Southern Tier Jah-va

Thanks to the STL crew for sharing this fine imperial stout. Pours oily black with an orange head. The aroma has the perfect marriage of dark malt, creamy chocolate, mocha and rich cream. Full rich body that is oily and creamy and has low carbonation. The flavor starts out with dark chocolate, some roasted malt, dark fruits, cream and sweetened mocha. The finish has some light bitterness from roast and coffee. While I’m generally not a big fan of coffee beers this was done exceptionally well. Big thumbs up to this world class brew.

I finally found this beer after searching for ever it seems. It pours jet black with a thick 3 finger dark mocha colored head. It smells of dark roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. The taste is perfect. There is plenty of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, and caramel in there. The body is nice and full and extremely creamy. The bitterness is surprisingly low for so much chocolate and roasted malt flavor. I bought every bottle the store had, but I’m gonna have to go back and find more to buy. The only hit to drinkability is the whopping 12% ABV.

Glugs out a brownish black with a finger of chocolate milk head that dies slow. Smells of big coffee, chocolate and molassas. Taste is unreal. Not hot at all. The alcohol hides behind wonderful roasted coffee beans, chocolate, cocoa, molasses. Everything blends together in a delicious elixer. Very full in the mouth. If I have one complaint its that its a little too sweet and syrupy. Very easy to sip but more than one is impossible. A great treat.

22oz bottle- pours a very dark black. Strong aroma of chocolate and coffee. Thin head disappears quickly. Thick and sweet taste to this one. Rich tasting brew and it lets you know it. Alcohol is very well hidden for a 12% brew but there is a slight warming to the palate. Definitely a beer to spend some time with. Not for the weak of heart. Another great Southern Tier offering.

22oz bottle, brewed winter 2007. Pours deep black in color with very thin brown head. Aroma of sweet dark chocolate and coffee. Taste of strong coffee and chocolate with bitter finsih.

750 bottle. pours black with thin dark brown head. nice coffee aroma, some burnt caramel. taste is syrupy sweet, with coffee/espresso flavoring the rolls in and out. alcohol is well hidden. its more apparent in the smell. brings warmth to taste. mild, fine carb. nice flavors but its way too syrupy for me. the folks i was drinking it with bailed and i had to work my way through the whole 750 myself. a small glass is nice, but its too sweet for the long haul. may be better with some age.

Pours out an oily near-black colour with a ruby-hued brown head that fades completely. The initial smell is lactic and sour, but this fades quickly as it warms. The nose come to be mostly of roasted coffee beans, with cocoa and dried fruits. The flavour is authentically coffee-like, with strong roast and milky cocoa. Talk about sticky, this stuff is more viscous than anything I’ve encountered. My lips were sticking to the glass. The mouthfeel was oily and syrupy with soft, tingly carbonation. The booze is hidden phenominally. I had no Idea the abv wieghed in at 12%! I want MORE!

Bomber Pours an oily black colour with a small dark tan head. Nose initially of lactose, as the beer progressed coffee beans become robust, roasted malts and alcohol become apparent. A smokiness is also another stage of this aroma that progresses. Initial taste is syrupy and soft (more like a liquoer) with a heavy splash of coffee beans. Chocolate and roasted malts as the background character. The alcohol presence is very well masked and not even noticeable. Finishing with a coated sticky mouth of coffee and chocolate. Palate duration is perfect. Full rich body gave a proper presence to this beer. Coffee was rich and true and delicous. Bitter hops on the palate are a nice touch to the finish leaving this beer very well balanced. Awesome.