Can you smell that in the air? It's officially football season. The weather shall be becoming brisk and chilly soon enough, so the Brewski Brothers are hoping to get the jump on Autumn with some pre-Fall beer selections. First up, Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout. At first, I found the concept to be a headscratcher. But, I found enough resolve to purchase and sample a 22oz bottle. At 8.0% alcohol by volume, at least it wouldn't be a boring venture.
Labelled as "a stout brewed with vanilla beans," the aroma was as expected. Lots of vanilla, caramel, coffee, Crackerjacks and roasted hazlenut. The palate was chocolately, with burnt caramel, Werther's Originals and espresso flavor combining with the blatant vanilla notes. As the finish lingers, the bitterness from the roasted grains and scorched vanilla became more evident. The hops are barely noticeable, but help keep this dessert beverage under control and also hide the alcohol quite well. No bullhonky, this stuff tastes exactly like creme brulee! How did they figure it out?
Congratulations to Southern Tier, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite microbreweries in the United States. Never bad, always solid and usually interesting, Southern Tier gets it. They have a selection of typical microbrews, which are quite pleasant, drinkable and accessible to casual beer fans. Then, they get wacky and make some really esoteric brews with inspiration from places unknown in the human mind. Creme Brulee is not a session beer to be sure, but it is a perfect sweet sipper on a crisp Autumn evening.
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