Creme Brulee (Imperial Milk Stout) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is pure creme brulee, chocolate coffee liquer. The mouthfeel is above average, and yes it tastes like creme brulee. Coffee and the like are the biggest stomach irritants known to man, and this was no exception. Great job, but not something I will go for again. Dangerously high alchol, disguised of course behind the sugar.
Had this again 1.5 years later and it made a good sweet dessert at the end of a tasting, but just half a glass is enough.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 00:27:42 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tarantula brownish black with blood red highlights. The beer is anything but a black hole and appears barely opaque when backlit with afternoon sunshine. Atop the liquid sits a golden brown sugar colored crown that gets the job done, including leaving attractive sheets of tattered lace on the upper reaches of the glass.

My nostrils don't have to get anywhere near the glass to appreciate the aroma. The beer smells like a flavored coffee drink that's dominated by caramel. I suppose it also smells like creme brulee, but I've only had that dessert once and that was more than 20 years ago. Do I smell coconut as well? Odd.

I can see how Creme Brulee is a polarizer. It's both different and delicious, but it's starting to wear out its welcome as the ounces cruise by. It doesn't seem possible that the brewers created this flavor profile with nothing more than dark caramel malt, vanilla beans and lactose. Then again, why not?

Creme Brulee is billed as an Imperial Milk Stout, but it doesn't really taste like it. That whole burnt sugar/creme caramel/vanilla vibe takes it in an entirely new direction. For my money, Southern Tier's Imperial chocolate stout (Choklat), Imperial coffee stout (Jahva) and Imperial oatmeal stout (Oat) are much, much better. Those first two are outstanding.

It's weird how I still taste coconut. That's in addition to the flavors described above, plus vanilla and melted milk chocolate. The Columbus and Horizon hops provide a background bitterness that keeps the beer from being overly sweet. In the end, it doesn't all come together as well as I'd like.

Considering the style and the ABV, the mouthfeel fails to close the deal. It's a fraction thin and isn't as creamy as it should be. The carbonation wouldn't be as noticeable in a plusher, more velvety brew.

The Black Water Series from Southern Tier contains some of the best beer on planet Earth. Unfortunately, Creme Brulee misses the mark (although not by much) because it pushes the envelope too far in one direction. Some love it, some hate it. I can take it or leave it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2009 23:05:50 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Picked this one up in a trade recently. I had been dying to try it as I had heard some mixed things regarding it. Needless to say I just had to get it. Twenty two ounce bomber that was served at cellar temp and poured into an oversized wine glass.

One of the best pours I have seen in a long time. Rich dark brown, essentially opaque with a huge head of off white foam that reached a height of three inches before finally deciding to come down to around two inches and leave it at that. Huge amounts of side glass lacing just ringing the inside of the glass and thoroughly coating everything that was in sight.

The aroma was just insane. I am not even sure what to make of this one here. Rich and bitter vanilla flavor. A touch of light alcohol, but this was very well hidden. Huge aroma here, my wife complained later in the night she could smell it an hour after the bottle was empty. This was the thickest, most bitter vanilla smell you could imagine. The flavor was more of the same. Now I have heard mixed reviews about this and I can really see why. You have to take it for what it is. This is a dessert beer, this bottle should be shared with like four people as by itself, this is way too much for one person. I was really struggling towards the end, as the flavor was soo insanely sweet, maple sugar, vanilla, molasses, hints of caramel, I mean if it was a kind of sugar it was dumped in this in great quantity. There was a smooth, delicate feel on this with more then adequate carbonation making up the majority of the body. But still, even the aftertaste hung with you for what seemed like a day and a half. A sipper for sure, but something that needs to be shared.

Overall not bad at all, not the best thing, but for what the style is, this was actually pretty damn good. It looked and smelled fantastic, it was just the overall volume of this bottle was a bit much for me. Something akin to a KRE would be much better for this as it is needs to be sampled in limited amounts. A must try though for the novelty of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2008 10:09:03 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

1.43/5  rDev -63.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

A: The pour is a dark brown color with a khaki colored head that settles down to a thin layer.

S: The amount of butterscotch, caramel, vanilla and burnt sugar in the nose is nearly unbearable. I felt like I got a cavity just from smelling it.

T: I thought the nose was bad, but jeeze. This is pure, unadulterated sugar. Butterscotch, burnt sugar, vanilla, caramel, and some sugar on top for good measure. A bit creamy, but who really cares?

M: The body is medium with a low carbonation and a tooth rotting sweetness.

D: I'm pretty sure I am diabetic after having taken a few sips of this beer. So unbearably sweet and sugary without any sort of balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 17:04:05 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours black with a slight mocha head. The nose is really quite extreme--even for this series--as it brings forward loads of sweet cream and vanilla along with burnt sugar. In the back are some roasted malts, coffee, and light chocolate flavors. The taste really brings the sweetness forward and it gets to be quite cloying. The mouthfeel is rather thick and a bit of an alcohol burn sets in toward the end. I would really have a difficult time drinking more than 4oz. or so of this, though the nose is incredible.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 10:59:53 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark brown, near black body with a thinnish, short-lived, light beige head.

Smell: Oh-so sweet-smelling aroma crammed with full notes of roast, vanilla beans, charred sugars, caramel, chocolate and burnt cream.

Taste: Strong flavors of dark caramel, chocolate, roast, unbaked cookie dough, honey-soaked oven-toasted nuts, and fresh vanilla. Tons of sweetness throughout. Southern Tier, like the Indians, used every part of the vanilla bean. Creamy milk, fire-licked sugar crust. Touch of roasty bitterness, but, let's be honest, nowhere near the level needed to even begin to temper the dessert-like sweetness. All of the flavors race across the palate on the way to the coffee-ish finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-low carbonation. Creamy, velvety, succulent mouthfeel.

Drinkability: All kinds of fantastic. Very yummy, very luscious, very enjoyable. Highly recommended, but beware, as this is a true love it or hate it brew. Hopefully, you'll be in the love it camp.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2008 04:47:50 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate brown with a tan cap that fades with rapidity but leaves plenty of foamy dots around the chalice

Smell: Creme brulee from a mile away; hard to imagine it is a beer

Taste: Vanilla, butterscotch and creme up front, with a building sweet intensity through mid-palate and beyond; unlike the draft version, the bottled sample seems all about the sweetness, right through the lingering finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation; a bit cloying

Drinkability: Loved this on draft, but in the bottle, it becomes a bit tiresome; still quite an accomplishment to make a beer taste like dessert

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 01:25:21 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to mjtiernan for sending me this one!

Pours an opaque black with a small 1/2 inch khaki head that fades to an oily film on the top of the beer. Small amounts of lacing slide back down into the rest of the beer on the drink down. Smells exactly like creme brulee. Very sweet milk, vanilla, and caramelized sugar aromas. Taste is a bit different than I was expecting. Up front there is a pretty bitter roasted malt taste that develops into a sweet cream, vanilla, and caramelized sugar aftertaste. The bitterness fades after each sip leaving the creme brulee flavors on the palate. This beer is definitely less sweet than it smells. Mouthfeel is very rich and creamy with a lower level of carbonation. Overall, this is a good beer that smells and tastes very similar to the creme brulee dessert. I split this one with my wife and she absolutely loved it. This and the Choklat are the best ST Black Water Series beers that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 05:04:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep pitch-black color stout with a medium light brown foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is totally dominated by vanilla and some weird crème brulé-like syrup. Taste is also dominated by the vanilla and whatever syrup they've used and little else is discernable. Full body but could have been creamier with good carbonation and no discernable alcohol. Interesting experiment but a bit over the top and not sure I would want to drink a full bottle by myself.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 20:02:28 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As Southern Tier does with all Black Water beers in the series, this one oozes with creamy goodness of chocolate cream pie, to the point that I forget that this is a 10% Milk Stout.

Very strong aromas of, well... Creme Brulle. Strong vanilla, coffee, chocolate. Very well balanced and mouth watering. A light hint of cola comes in the end.

Flavors of vanilla and powdered sugar start off in as well as any beer imaginable. Soon, strong coffee, chocolate, vanilla, heavy cream, and merange (sp?) engulf the beer and dive heavy into a Khaluha-like alcohol taste and strength. Very nice but that extra sweetness begins to take the form of aspirtame from time to time.

Quite heavy on the palate due to light carbonation, heavy sweetness, and firm maltiness. Bitterness seems to come from a lot of directions; hops, bitter cocoa, coffee, and again that aspirtame bite. Finishes a bit cleaner than expected with a deep chocolate and vanilla linger. I would probably prefer this beer without the disjointed bitterness.

Again, this is not a desert beer- It is the desert!

Thanks JNN4V

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 00:21:39 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

One of the few ST beers I havent had the chance to try,(it came out after I moved away from western NY)if you like creme brulee you will like this beer.Poured a jet black with a frothy one finger light mocha colored head,minimal lace was left as it settled rather quickly.Wow it cant get much more spot on in the aroma,burnt sugar and hefty vanilla/caramel aromas, with slight roast as well.Dessert in a bottle,the only problem is it gets cloyingly sweet in a hurry,big vanilla/caramel flavors with some mollasses as well,only a hint of dry roastiness comes through.My wife loves it and is finishing mine,I respect the job ST did in making this beer,its just to sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 02:51:13 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, what an incredible beer! Of course I got robbed for it... $7 for 10 oz. glass at the Diamond in Brooklyn. I could have just bought a bottle, but in the end I guess it was worth it. Oh, and the bartender refused to give me a sample first, she said that would cost $2!!! But I digress. The 10 ounce glass was probably just the right serving, as it is sweet and any more would have been just a touch too much. It's really a dessert beer, although I enjoyed it right at the bar none the less. Massive amounts of vanilla, caramel, and sweetish, cocoa-accented malts are found in the nose. It actually kind of smells like cake! And that carries over into the flavor. Vanilla. Caramel. Cocoa. Sugar. Butter. Chocolate. And just an edge of roastiness underneath. It's sweet but it somehow manages to keep from becoming cloying, and that's at least due in part to the roasted malts. Remarkably smooth. Creamy. Utterly (pun intended) remarkable. That said, this is a very special beer, and would be perfect for special occassions. Valentines day. Christmas. And it makes an undeniable eye-opener for women who "don't like beer". Oh, and I wonder how this would be alongside Lindemann's Framboise - or even mixed together? I am definitely going to buy more of this!

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2008 12:28:21 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

I do so enjoy beers that stay true to their names. This 'un pours a straight obsidian topped by a finger or so of light tan foam. The nose is a dessert in its own right, comprising buttercream frosting, vanilla, cane sugar, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, molasses, sweet toffee, powdered sugar, and a vague sense of french toast or funnel cake. You know, sweet breads and whatnot. If I could literally eat smells, this would near the top of my list in terms of desireability. Happily intrigued, a taste must be had. A lot of the sweeter notes are still there, but are subdued, allowing some light roasted malts to come through, ensuring a more well-rounded, if somewhat weaker, tasting experience. The body is a rather hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a rich, velevety feel. Damn, I enjoy this brew. Even better, the smell tends to linger in my apartment, allowing me to enjoy its sweet, sweet smell for a few days hence. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 23:58:08 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown color, with reddish edges...thinnish, roasted tan head. It's undulating now, actually, not sure why, it's pretty stable sitting on my desk.

And I can smell the vanilla from here at my chair. Let's bring it in...Yup, all vanilla, with cocoa close behind. Swet and lovely.

Mmm. Smooth, sweet, creamy, fluffy, but yet still solid. Delicious. Yum. Dark and light. Sweet and substance. Rich and airy. Candy, and caramel malt, and ...yumminess.
The ten percent alcohol level boasted on the label is not felt in the slightest.

Why the cows on the label, though? They make cream, maybe, but not vanilla. Whatever.
Good stuff, here. Great dessert brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2008 04:15:21 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep dark black color with a 1/2" brown head that fades to lacing. The aroma is awesome. It has a kick ass caramel and vanilla scent. It smells like a fine after dinner snack. What a treat! The taste is good. It has a strong black and chocolate malt base along with lactose for sweetness and a very nice vanilla bean finish. This beer is outstanding; a real easy drinker. It's sweet, but I like it. The flavor is right on with the name. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. I can't say enough about this beer. Southern Tier has become a premiere brewering powerhouse. Everything they brew is top notch. A road trip is in the works.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2008 21:44:23 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer served in a shaker pint. Beer is black / dark brown with a wispy lazy head of small bubbles, no lacing, low carbonation, looks fine.

Aroma is super sweet, strong with vanilla, some roast and coffee in there too.

Congratulations, this beer tastes like creme brulee with a lot of vanilla. Very creamy, medium mouthfeel and body, no carbonation, sweet up front, sweet on the middle, sweet fnish. It is not cloying but it is pushing it, I've had this beer twice now and finally bothered to write a review. If you like diabetes inducing sweetness, check this out.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 13:00:18 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy thirdeye11.

Pours black with a tan head. The aroma is strong butterscotch with a lot of sweetness and some vanilla. Definitely a different aroma. The flavor is butterscotch, praline and vanilla. Medium mouthfeel, low carbonation and very drinkable, but I can't see myself drinking more than six ounces at a time since it is so sweet. This beer would serve as a great stand alone dessert.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 22:20:46 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a small, light brown color. It left little to no lace.

S - It smelled of tons of vanilla, some chocolate and sweet, sweet caramel.

T - It tasted of vanilla, vanilla, vanilla. It really tasted like creme brulee. Caramel, vanilla and touches of toffee.

M - It was soft and smooth with a sticky mouthfeel. A medium to full bodied beer.

D - This is an amazing beer, however, it is a lot to drink at once. I shared it was some family but it was still very heavy.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 02:36:36 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a finger high tan head that quickly faded away and left lacy patterns of bubbles floating on the surface.
S: There is a strong and sweet aroma of butterscotch and vanilla beans in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has flavors of caramel, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla beans.
M: It feels medium-bodied, smooth and slightly viscous on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: Drinking this beer is practically like having dessert; it goes down very easily and there's not a trace of the alcohol content in the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 16:38:53 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A massive wall of vanilla cream hits my nose just after I vigorously pour this beer; smells more like desert than just about anything, it is actually more concentrated than an actual crème brûlèe. The head form an initially three-finger thick, frothy, lightly browned, tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass. The vanilla is just so overwhelming and loud, you really can't smell much else; luckily the vanilla note itself is not overly one dimensional, it is full enough that I am sure the brewer used actual vanilla beans (and a ton of them at that). If you like sweet and vanilla then this aroma is good, luckily I was ready for desert so this beer is fulfilling that urge so far. After warming up a bit the aroma takes on a touch of nuttiness and a butterscotch note becomes a bit more prominent.

Thick and rich up front with enough of a viscous body to make this a sipping brew; to be honest though it is not quite as rich and full as the aroma led me to believe. The vanilla notes are definitely far and away the dominant note here in the flavor as well, but some other flavors manage to assert themselves just enough to be noticeable. This finishes with a touch of hot alcohol, that in combination with the vanilla makes me think of Bourbon. Sweet, in fact incredibly sweet, though again not quite as much as the aroma might have suggested. The vanilla flavors contribute or bring out notes of butterscotch, Bourbon, . Not overly roasted, but some roast malt flavors seem to add a touch to the finish with a bit of bitterness. As this beer warms there is a slight nuttiness to the flavor that is a bit like browned butter and the flavors definitely lean towards burnt as the beer rolls across the palate.

I knew this beer was going to be a sweet, sticky, incredibly vanilla laden beer coming into this. For that reason I waited until I was really wanting dessert to have it. The aroma definitely satisfied any dessert fix that I might have wanted, but "strangely" I find the flavors not quite rich enough as this could use more roast malt flavors and a thicker, more complex malt base. That strangely in that last sentence is important, because if I was not ready for the overbearing vanilla and sweetness here I likely would have found this beer a sickly sweet, train wreck of an Imperial Stout; properly forewarned & with the right occasion, this beer, while overly simplistic, is not quite half bad and is even enjoyable if had in small doses.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2008 03:45:36 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 9/4/08 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub, in Pawtucket, RI, served in a snifter glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of strong creamy chocolate and vanilla along with roasted malts.

T: The taste is very malty and sweet up front as you would expect from an "imperial milk stout" with strong milky flavors of chocolate and vanilla. There's a mild but complimentary hops presence that brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is sticky.

D: Tasty and flavorful, goes down dangerously easily, slightly filling, deceptively strong kick, very good representation of style, since this beer is so heavy, it's a good sipper to sit down and relax with and also works well as a desert beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2008 20:15:00 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.72/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Props to Jw347, cheers Jonathan!

Pours mahogany with a pinky of tan head. Above average head retention & average lacing

S: Rich caramel & coffee, & a touch of coconut; & a touch of cinnamon as this warms; yummy

T: Yummy caramel & a touch of coffee, some leafy hops hiding in the background up front. Coffee grounds do battle with chocolate & more caramel as this warms. Finishes much caramel & creamy chocolate notes. This is pulled off nicely

MF: Medium bodied, some stickyness, semi-creamy & low carbonation

Drinks pretty good, I could pound a few with dessert, a cheese tray or even a red curry. Will ding it a bit, because it would grown old after about 2 pints as a stand alone session beer. The ABV is artfully hidden

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 05:34:16 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This has got to be my absolute favorite Southern Tier release. This beer pours out as a very thick black goop that lets off a thick creamy brown head on it. The smell is unreal, the burnt sugar aroma mixed to perfect with the sweet vanilla extract smell. My nose could stay in the glass all day on this one. The taste is sweet and slightly roasted, one of the best tasting beers I've had that is supposed to resemble another food of somekind. The mouthfeel is a slippery and thick, worth while for a long night of sipping from a snifter glass. Overall I love this beer. I know a ton of people don't but I find it to be a gem. Really want to get this one on-tap someday.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 20:59:00 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle, served at approximately 55 degrees,

A: Pours a very dark brown when held up to the light. Into a snifter it went, with a long-lasting off-white/light tan head and a smattering of lacing.

S: This is the best part. Upon opening the bottle, I was greeted with this heavenly decadent butterscotch aroma, like smelling the most delicious dessert in the world. A beautiful smell, in the top 3 best smells in a beer ever along with another Southern Tier product - Choklat, and a vintage Bell's Old Ale.

T: Taste is delicious and decadent as well. Espresso coffee with cream comes out first, a little more bitter than I expected from the roasted grains, but it was quite tasty nonetheless. Molasses and vanilla are lighter than they were in the nose, but they still offer up outstanding secondary flavours, I would have liked a little more vanilla, as I'm a huge fan of the flavour, but this was quite nice, it's more balanced with all the flavours this way than if I had my way. The flavour profile ends with a distinct hop bite, which shocked me a little going in, as I expected it to be all malt, vanilla and spice flavours. I was taken aback at first, but as the brew continued to disappear from my glass and as it warmed up, I found the grassy hop notes melded really well with the coffee flavours. The ultimate dessert in a glass beer, I'm not giving it a 5, although it's close, I still would have liked a little less hop character, but this is still outstanding.

M: The carbonation is very soft, the brew is rather light-bodied for a big stout which I liked because the mouthfeel does not weigh the beer down, it's quite drinkable in it's style, which would make it a great dessert pairing.

D: I had this beer by itself, and I loved it, but it begs to be paired with an after dinner dessert. Wow, Southern Tier makes good beer. I envy all you East Coasters for having easy access to this stuff. In the top 5 of new beers I've had this year for sure. This is a sipper to sit back and enjoy, I would love to get another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 00:35:59 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Black, slightly dark brown on the pour. Tan foam and spotty lace. Huge vanilla aroma, pretty right on with the Creme Brulee name. Candy sweet. Not quite as perfect as Kuhnhenn's rendition in the aroma.

Sweet vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, with an undertone of chocolate. Earthy bitter hops surface towards the end, lending to the bittersweet chocolate flavor. Roasted malts in the middle too, buried under the sweet elements. Feel is lactic with a boozy kick to it.

This bottle was split 3 ways. If I had more than 8 oz. at a time, that might be pushing it, as far as drinkablity goes. Worth a try for sure, i'll be getting another one to make a float with.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 14:11:30 | More by emerge077