Southern Tier Jah-va

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Lakewood, New York USA

Impression: One of the most refined coffee stouts out there. Seriously smooth. Surprisingly delicate aromas. No overpowering coffee flavors which can ruin these ambitious brews. What is striking, particularly, is the crisp palate this beer presents. The alcohol is not noticeable. I was lucky enough to try this on tap.

Bottled sample shared with oakbluff. Jet black in colour with low carbonation. Aromas of mild coffee, milk chocolate, malt, caramel, vanilla, and stewed plums. Less coffee flavored than expected (this bottle isn’t alll that fresh), and fairly balanced between the more mellow caramel/vanilla and the roasted coffee chocolate notes. There’s a neat fruit component that is somewhat port-like as well. The body is pretty much perfect for this style: thick, while just carbonated enough to keep things from getting too heavy or cloying. Not quite as focused as the "best in class" impy stouts, but pretty darn close. Huge thanks to oakbluff for sharing this one!

poured into tulip. pours a black with mild tan head. coffee mocha aroma. mild mocha coffee throught to finish. almost bitter, is good, strong finish.

Dark, sweet, with an intense coffee flavor. Plenty of bite, and extremely enjoyable.

Pours viscous and completely opaque, flavor is dense with coffee, chocolate, and maybe some vinous tones as well. Alcohol is noticeable, but not as noticeable as you’d expect for 12%.

Bottle says brewed 11-22-05. This is a very dark beer with a short lived brown head that shrank to pretty much nothing. The mouthfeel on this beer is really viscous, to the point of being chewy. Lots of alcohol in this beer. It shows every bit of the 12%. Maybe it grows as this beer sits. This is a very sweet beer, with tons of caramel and toffee, all over the roast coffee and milk chocolate notes. This is like the coffee you get at the mall, with caramel, whipped cream and a bunch of other sweet stuff that isn’t coffee poured in. Actually, by the end of the bomber, this is a hell of a balanced beer, and the alcohol, while very present, is well integrated into the beer. The coffee seems to be muted by the age, but it is still a prominent part of the flavor profile.

Stands alone at the top of the coffee stout mountain for me. Amazing aroma and flavor. I had the opportunity to try it on tap which was amazing. Awesome beer, I can’t wait until it is on draft again.

22 oz bottle. Brewed 11/22/05. Pours thick and almost black; with some coaxing a beautiful crema head. Nose is rich and cakey with dark chocolate, coffee and molasses. Thick, really thick. Carmelized orange tang and whiskey counter the heavy body. Meanwhile more chocolate and strong sweetened black coffee. Close to two years and still a beast. Gets a little cloying or is it just sensory overload.