Beer Review: Southern Tier Crème Brulee

by Brian Wall

The title is not a typo. There is actually a beer called that. Southern Tier Brewing Company from Lakewood, New York is the subject of sampling this week. Southern Tier opened its doors and vats in 2002 and has given us some decent beers but the most notable would have to be the Pumpking, an Imperial Pumpkin Ale. They offer a good selection of year-round beers and some seasonal series as well. This beer was something completely off the normal grid of expectations.   

Crème Brulee. Such a pleasant dessert and a great indulgence after a meal. But as a beer, really? This beer is a nice little surprise and I hoped it lived up to the title. The beer comes in a twenty-two ounce bomber bottle and is part of the “Blackwater Series”. The scent was strongly noticeable from a foot away after opening and already did not disappoint. The sweet vanilla is a duplicate of Crème Brulee and did not make me think it was a beer at all. Color was a deep, dark black with creamy foam lacing the glass.

Carbonation is slight but high enough to not be a flat beer. This is very reminiscent of a lighter porter that was cask conditioned except for the scent. Flavor was intense. The immediate presence of the vanilla crème almost makes you want to start to chew.

This beer is for a lover of sweet beers. The dessert atmosphere and feel of this beer shows from the beginning and lasts throughout the bottle itself. While I may love a good IPA or hot chili beer, this beer is definitely one I will need to sample again. The alcohol is not very noticeable but the beer does weigh it at 9.5%. There are pairing suggestions on the bottle but the one that comes to mind is missing- a beer milkshake.

This would be suitable for a beer float but a shake would definitely put it over the top for those daring adventurers out there. Slàinte.