Southern Tier 2XIPA

I've had Southern Tier's 2XIPA a couple times in the past, back before I really started to appreciate and enjoy the bold hoppiness IIPAs are known and loved for.  Back then, I was just getting started with training my palate, and I remember feeling a little overwhelmed by this beer.  I was able to hide one of these from my husband last time we got a ST variety pack, and I've been looking forward to trying it again:

Vittles:
Imperial IPA
8.2% abv

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 90/100

Impression:
It pours out beautifully, and the creamy head has decent linger but leaves only spotty lacing.  The aroma packs a strong floral, pine, and fruity/citrus punch with biscuit, cracker, toffee, and grass in the background.  The flavor follows suit nicely, with a surprising and pleasant floral aftertaste -- I was expecting more of a pine/citrus/grapefruit aftertaste.  I wouldn't say this is an overly bitter beer, though the flavors are full and bold.  The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and fairly smooth, finishing with a bit more crispness than I expected.  Overall, it's not a huge powerhouse of an IIPA, but it is a very well balanced beer that showcases the hops characteristics nicely.

Cheers!

Southern Tier UnEarthly

Southern Tier is one of the breweries that I associate with strong hops use and bold hops characteristics.  My husband has loved everything of theirs that he's tried (his other favorite brewery is Elysian).  I was in the mood for something good and hoppy that I hadn't tried yet, so my hubby handed me their UnEarthly:

Vittles:
Imperial IPA
9.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 90/100

Impression:
I like the way it poured out, and not only did it have nice retention and lacing, but it had that stickiness that I expect to see in this kind of beer.  The aroma actually made my mouth water a bit, and I don't come across that too often.  The nose is a mixture of strong pine, citrus, caramel, and spice.  Pacific Northwest hops' best characteristics, as far as I'm concerned, with a decent representation of the malt bill in the amount of caramel I could smell.  The flavors largely follow the aroma, with the citrus coming through more clearly as grapefruit.  It's not the all-out hop-bomb that some other IIPAs can be, but it does have a strong, bold flavor profile with enough backbone to match.  It's nicely balanced between the malt-sweetness and the hops-bitterness.  It's moderately carbonated, so it tickles the tongue a bit, and it finishes somewhat dry and crisp.  All in all, a damn fine beer.

Cheers!

Southern Tier Iniquity

My hubby surprised me the other night by bringing home a variety box of Southern Tier.  He loves their IPAs and knows I haven't tried very many of their other stuff.  The first one I grabbed was Iniquity:

Vittles:
Specialty Beer (Imperial Black Ale)
9% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 24/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 9/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 91/100

Impression:
With a decent pour and fair head retention, this beer starts off on the right note.  The aromas are full and complex, dominated mainly by roasted tones like coffee and chocolate/cocoa, with a bit of citrus, plums, dates, and a piney twang in the background.  The flavors follow the nose pretty closely, but some of the malt-sweetness (caramel in particular) comes through more clearly, while the roasty character (burnt/charred toast) adds to the complexity.  What impresses me the most about this beer and brings it up to an A level for me is the full-bodied smoothness -- it goes down like rich velvet.  I'm glad there's one more left in my keezer.

Cheers!