Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Gemini *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Sep 202011
 

With the reviews for all of the home brewed beers in the house now out of the way I was able to chip away at the collection of bottles sitting next to the home brew stash.  I may have set a personal review record for the use of “well balanced” in this post, but I would say that only speaks well of the beer.  My only regret in opening this one is that I did not have a bottle of Hoppe and Unearthly to taste along with it.

Back to beers that people actually pay for . . .

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY)

Name: Gemini

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 10.50% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and pulled slightly early to warm some before being served in a snifter.  Consists of 50% Unfiltered Hoppe (which I have yet to see let alone drink) and 50% Unearthly.

Aroma: A citrusy, floral hop character with a good amount of malty sweetness as a base.  Full but not overpowering overall aroma that is well balanced. – 10/12

Appearance: Medium coppery orange color.  Slight off-white head with pretty good retention and leaving really nice lacing on the glass.  Pretty clear with a bit of haze and some rising bubbles visible. – 2.5/3

Flavor: Nice floral hop flavor up front that fades into more of a citrus one all floating on top of a really nice, somewhat sweet malty base.  There is some resiny hop bitterness in the middle.  Well balanced overall with a smooth finish that leaves some lingering malt flavor and some slight bitterness on the palate. – 17.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Quite smooth and a bit creamy on the palate with some warmth also noticeable. – 4.5/5

Overall Impressions: Very well balanced for a big beer and a very easily drinkable one as well.  Certainly good cold, but really rounds out well as it warms a bit.  Needs that hot of bitterness to contrast the malty sweetness.  The flavors really build on the palate in a way where you taste it for quite a while after. – 8.5/10

Overall: A- (43/50)

6166199598 a12fd7b78e Southern Tier Brewing Co. Gemini *

Southern Tier Brewing Co. - Gemini

 Posted by Lucas at 11:15 am  Tagged with: , ,

Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Farmer’s Tan *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jul 052011
 

This was not the beer review that I originally intended to post today, but with the name it seemed very appropriate to get back into reviews with after a long holiday weekend.  It took a moment to finally decide not to do a post yesterday, but with the few weeks ahead being very busy I found a better use for that time.

What harm would it do to give a little preview of what will be coming up on this site a some point soon?  Well, I have a beer glassware presentation to give this week and I think that will trickle into at least a few posts.  Then there is the giveaway of the tickets to Taste of the Nation Orlando 2011 that I will being doing here (probably going to wait for the menu release).  Then last but not least on my mind is that this week I will be shooting a pilot for a web based beer education show with a good friend.  Hopefully that goes well since I would really like the chance to keep going with future episodes.  Good thoughts.

Now very slowly getting started after a few days off . . .

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY)

Name: Farmer’s Tan

Style: Imperial American Pilsner (and so a Specialty Beer in my view)

ABV: 8.60% (on bottle and website)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass per the recommendations on the bottle.

Aroma: Low to moderate grainy sweetness on the nose with a mild spicy, slightly floral hop character as well.  Pretty mild overall aroma. – 7/12

Appearance: Light golden yellow in color.  One plus finger, frothy white head that holds well and leaves some lacing along the glass.  Very clear with rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: A bit of sweet maltiness up front that transitions quickly into a firm hop bitterness that holds on from there.  The balance seems to lean heavily to bitterness.  The finish is slightly dry with some lingering hop bitterness after washing the bit of grainy sweetness away. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body (certainly heavier than it appears) and a moderate to high level of carbonation.  Slightly creamy on the palate, but also with good crispness and some warmth in there. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: Pretty tasty, but not all that refreshing as a lighter style (though I realize and imperial version of one).  The warmth starts to come through much more as the beer warms up some.  Not necessarily a style that I love imperial versions of, but it is not bad overall and pretty enjoyable when cold.  AS I drank it, the beer took on an almost Pale Ale quality on my palate . . . which was a good thing.  – 7/10

Overall: B (35/50)

5905073406 7b32f6fbf5 z Southern Tier Brewing Co. Farmers Tan *

Southern Tier Brewing Co. - Farmer's Tan

 

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Maximus Ale *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
May 172011
 

There is no good reason that I can think of not to share yet another Lagunitas beer review if I have one handy.  Sure I could break it up just to do so, but I will just wait to end the streak until later this week.  Besides though I do not love everything Lagunitas that I drink, I do not recall ever hating any of them either.  I tend to remember beers I greatly dislike even more so than ones I drool over.

Now on with the early-in-the-week review . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: Maximus Ale

Style: (American) Imperial IPA

ABV: 8.20% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge, pulled only slightly early to warm some, then served in an oversized wine glass.

Aroma: Tropical fruity, citrusy aroma up front with maybe a little bit of spice.  Nice sweetness with a hint of warmth noticeable.  A full aroma overall, though the choice of glassware can certainly help that perception. – 9/12

Appearance: Medium orangey copper in color.  Slight cream color head that is thick with great retention and leaves a solid trail and legs along the glass.  Very clear with rising bubbles visible.  – 3/3

Flavor: A little hit of sweet malt up front that quickly moves to a bitterness that holds throughout.  Some citrusy hop flavor with a bit of a resin note.  Finishes a bit dry with some bitterness and sweetness holding on some. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body (maybe a bit thinner) with a fairly low level of carbonation.  Somewhat smooth, but with some astringency and warmth at the finish. – 3/5

Overall Impressions: Seems to have a similar profile as Undercover Shut-Down, but is definitely a lighter version.  Fairly well balanced components make it pretty enjoyable.  Nicer slightly cold and not too warm because then alcohol becomes too noticeable.  Not nearly my favorite Imperial IPA, but nice.  – 7/10

Overall: 36/50

5724229697 9d3d8a6e40 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Maximus Ale *

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Maximus Ale

 

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,
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