Southern Tier Raspberry Porter
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(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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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:
Raspberry Porter is lightly hopped with the choicest Pacific Northwest grown hops. Pleasant roast and chocolate-like notes give this beer a sweet and subtle body while its rich creamy head compliments [sic] its character. This delicate and smooth beer is finished with a hint of raspberries and is certain to become your holiday favorite!
Words such as “light”, “subtle”, “delicate”, and “smooth” pepper the description. I didn’t read the website before I drank the beer. I read the label, where I saw the words “Porter” and “Southern Tier”, and I assumed the beer was going to be more robust and flavorful.
This beer doesn’t seem to know which direction to go. Is it a porter? Is it a fruit beer? Not quite achieving either, it’s just mediocre. Overall flavor is weak, and while there is a strong aroma of raspberries, the taste can’t back it up. I may not like fruit beer, but the tart and tangy raspberries from the Rübæus set the standard for me. The Southern Tier berries, judging from what little I can find of them in the taste, are all sweet and no tart.
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