Monday, October 18, 2010

Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Review


I found another pumpkin beer on the shelves of an LCBO...a little too late, but I don't care much. This one is from Southern Tier, makers of some excellent beers, and retails for $8.95 for a 650 mL bottle. I know it sounds pricey, but it is a seasonal beer and it is fairly strong at 7.9% ABV.

The beer is medium amber in color with some very orange tones and a touch hazy. It pours with a short, not too lacy head which recedes quickly. The aroma is fairly interesting and resembles Graham cookies and pumpkin pie. Some spicy notes are noticeable along with some very real pumpkin aromas. The taste is surreal. Drinking feels like you are eating pumpkin pie with Graham cookies or a crust made of them. Clove and a touch of cinnamon are noticeable, but not as heavy as some other pumpkin beers. What I don't like too much is the alcoholic taste and the mild sweetness at the very end, which intensifies the alcohol. The sweetness and high alcohol level do make for a warm finish, which comes with notes of Graham cookies, a touch of pumpkin and a light touch of hops. Overall, this is a very enjoyable slow sipping pumpkin beer and you should give it a shot if you are into heavier tasting, high alcoholic beers.

Scores
Cost - $8.95 for a 650 mL bottle
Taste - 8.5/10

Overall - 8.5/10...heavy and pumpkiny

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