Southern Tier Thick Mint

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.01/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.14/5
- RateBeer: 3.84/5

"Inspired by the legendary cookie, Thick Mint joins our world-class rated Blackwater Series of dessert beers alongside Crème Brûlée, Choklat Oranj, Salted Caramel & Choklat in 2017. This imperial stout is a mouthful of perfectly balanced mint & chocolate. Roasty malts coalesce with notes of Belgian dark chocolate, sweet mint & just a touch of sweet caramel. So decadently delicious, you’ll wish you’d bought another box… er, bottle."

Sits pitch black in the glass with ruby red edges and less than half a finger of tan head.

It smells like Andes chocolate mints. Dark chocolate syrup and a stinging mint sensation. It's more of a Peppermint Pattie than a Girl Scout Thin Mint. I'm not picking up any roasted character with this, but I don't think that was the goal here. Some minor alcohol is noticeable.

Well, you get what you pay for on the taste. As promised, this is a liquid Thin Mint cookie which produces genuine chocolate taste and a ton of mint. I know mint-flavored anything is an acquired taste, but the die hard fans will love this one. Other than the chocolate and mint, there really isn't a whole lot going on here. I think this may have forgotten it was 10% stout as, like the nose, there isn't a lot of flavors that is associated with the style. No malts, roast, coffee, etc, but the end result is liquid dessert, so you can't really knock it.

Mouthfeel isn't the thickest stout, but it still has a robust body that is never thin. For such a big dessert beer, it finishes relatively clean and leaves no residual flavors behind. The body is smooth in texture and there's no alcohol burn.

Thick Mint, while not staying 100% true to it's style, is a dessert beer at its core. It might be one-dimensional, but as a lover of mint chocolate everything, I enjoyed this one a lot.

Rating
8.1/10

Southern Tier Old Man Winter

The Stats
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 7.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.68/5
- Untappd: 3.49/5
- RateBeer: 3.46/5

"Our winter offering is here to quell your shivers and get you through the coldest of nights. A rich marriage of hops and barley to cast light upon the evening and melt your mind out of the snowdrifts. Old Man Winter’s earthy hue and thickness lace around the glass, inviting you to linger in its warmth and share the spirits of the season with your friends and family. A deceptively strong brew, it’s best to sit and ponder with this old man, sip by sip."

Pours deep ruby red with a finger of off-white head.

The aroma is full of light roasted notes, sawdust, and oak. A malty sweetness with black pepper and flowers/potpourri round it out.

The taste is full of earthy hops and a mild bitterness. It begins with mossy grass, but quickly transitions to sweet molasses and wood. It has a bitter, dark chocolate taste while the hop flavor remains subdued. Moments of dark fruits, plums, and raisins add complexity while it stays true to it's earthy notes of pine and tree bark. A sedated cherry flavoring emerges on the finish and compliments the other dark fruits, but the back end is also full of more molasses and some tree sap.

Mouthfeel is medium and calm with little carbonation. The earthy flavors don't fatigue the palate and it remains drinkable with that hidden 7.5%.

Old Man Winter was a solid Old Ale. The style itself is not known for blowing people away, and while I can say the same for this offering, I can also say that this was full of flavor and had high drinkability.

Rating
7.9/10

Southern Tier Pumking (2017 Re-Review)

The Stats
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 8.6%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.05/5
- Untappd: 3.73/5
- RateBeer: 3.96/5

"Pumking is an ode to Púca, a creature of Celtic folklore, who is both feared and respected by those who believe in it. Púca is said to waylay travelers throughout the night, tossing them on its back, and providing them the ride of their lives, from which they return forever changed. Brewed in the spirit of All Hallows Eve, a time of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent. Pour Pumking into a goblet and allow it’s alluring spirit to overflow. As spicy aromas present themselves, let it’s deep copper color entrance you as your journey into this mystical brew has just begun. As the first drops touch your tongue a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds making it difficult to escape the Pumking."

So, this might be my first attempt at making amends for a prior review. I first reviewed Pumking back in 2014 and to say the review was facetious would be an understatement. Maybe I was going purely for entertainment value rather than constructive criticism, but looking back, it was a bad review. I put emotion before beer and it was the wrong move. So, I am here today to do a rare re-review in order to right my wrongs.

Pours a transparent, rusty orange with a finger of white head.

The aroma has a distinct graham cracker and pie crust smell. Subtle notes of vanilla and cinnamon come through nicely as does a hint of squash and pumpkin.

Compared to other pumpkin ales, this one is one of the better examples suited for dessert as the pumpkin pie flavor profile is well represented.

Liquid pumpkin pie is the best way to describe the taste. That graham cracker crust that was so influential on the nose is just as big on the palate. Your typical pumpkin ale flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg are all here, but they are more robust than other examples. A yam and squash vegetal flavor brings in the pumpkin aspect of this beer and then there's some vanilla along with a spicy rum quality.

Mouthfeel is medium and smooth all around. You'd never guess this clocks in at almost 9% and thanks to the range of flavors, this is complex while retaining high drinkability.

My first review of this beer was clearly a lapse in judgment. If memory serves correctly (and it always does), then I think the first time I reviewed this it was the day I got the phone call that I had finished 2nd in the "Best Looking Man in the Universe" competition. Needless to say, I was a bit perturbed. Today, I give Pumking my stamp of approval as a great pumpkin ale.

Rating
8.3/10

Southern Tier Choklat Oranj

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.27/5
- RateBeer: 3.74/5

Southern Tier's "Blackwater Series" has produced some huge beers from massively-hopped IPA's to big, dessert-like Imperial Stouts. Their "Choklat" imperial stout is regarded as one of the best chocolate stouts in the world. Southern Tier has experimented with Choklat by adding coffee and vanilla beans. Now, they have added orange peel to Choklat to make Choklat Oranj.

Pours absolutely jet black, no ruby red or brown on the edges. Got half a finger of a beige, dark tan head.

I didn't expect the orange to be so powerful on the aroma, but it bursts out of the glass quite nicely. The base chocolate stout is also just as strong. It reminds me of a chocolate cookie sprinkled with orange-flavored crystal sugar.

The taste has a ton of rich, bitter dark chocolate with noticeable roasted coffee. Without question, as this warms, the orange just keeps getting stronger. If you've ever had the Terry's Chocolate Orange or any other orange-flavored chocolate candy then this is basically the liquid version of that. On the finish is just the slightest hop bitterness which is a welcome surprise.

Mouthfeel is so soft. As soon as you sip from the glass it's like your tongue is touching a cloud. The dark chocolate bitterness lingers and there is a slight alcohol taste, but it's not intimidating. Some mild warmth on this 10.00% beast, but again, it's easily tolerable.

Choklat Oranj retains the bitter dark chocolate of the base beer and the addition of orange did not hurt it at all. This is basically liquid candy with a double-digit abv, but hey, it works. I'd say even casual drinkers could take down the standard Choklat no problem, but as good as this is, I think the orange flavor is an acquired taste for sure. Those who do fancy that type of sweet will not be disappointed.

Rating
8.6/10

Southern Tier Crème Brûlée

The Stats
Style: Milk/Sweet Stout
ABV: 9.50%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.89/5
- RateBeer: 3.76/5


My latest foray into the Southern Tier Blackwater Series gives me Crème Brûlée. This Imperial Milk Stout is brewed with caramel malt, vanilla beans, and lactose sugar. These big, imperial beers from the Blackwater Series have been good for the most part, so let's see if this lives up to the reputation.

Pours jet black with a one finger of off-white head that disappears quickly and doesn't retain.

I could smell this as I poured it into my snifter. Tons of cream and burnt caramel. Vanilla is also huge. Any standard roasted malt presence is eradicated by the sheer sweetness of this beer. It really does smell like a crème brûlée.

Holy crap is that sweet! A sweet cream flavor is at the forefront followed by caramel malts. Kind of a burnt brown sugar feel to it and the lactose sugar is disappointingly not working well with the other flavors. That's not to say it makes the beer repulsive, but it did make me take a step back every now and then between sips.

Much like myself, it has a full, thick body. It feels just like an imperial milk stout should feel and that is thick and sweet. It has a surprisingly bitter finish, but the palate isn't destroyed by the sweetness of it all.

Southern Tier Crème Brûlée is a full-bodied, lactose-driven, burnt-caramel roller coaster ride full of hyphenated adjectives. Without question it dances on the line between sweet and too sweet, so if you fancy the sweeter beers, this one is for you. For the more casual drinker, this could be a bit overwhelming. I did find the lactose to be a bit of a turn-off, especially if the beer warms up even just a little bit. As you sip this one (and trust me, it's a sipper), the cream/lactose flavor becomes hard to swallow (literally and figuratively). The flavor clings to your tongue in an unpleasant way and the smell won't leave my moustache. I could probably down a 12oz glass no problem, but a bomber is too much for me to handle.

Not bad in small doses, but I wouldn't tackle a lot of it at once.

Rating
7.7/10

Southern Tier Pumking - 2014 Vintage

The Stats
Style: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 8.60%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 4.07/5

Southern Tier Pumking and I have a rocky history. As one of the more sought after pumpkin beers each and every season, this had a lot of hype for me going into my first ever tasting. I was told I had to seek it out and that it was one of the best pumpkin ales out there. So, two years ago I got my hands on a bottle...and it sucked...a lot. It was far too sugary/sweet for my liking and it was one of my first drain pours. I thought people were insane for liking it.

Cut to one year later and I decided to give it another go after one full year of palate development and many other pumpkin beers to my name. Alas, my glass full of sugar and pie crust was back to ruin my taste buds. On the plus side, I did finish my bomber, but only with considerable effort.

Now this my 3rd go-around with Pumking. It can't be said that I don't give it a fair shot every year, so let's hope the 2014 batch is to my liking.

Pours a transparent pumpkin orange with maybe a half finger of white head that doesn't stick around for long. You can see right through this beer and there are plenty of carbonation bubbles coming off the bottom of the glass.

The initial smell is that familiar graham cracker pie crust. I will say that it is not as potent as last year's batch and that's a relief because it was quite the assault on my nose back then. Cinnamon and nutmeg are there to accent the flavors and they don't dominate. It's actually much more pleasant than years past.

Now for the taste. Cheers!...

*SIGH*

I will forever be astonished at how people can not only consider this a great pumpkin beer, but at how anyone can even stand more than a few sips.

At the very front I get that graham cracker crust, but it is immediately washed away by...I don't even know how to describe it. As soon as the beer hits the back of my tongue it tastes like a mouthful of pennies. It's like Abe Lincoln jumped off the coin and blew a copper-coated load in my mouth. I know it sounds like I'm being facetious, but the taste is so metallic and not only that, there is a significant alcohol sting too. Imagine putting your tongue on a 9V battery and that's the stinging, copper taste you get with Pumking. Yes, the spices are there too, but they do little to help with the overall gag-worthy taste. The super sugary flavors from two years ago are a distant memory because there is nothing sweet about this beer. Just awful!

The final verdict? This beer is horrendous. How anybody can stand this will forever be a mystery to me. The best part is that each year something new stands out as being repulsive. Whether it be the cloying, sugary sweetness or the copper-tasting, alcohol bomb. I can't think of the last time a beer gave me a physical, negative reaction. A truly "blechh" moment for sure.

Now, I know you might be thinking that I went into this with a hate-filled agenda all planned out. I promise you that I did not purposely review this beer just to crap all over it. I believe every beer deserves a fair chance. Seeing as my palate is always developing, I figured I would gives this another chance. Trust me, I've wanted to like this beer since day one, but it has just never given me a reason to. It's a shame because based on the aroma, I went into my first sip with a renewed sense of hope, but it just wasn't meant to be. Instead, it's one of the worst things I've ever put in my mouth...and that's really saying something.

Not just limiting it to the style, but overall in the vast library of beers I've ever had, Southern Tier Pumking is easily a bottom five candidate and probably even bottom three. I give it a try every year, but I think in this case the 3rd time was a charm. Now of you'll excuse me, I have a beer to pour down the drain.

Rating
1.0/10