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Southern Tier Raspberry Porter
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The lineup for this Valentine’s Day weekend was designed as a progression — first raspberry, then chocolate, and finally a chocolaty raspberry.
Though I’m not a fan of fruit beer, I could appreciate that Rübæus was very good for its style, with a full and genuine raspberry taste. And since the bold and outstanding Choklat was going to be a tough act to follow, I choose another Southern Tier brew — the Raspberry Porter — to close out the experience.
Alas, this is a case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The Raspberry Porter from Southern Tier is a weak porter with so-so raspberry flavor.
You’ll wonder how I could have been surprised. Especially since the description on the website isn’t hiding anything: Read More→
Southern Tier Choklat Imperial Stout
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Roses and chocolates form the cornerstone of most Valentine’s Day celebrations. But this Valentine’s Day, I gave my wife the roses and kept the “Choklat” to myself.
I first learned of Southern Tier’s Choklat and its Blackwater Series from a review on 52BREWS, which praises, “Southern Tier hit it out of the park with this Choklat Imperial Stout.”
Given my mixed experience with chocolate stouts so far this year, I decided to read a few other reviews before choosing Choklat for Valentine’s Day. Southern Tier’s tip of the hat to the ancient Maya and their “beverage known as xocoatl (ch-co-atle)” seems to have received universal praise. And if I am allowed a moment of foreshadowing, I believe I couldn’t have picked a better chocolate-flavored beer for Valentine’s Day.
The moment I lifted the cap, a high, sweet smell of chocolate began wafting from the bottle. I stuck my nose to the narrow opening and pulled in the smell, feeling a touch disappointed. There was little special in that one-dimensional scent from the bottle. But as I poured the beer and watched the thick, black brew splash and swirl, the oxidation generated a much richer and warmer aroma with a combination of chocolates. I imagined cartoon aroma tendrils ascending and caressing my face.
Founders Rübæus
Posted by: | CommentsRübæus, from Founders Brewing Company, is everything you would hope to find in a raspberry beer.
If you’re looking for a sweet beer with just the right tang of tart raspberry, Rübæus is your perfect match. Founders knows how to make a good dessert beer.
If you’re only drinking one beer a day, and if you aren’t a fan of fruit beer — well, let’s just say I can forgive you for taking a pass on this one.
Either way, if you want to try this beer, you’d better grab a bottle quickly. Word is Founders will no longer brew Rübæus, due to the rising cost of raspberries.
Raspberry & Chocolate Weekend
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Starting tomorrow, we’ll have a mini-theme on BeerADay.net in honor of the Valentine’s Day holiday.
Here’s the lineup:
- Friday, Nov 13: Founders Rübæus (these guys could use a copy editor – seriously, “rasberry”?)
- Saturday, Nov 14: Southern Tier Choklat Stout
- Sunday, Nov 15: Southern Tier Raspberry Porter
For a preview of the Choklat, check out this great review by 52BREWS.com:
http://52brews.com/2009/02/southern-tier-choklat/
Do you have a favorite chocolate or raspberry beer? What will you be drinking on Valentine’s Day weekend?
Sierra Nevada ESB (Early Spring Beer)
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We could all use an early spring. (To hell with that Pennsylvania groundhog and his stupid shadow.) Today I grabbed a bottle of Sierra Nevada ESB (Early Spring Beer).
Here in New England and around much of the United States, we’ve had a bit of a respite from the bitter cold that has been plaguing us all winter. Some of the snow has begun to melt, and where I have plowed walking paths with my snow blower I can actually see, for the first time in months, what’s left of my decimated lawn.
It must be for occasions like this that Sierra Nevada releases its ESB in January, calling it an Early Spring Beer. While ESB typically stands for Extra Special Bitter or Extra Strong Bitter, reader John D. pointed out in a Forum post recently that many breweries take liberties with the initials — consider the Elvis’s Special Bitter that has been brewed in the past by Laurelwood in Portland, OR.
For some background on the ESB style, I turned to BeerAdvocate.com:
ESBs are essentially more aggressive and more balanced Bitters, both in alcohol and hop character, but nothing overpowering. Color range will be similar, though leaning towards the darker end of the scale; dark golds to copper. Low carbonation. Malts tend to be more pronounced, often toasty and fruity, with maybe some notes diacetyl. And despite “bitter” being in its name, ESBs are not really all that bitter. The key to an ESB is balance.
