Jan 12, 2011

Southern Tier Creme Brulee

Southern Tier Creme Brulee label

This bottle of Southern Tier’s Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout has been sitting in my basement for almost half a year. It’s been in there taunting me relentlessly, knowing full well that its mere presence made me more than a little nervous.

My apprehension toward this beer ultimately turned out to be unfounded and ridiculous, as the brew, while being darn sweet and vanilla-y, wasn’t nearly as cavity-inducing as I had originally feared. I like a sweet brew, but the prospect of drinking creme brulee in beer form was almost too much to deal with. In the end, this one turned out to be an ideal beer to accompany home-made brownies after a full rich meal dinner.

Appearance

Pouring a dark, dark brown, Creme Brulee sits firmly in the glass with a slowly fading light brown head.

Aroma

The smell of vanilla fills the room immediately after cracking the seal on the bottle. Once in the glass caramel, a light roast coffee and sweet, milk chocolates also make an appearance. The 10% ABV is hidden well within the sweet aromas.

Taste

There’s a good deal of vanilla and caramel upfront along with a solid sweetness as a roast coffee presence comes out more in the lingering finish. The vanilla is strong throughout the life of the beer, hanging around for a good while long after your swallow. The full body and lactose presence makes this beer smooth and creaming, coating the tongue. There’s a subtle hop bitterness in the mix that does it’s best to cut through the sweetness. Still not much of an alcohol presence.

Overall

There’s no denying it. This is a beer that I personally have to be the correct frame of mind to full enjoy. It’s not a beer that I could just sit down and drink at any old time. It’s a single minded brew meant for one thing and one thing only — dessert. And with that in mind, the next time I get this brew, I will be prepared with a tasty treat to match.

Rating: 3.5/5

More: , ,