Beer- #287 - Southern Tier - Imperial Compass

Southern Tier - Imperial Compass Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company in the style of a  Belgian Strong Ale and that's being concocted in Lakewood, New York USA

Intriguingly Southern Tier call this  a bottle Conditioned Sparkling Ale w/ Rose Hips, and that it has "high" bitterness. I've seen it called an American Strong Ale too in reviews.

This is a 650ml, of a 9% ABV beer, with 270 calories a serve, which makes it a 4.62 standard drink unit beverage  in NZ. After the stunning Porter Noir and the Creme Brûlée I have a high expectation going into this.

[caption id="attachment_6273" align="alignleft" width="300"] The obligatory Selfie[/caption]

We rely on age-old tools in the brewery despite being surrounded by high technology. As a sort of compass, we use the six pointed brewer’s star to help navigate uncharted brews. The cardinal points of water, malt, grain, yeast, hops and a brewer make the baseline. From there anything goes. Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.

You’ll notice a slight bitterness in Compass derived from our use of rose hips accentuated by high effervescence. Drink it cold from a fluted or tulip glass. And by all means, avoid sea serpents.

Just grassy hops on opening, then an underlying  note of something sweeter, fruitier.

But this doesn't immediately translate to the palate, and I get a very excitable and well carbonated pale yellow straw coloured beer, Fantastic head.  But as to the sharper points they don't appear to be immediate.

On the nose you can pick something sweet, on the tongue you get a understated bitterness for the carry, and it's carrying a slightly sweeter thing, but it's not well defined, not really that sweet and frankly a bit coy.

This doesn't make this a bad or undrinkable beer though, just one that is giving me a few challenges of identification.

Couple of major things that I have a thing with.

No Belgium style, aroma, or taste discernible.  No familiar yeasts, no alcohol astringent note.  So hard to measure it against that. The aroma continues to carry something sweet though.

A quandary ensues then, and as usual I have to put aside what the pre-conception I may or may not have  about this and the style it may or may not have.  I've got a lovely pouring, and looking beer with a head and lacing. I've got a fine mouthfeel and a muted low level of bitterness, but a beer that has a really low and persistent sweet note. It has a great aroma.

All the things that should make this a spectacular beer.

Crucially there is absolutely no indication at all, anywhere in this, that you're drinking a beer that is by any measure strong at 9% and it delivers that without any of the other noises that you'd expect or associate with 'strength'. By which I mean that this is not a LOUD beer to drink, you don't get a punch in taste buds and a wallop of bitterness or a wave of astringent tang. It's just a really really decent quaffable beer, but it's not for all that fulfilling.

So the pdubyah-o-meter rates this at a still very good 9. I've managed to drink it all in not a lot of time, it hasn't warmed in the glass to give me anything else, except an empty glass and that forlorn tipping the bottle as if some magic will happen and more beer will suddenly pour from it. I did that, it didn't do that.

A cautionary note would be that "bottle conditioned" means that this comes with passengers that will cloud up and dance in the glass. I wish I'd thought that through. I now have a cloudy yellow straw well carbonated beer, and I'm going to miss it when it's gone. I'd happily go another of these, and then possibly an early bedtime, it's got a lot of good things about it, but it's an awkward beer when you have expectation (A) and delivery (B).

Music with this tonight  is Tame Impala - an Australian band who give the psychedelic rock a go.

BELGIAN STRONG ALE

Belgian Strong Ales can vary from pale to dark brown in color, darker ales may be colored with dark candy sugar. Hop flavor can range from low to high, while hop aroma is low. The beers are medium to full-bodied and have a high alcoholic character. Types of beers included here include tripels, dubbels and ultra-strong abbey ales.

AMERICAN STRONG ALE

Not a style, per se, but the only logical category to incorporate the plethora of strong, stylistically vague beers coming from American micros these days. Some are related to English Strong Ales, but with more hop, while others are ultra-strong variants on the IPA theme. But no matter how varied their origins or characters might be, all are intense, potent, with generous quantities of hops and malt.

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Beer - #262 - Southern Tier - Creme Brulee Stout

This has been ages coming, and has worked it's way to the front of the fridge,and as a Boxing Day beer I'm hoping for a taste bud revival.

Southern Tier Creme Brûlée Stout - Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company as an Imperial Stout   in , of all places, Lakewood, New York USA

650ml, or 22oz, or 1 Pint 6 oz, of a 9.5% ABV beer, making it 4.9 standard drink units (give or take)  in NZ.  It's also about 290 calories,  or about 2 christmas mince pies worth. Keeping it seasonal.

Columbus and Horizon Hops, for Bitterness and then Aroma.

“a stout of great contention” We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition. 

By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Crème Brûlée, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew. 9.6% abv • 25º plato • 195º L • 22 oz / 1/6 keg 2-row pale malt / dark caramel malt / vanilla bean / lactose sugar / kettle hops: columbus / aroma hops: horizon

That should intrigue you enough to want to try it.

There is a really rich deep vanilla aroma on opening, just like the real thing (the dessert that is).

Pours really dark black, with a nothing type of head that dissipates, but the aroma! oh the aroma is is to behold.

Is a really "thick" drink of burn sugars, caramel, sugar, goodness!

There is an on the tongue bitterness at the front, but there is a crashing overall sweetness and flavour Tsunami over the top, and you're left with sweet sticky lips.

As it warms slightly it just gets "thicker" if that's a way to describe it, "Fuller" might be another way. The tang of bitterness is always there but this is a really good a complete delivery of what it says it is.

The pdubyah-o-meter is going to, somewhat harshly, grant this 9.5 on the arbitrary scale of things. Although well carbonated this lacks both a head and lacing in the glass, which I would have enjoyed seeing.

9.5 thought is lofty company indeed, this is a very intense drink that is far far from the madding crowd and stands alone in this field, even if the field was vanilla porter there is this and daylight. In spades.

For the very lazy diner this would easily replace the tedious spoon lifting action and be dessert in a glass.  I shall say again, the burnt caramel, the toffee, the vanilla, and the tang of bitter, it's almost but not quite love. Then there is hazelnut which I didn't mention, and coffee. It  is a beer that just keeps giving.

It is however a beer you should consider as a finisher, and not a session beer, it is a beer that you should share with friends because it's just that good, and you should have this or the pudding, not both. Both would be an indulgence, and you only need one a day.

Bit of  a mistake to have this pre-dinner but at least I go to the barbecue with a big big smile on my face, with the sounds of Neil Young on the music machine.

All is a bit good in my hood.

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Beer - #257 - Southern Tier - Un*Earthly

It's been a warm afternoon, I changed the music to Neil Young - live at the cellar door, and with that a change of pace in beers.

For my entertainment and pleasure then a Southern Tier Un*Earthly  - Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company in the style of an Imperial/Double IPA and that's in the posh sounding Lakewood, New York USA

This is a big 9.5% ABV beer in a 20fl Oz bottle - or 650 ml if you're old school, makes this 4.9 standard drinks, in NZ  If my thing is correct this is then a 520-somthing calorie count in a bottle, but I frowned at that and on recount it's about 290, give or take,  possibly it's not an exact thing and I'm trying to show off and be all current with trends and that.

An Uninhibited Infusion of Hops. We continue our commitment to innovation with our most aggressive offering yet Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewers crafts skillfully balancing art and the forces of nature to produce a divine liquid. Delicately pour a taste into a fluted glass. Smell the enchanting aromas of the hops come forward as your first sip divulges this beer’s fervent soul. To underestimate Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the universe so please consume wisely. The ABV went from 9.8% to 11%.

As expected a whiff of deep grass hops, the chinook or cascade,  on opening, he wrote, trying to sound clever and knowledgable,. Pours a golden orange, hazy, with a small and persistent head. It's a fantastic colour if you want to wax lyrical.

Hop aroma gets more earthy, and somewhat towards fruit, which is alright by me.

Gosh thats a mouthful of action in a glass. Spectacular.  I might be a bit in love. With a beer. I know. Get a grip. (reaches for pen and paper... Dearest Santa, I may not have always been good but I have good intention...... )

This is so far and away an example of what a 'good' beer can taste like, there is lots going on in the aroma, and then it delivered on the palate, and there are many things in there to get. Ir's rich and to improperly use another word possibly - sumptuous.

This is really nice, there is is tang of bitterness and a glorious amount of warmth from malt sweetness that combine to make your think you're drinking a nectar. It's a dangerous thing. I'm not actually sure I ever had an IPA that's been this good. To bang on a bit, this is spectacular.

This should be on your list of beers to try.

Each mouthful is a whole mouthful of action and entertainment, and if you enjoy a bitter beer, this should hit your sweet spot, it's bitter, it's sweet, it's got more than one level of taste, it has full body and length.

See how I went on about it a bit, the pdubyah-o-meter would be rubbish if then this wasn't a 10.  It is.

It's a dangerous beer at 9.5% ABV and the pain of watching England bowl in the cricket will be tempered by the happy place that this brought me to this afternoon. Which reminds me that this is a time when you should ask me favours and things because this is when I get all Air and Water over Fire and Earth :-)

To finish my letter to Santa that has descended  into  a scrawl, it sort of reads, where I can understand it, bring me moar of this Un*Earthlyb beer, begging you man-to-man and with a tear in my eye that this will make me a better person forever..... unintelligible for a bit, then, or perhaps the people at Southern Tier need an ambassador in NZ, I'd settle for that :-) really I would.

MrsPdubyah just came back from some exercise, she noticed straight away that I'm in a happy place, which means that tonight the BBQ might be set aside for pizza in the normal oven. I think that's ever two wins or a draw,

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Beer - #207 - Southern Tier - Plum Noir

It was a choice, the Southern Tier Plum Noir, or the Creme Brûlée Stout. The Plum won, not because, but because the plums sounded nicer than an egg custard. In my world.

Wholly new to me then Southern Tier Plum Noir, Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company as an Imperial Stout and they hail from Lakewood, New York USA.  Wikipedia tells you that the population is 3,002, and the brewery is the 7th biggest thing, after engines, tools, tools, tools, tools, and tools. Man has to have a release after banging the metal all day. Needless to say they're on the Bucket List of places to gawk at from the street.

Plums are a diverse group of species, with somewhere between 19 & 40 varieties depending upon whom you ask. We’re using what we consider to be the best to brew with. the Italian plum has beautiful dark skin & the flesh is perfect for fermentation. Plum Noir’s mild sweetness is derived no necessarily from the many malts we use. A bit of plum flavor is present as well as earthy, toasted grains, & hints of caramel with mild coffee overtones

1 US Pint, 22 Fl Oz, 650ml of and the bottle from the brewery says 8% ABV beer, although the importers label say 9.8% ABV , and 4.9 standard drinks.  I'm in denial so 8% ABV - 650ml = 4.1 standard drink units. Saving me a .8.

I know someone who's had the Creme Brûlée and they thought it was a bit good. I'm hoping that I didn't make a bad choice. If I didn't have more beer in my fridge than I can drink I'm sure I'd have both in the fridge.

You get a deep  chocolate and fruit aroma on opening, encouraging. Pours intensely dark and  with a decent, long, head. Aroma settles to chocolate.

You're met with a smokey beer, and a rich roasted note. Not a full note, but one that makes you take another sip and smile.  You can convince yourself of a fruit aroma if you want to as well.

Tell you what's good though. This. 8%ABV and not a hint of astringent alcohol.  A beer that is both pleasing and full and yet leaving you room to talk about what's going on. Nicely carbonated, and as it warms delivering more of the layers, staring with the smoke notes.

And then I thought, Barley Wine, Rich fruits, caramels and malts. This has that aroma, muted but it has them,. It's giving me a lot of things to think about.  What you never get though is "plums" , but then what does "plum" give you, it's not like I know what a Plum Brandy tastes like, I'm about 30 years too young.

This is something clever, it's just good, sweet is there, there is an edge, the aroma entices you, the way that this is a 'strong' beer and you'd never know, and then you look and,..... it's all gone.  Hate it when that happens.

The pdubyah-o-meter says this is nearer 10 than 9 Awesome rather than the lofty Great, the beer where I give you your money back if you don't like it.  I could pretend that I'm not a bit emotional about this beer, but I'd be lying. At this time, and in this moment, it really is that good.

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