Jan 17, 2018

3 Stars Southern Belle

I’m a sucker for a good brown ale, especially as the weather has gotten (and stayed) quite cold as of late. Southern Belle from 3 Stars Brewing is a solid example of an imperial brown ale that delivers everything I want in the style. The fact that pecans have also been added to the big brew only make it that much tastier.

Bready and chewy, Southern Belle provides a smooth array of nuttiness, a soft roast, caramel and bready notes from start to long lasting finish. The pecans aren’t overwhelming, offering a slight amplification of the nutty traits that can be found in many examples of brown ales. Despite this beer weighing in at 8.7% ABV, the alcohol is masked quite well which allows for the beer’s moreish nature to deceptively take hold. This big brown ale goes down way too easily.

Southern Belle is a solid brew. It doesn’t really go above and beyond, but it’s also hard to find fault with it. And that’s what a brown ale should be, the unsung, stable hero of cold weather months. With this one from 3 Stars, I may have found another item in the arsenal to stave off the bitter cold, especially with that amplified nuttiness.