Southern Tier Brewing Co - Raspberry Wheat

Ah, fruit beer - I've tried and reviewed a couple of examples of this style recently, and they've all, without exception, been very refreshing and simple beers.  The kind of drink that goes just brilliantly with a light riverside meal or picnic on a balmy summer's day such as we've been experiencing (a bit more sporadically than I'd have hoped) recently.  The kind of beer which, for some inexplicable reason, often gets labelled as a 'malt beverage' rather than a true beer, as if it were some kind of processed, manufactured alco-pop - a really unfair label, as these beers are just as worthy of the name as the IPAs or stouts which connoisseurs are more inclined to praise.

I guess there's understandable reluctance on the part of some hop-heads to fully accept fruit beer - generally these styles are very low in IBUs, so any hop aroma is usually very restrained, and hop bitterness is at a minimum in order to let the fruit flavour through.  But really, I say there's nothing wrong with a well-crafted, uncomplicated fruit beer to celebrate the season.  Particularly when they're as well-made as the ones we have on offer in Upstate.

Tonight's example comes from Southern Tier - I've already reviewed a couple of their beers and have been very impressed with both.  So here's hoping this one is true to form!  Oh, and by the way, the glass in the photo is my commemorative sample glass from the Real Beer Expo.  It's a much better glass than the ones I've been using (yes, the kind of glass you use really does make a difference!).

This brew pours a light, straw colour, with low to moderate carbonation.  Although you can't really see it in the photo, it had a good-sized white head with decent lacing (poor retention, though I'm not going to hold that against them too much).  It's brilliantly clear, with no haze that I could see.

The aroma features prominent, tart and fruity raspberries, with some faint hops detectable underneath.  It's great when a fruit beer smells of the real fruit rather than an artificial syrup.

It tastes a little sweet, with the raspberry featuring prominently and sitting at the back of your mouth.  It's got that lovely sweet and tart combination which I always love about summer fruits.  There's also a very mild hop bitterness detectable in the taste, which complements the fruit nicely and doesn't clash.  It's almost as if it's there to gently remind you that you're drinking a real beer.

The mouthfeel's smooth with a fairly low carbonation level, possibly a little low for the American Wheat style.  The body's pretty light, just as it should be for a summery fruit beer.  The finish is slightly sweet but not cloying.

A really nice fruit beer with some subtle hoppy touches.  Here are my scores:

Appearance - 4.5/5
Aroma - 3.5/5
Taste - 4/5
Mouthfeel - 3.5/5

Overall - 3.875/5.  It's a really great summer brew, perfect for the hot summer days ahead.  The balance of hops and fruit was particularly unusual - in the best way possible.

Southern Tier Brewing Company - IPA

Wegmans is one of Upstate's great assets, and now there's another reason to love them: recently, they started offering 'Craft Your Own Pack'.  Inspired by a similar service available at Beers of the World, the idea is that you pick out 6 single bottles of craft beer and pay a flat rate of $9.99.  It's a bit more expensive than your average 6-pack, but it's worth it for the opportunity to try out different brews from across the region.

When I picked out my half-dozen last night, there weren't a ton of Upstate varieties to choose from; but there was a decent selection from Pennsylvania and New England.  I eventually found 6 NY beers that I haven't reviewed before, and I'm looking forward to sampling them all (purely for the blog, of course).  Here's the complete list:

• Southern Tier - IPA
• Southern Tier - Raspberry Wheat
• Custom Brewcrafters - Caged Alpha Monkey IPA
• Custom Brewcrafters - Double Dark Cream Porter
• Ithaca Beer Co - Nut Brown Ale
• Ellicott Brewing Co - Blueberry Wheat

So, a good range I think - a couple of summery fruit beers, a couple of IPAs (I'm trying to overcome my IPA-phobia, really) and some darker ales which will be a bit more complex and really interesting.  I'm starting today with the Southern Tier IPA.

After my first encounter with Southern Tier, I'm setting pretty high standards for these guys - Phin and Matt's was a great Pale Ale, and if their other brews are of the same quality I'll be very impressed.  Phin and Matt's was proudly brewed with 3 malt varieties and 3 hop varieties - the IPA declares itself to be brewed with 4 types of each, adding an extra layer of intricacy to the flavour profile.  The website description of the brew states that it's triple-hopped - I'm guessing this means it was dry-hopped during the fermentation.  That's a good thing - it means you get a fresher, cleaner hop taste, leaving the bitterness to mellow out in the undertones of the flavour profile.  Dry-hopping also means that the beer will be a bit less clear when it gets to the glass - again, this is nothing to be afraid of.  Here are my impressions:


Appearance - Pale amber in colour, with a respectable off-white head and evidence of low to moderate carbonation.  Pretty clear, although a slight haze is detectable. 


Aroma - Definite floral hops in the aroma, not aggressive or skunky however.  Malt evident as an undertone, hops dominate as they should for an IPA.  Some slight fruitiness detectable, but not sure whether from hops or fermentation by-products.


Taste - Hops are the dominant character, mainly the floral flavour detected in the aroma.  The malt flavour is clean, allowing the hoppiness to shine through.  Some hop bitterness in the aftertaste, but not overpowering.  A slight sulfuriness is detectable, which is a stylistic option according to the BJCP and not a fault.


Mouthfeel - a medium body with low-moderate carbonation (probably a bit low for the style).  Fairly dry in character.  The hoppy bitterness does produce a bit of astringency but it's not over the top.  This is a slight stylistic fault.

Appearance - 4/5
Aroma - 4/5
Taste - 4/5
Mouthfeel - 3.5/5

Overall: 3.875/5.  A good IPA which detracts ever so slightly from the BJCP guidelines in a couple of places.  I really enjoyed this brew because it's a milder example of the style where the hops are a bit more restrained than in some of the extreme versions.  Would definitely drink again.  Maybe I'm becoming an IPA drinker after all...

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

Tonight we're venturing to the southwestern corner of Upstate, to the town of Lakewood, NY.  This is the home of Southern Tier Brewing Company, a microbrewery that's been with us since 2002 and produces a wide variety of beer styles.  In addition to their year-round offerings, they produce seasonal beers such as a wheat beer, ESB, an Old Ale named 'Old Man Winter' and 'Pumking', an extra-strong pumpkin ale which I'll have to review when the time comes.  (I tried it last year and it's damn fine, let me tell you.)

This is the time of year when all those lovely, fresh springtime beers really come into their own.  The microbreweries start to release their Summer Wheat varieties and the world starts to shake off the burdens of wintertime.  American-style Pale Ales are a great style to complement the season, and Upstate has some really good ones for you to try.  Starting off with tonight's review, Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Ale.

Appearance is light golden - fairly clear, perhaps a slight chill haze but it has an impressive clarity.  Head was not initially apparent, but upon agitation a moderate white head developed with decent lacing. 


Aroma was great for a Pale Ale - clear, fresh hops with some biscuity specialty malt discernible underneath.  Some apricot-like fruit scent was detectable as well.  Surprisingly complex for such a light beer - and I do mean that in a positive way.  The freshness of the hop aroma suggests that the brew might have been dry-hopped.

Flavour - the hop bitterness is definitely present, but it's not overpowering and is excellently balanced by the malts used (including, as I mentioned above, a definite biscuity malt flavour).  Some fruity esters discernible, and the finish is a delightful mix of bitter hops and good, clean malts.

Mouthfeel - the beer's got a medium-light body, with moderate carbonation, and finishes very smoothly.  It definitely leaves you wanting more.

Overall, this was a really good Pale Ale.  The brewers boast that this beer uses 3 types of hops and 3 types of malts - they've obviously worked hard to choose varieties that complement each other well, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable, eminently drinkable brew. 

Now for the scores:


Appearance - 4/5
Aroma - 4/5
Flavour - 4/5
Mouthfeel - 4.5/5

Overall, 4.125/5.  A great session beer for the season!