Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

First rating in a long while. Bottle. Relatively faint aroma but there’s a sweetness. Crystal clear, dark amber body with a slightly off white head and excellent tree ring lace sticking to the glass. Head not all that large. A good amount of hops greats the tongue, although with a well balanced maltiness. I’ve had plenty of beers that have tried to be this beer, but very few have come close. There’s a bit of an oversaltiness that prevents it from being truly outstanding, but it is an excellent beer. It’s hard to believe that 273 raters could aggregate to so low a score on this. Tastes considerably lower than it’s 8%; I would have guessed 6.25%. Considerably better than it’s rating would suggest.

Aroma if full of malts with some sweetness. Pours copper with a tiny head without much lacing. Taste is ok. Full of malts. Kind of a 1 trick pony. No real complexity.

12oz bottle from Friar Tuck. Pours clear copper with white head. Aromas of caramel, grassy hops, pine, and some sweet malts. Flavors of grassy hops, caramel malts, bit of bread, and light hop bitterness. Thought it kind of had a bit of a cough syrup quality to it at first but has grown on me a little. Not something I would really revisit, but not bad.

Poured from bottle. Faint sweet aroma. Good lookin bronze amber with lacing. Hop flavors are mostly piney, some floral. Very roasted malt notes along with peat and honey. Not noticing the alcohol at all. Not sure what the winter connection is here, I think I’d enjoy this more in the summer. Anyway, well done.

This beer has a slightly floral and hoppy aroma. Bitter hops overpower the taste. Also over carbonated for my liking.

Brown with small tan head. Aroma is hoppy with background of brown sugar and malt. Medium-full body, no alcohol. Flavor is mostly grassy and piney hops, some malt. Not what I would usually think of as a winter ale but not bad nonetheless.

The aroma is slightly earthy with some malt and plenty of hops. The appearance is light brown gold with a medium head. The taste is like the aroma. The palate is average. Overall a pretty average beer but not a typical old ale.

An interesting beer with a slight astringent taste but has a few good qualities. The beer has a strong malty taste and the hops are strong but as overpowering. Very earthy beers

12oz bottle in an English pint. Pours copper with a lacy, beige head. Aroma of caramel and cereal, some dough, plus some piney and floral hops. Flavor about the same. Average texture. A decent beer.