Southern Tier Porter

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

This Porter pours a dark ruby with brown edges and has a tan head that thins quickly to a ring and sparse cover on the ale, a nose of dark malt, chocolate, roasted malt and a touch of coffee in the background, roasted malt and chocolate flavors with less then a medium hop bitterness, some dark sugar and/or burnt sweetness, has a good dry finish with hop and dry roasted malt bitterness, about a medium mouth feel, this is a decent Porter, I would buy this again.

Fantastically over carbonated, a careful pour yields six-fingers in height of lightly browned, tan colored froth. The beer is a near black, dark brown color that shows a brilliantly clear, deeply ruby tinged color when held up to the light. The aroma is a mix of sour, tart notes up front with rich, chocolate and roast grain notes towards the end. The chocolate aromatics are quite nice and there is a really expressive, toasted malt not that is a mix of coffee, browned bread crust and browned biscuits. The initially noticed, sour fruitiness becomes less noticeable as my nose get used to it, so I am able to focus on the malt character much more.

Light and quite fruity tasting up front; it tastes a bit like fermented prune juice in some ways, but does have a noticeable roast character. The finish, in addition to a sort of moldy note, has a solid bitterness that is a combination of hop and roast grain. Roast grain notes of black coffee, light dark cocoa and a deeply toasted, complex grain character. The initial, excessive carbonation knocked all of the CO2 out of this beer so that it is quite smooth and quaffable; this pairs quite well with the light body.

While clearly heading south (better check those bottling lines) the sourness and touch of funk seems to work for the most part in this beer. I am actually enjoying the beer, this is something a bit like I would imagine a blended Porter would be like; young fresh beer blended with old, funky brew to create a more complex, yet still quaffable product. Should I even be encouraging the brewery to clean up their QC regimen cause this isn’t half bad.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. It has a dark opaque color with a thick foamy tan head. Its head hangs on for awhile and leaves nice rings of lace behind on the glass. There is a nice roasted malt aroma with sweet molasses and just a hint of citrusy hops. The favor is full of dark, roasted and malty flavors with burnt caramel and molasses sweetness. Mild bitterness is supplied by a light hops presence that adds some balance. This is all wrapped up in a very drinkable medium body with a pleasant smooth mouth feel and carbonation. Drinkable and full of flavor, nice!

Pours a inpenetrable black colour with a thin, but sturdy beige head. The nose is full of lighter malty flavours, surprisingly. There are very suble roasted coffee notes that accompany an odd vegetal/grainy scent. It is apparent that too much amber malt was used in this one, if my senses aren’t mistaken. The flavour is grainy and peppery with very weak espresso undertones. This is not how a porter should taste. It isn’t smooth, its hardly roasty, and lacks depth and body. This is the worst offerning I’ve tasted from this great brewery.

Chaucers in London, ON. I haven’t had many porters, but this one doesn’t stand out too well. Again, hops on the nose as expected from this brewery, which is good again. Malt tones cut through on the palate. Not bad, but I won’t have another if there’s something else available I’ve never had.

Dark reddish-brown. Sweet with chocolate, malt and roasted notes. Fairly full body with some bitterness noted in the finish. Could use less carb and more slickness.

6-9-08 bottle shared with lb4lb thanks to prototypic
Dark black brown pour with a beige head and sticky lacing. Smell is malt and pecans and cake. Flavor is malt with a touch of hops. The hops are present, yet light and subtle. Palate is slightly above average for me - medium body and it isn’t awfully thin. Overall, a pretty decent porter.

Bottle thanks to prototypic in trade!
Pours black with transluscence and ruby edges and a small medium lived beige head. Smell is smooth, creamy roastiness with light chocolatey flavors. Taste is roasty with a touch of bitterness, and some chocolate flavors too. A bit dusty and dry and with the flavor of cocoa powder. Medium to slightly rich bodied with light prickly carbonation and pretty solid overall. Noticeable bitter hoppy or roasty, chalky bitterness in the finish. Nice.