Southern Tier, O! How I love thee

There's no way I could ever say I truly love a single brewery, my heart is far too fickle for such a statement, but I can easily say that I have never been disappointed by a beer from Southern Tier. So, here are a few beers I have found to be incredibly enjoyable from these folks in Lakewood, New York.



Farmer's Tan, "the hallmark of hard work". An imperial pale lager brewed only for the summer; generally released in June. This guy's a heavy hitter, ringing in an alcohol content of 9% and only distributed in boomers (22 oz. bottles) and 1/6th barrels.

Probably the strongest-in flavor and alcohol-I've ever experienced in a lager. Robust, which the paleness in color of this beer would make one think otherwise, smooth, but bitter in after taste. Very malty and sweet almost at first before the hops roundhouse kick you. If only they made this year round.



Unearthly IPA, "an uninhibited infusion of hops". Imperial India Pale Ale available year round from these guys. Be very, very careful with this brew, the 11% ABV on this one is no joke, and neither are the hops. Better on tap (of course) than in a boomer; bitter, oh so bitter on the end but pleasantly so. This beer is raw and almost dirty tasting, like a beer should taste. If herbally brews are not your bag, stay away.



Harvest, "quadrupulus humulus lupulus". An ESB, or, Extra Special Bitters, brewed for the first time this year and released for the fall. First, I'd just like to say how refreshing it is to get a fall seasonal that's not pumpkin beer, God, pumpkin beer season makes me want to shoot myself in the face. Second, the 4 hop varieties in this beer are balanced so well with just 2 malts, it's almost a wonder on how it could be an ESB. Very drinkable, guys, try it while you can.

Just a handful to name a few, more to come from my experiences with Southern Tier in my next post.