast. Really interesting. Easy to drink. Clean finish.