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

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

22oz bottle split with my buddy as dessert. Poured into my snifter

A: Deep brown with a thin, light brown head with pretty good retention. Ruby red highlights

S; Jeez! Smells like... creme brulee! Massive vanilla and butterscotch make for a very appetizing post-prandial aperitif but not the best of beers

T: Tastes pretty much like the nose. Massive vanilla and butterscotch lead things off on a beer that's carried by medium bodied beer with hints of chocolate. Finish is sweet and very creme-brulee-esque.

M: Well carbonated, maybe a little thin for such a big stout?

D: I can't honestly imagine drinking one by myself.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 03:34:25 | More by DefenCorps

Gmann

New York

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a near black color into my Guinness pint, with an average cream colored head that dissipated into a sparse cap. The aroma is distinctively butterscotch with some vanilla, perhaps some burnt sugar as well. Big on the butterscotch. The taste is of butterscotch but has more of a vanilla presence, perhaps a touch of rum flavor. Some woody roasted malt flavors peek through towards the end. Does it taste exactly like creme brulee, no, similar, somewhat. This is more butterscotch than vanilla and caramlized/burnt sugar. The taste is similar to that of Kahlua, somewhat like a white russian. The feel is big and well bodied with soft carbonation that gives it a silky texture. The brew finishes sweet and bitter; a tad sticky. A big bold brew for sure. Plenty of huge aromas and flavors. Its sweet, almost cloying if you have too much. I must say that the vanilla comes out as the beer warms up. Another winner from the BW series.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 03:24:12 | More by Gmann

Avryle

New York

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

Finally, finally, finally made it into Albany.

A- Very, very dark brown. Only a bit of light leaking in at the very top of the pour. Pours with a one-finger tan head. Thick & srupy looking. Some minimal lacing

S- This is it. Smells like the name. Strong vanilla & burnt sugar. incredibly sweet.

T- Tastes like it smells. Strong vanilla. Strong burnt sugar. Some lingering bitterness in the finish. The only downside would be the strong alcohol presence. I'd happily give up some ABV to reduce the alcohol presence.

M- Full & creamy.

D- Oh, definitely a desert beer. very sweet. Creme brulee flavors are very rich. Very pleased with this beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 02:33:51 | More by Avryle

aerozeppl

New York

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

Finally have this available here.
A: Pours one shade short of black. slightly mocha head. Nice lacing.

S: One of the best smelling beers ever. Vanilla burnt crust. I had the Kunheinn Creme brulee and this blows that away and that was a damn fine beer. This in insane. Mind blowingly good.

T: Starts off with a strong vanilla taste. Burnt sugar is in there as well. Almost like a burnt milk shake. Really does taste like creme brulee.

M: Super smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Sort of different in a way I really cannot describe.

D: Damn they did it again. Simply amazing. How the hell do you get this kind of smell/taste out of a beer? I don't even want to know how they did this. Another golden gem from Southern Tier. Perhaps a blend of this and Choklat?

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 01:31:22 | More by aerozeppl

USCTrojanBrian

Maryland

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

The very first bottle from The Perfect Pour (Columbia, MD), plucked right out of the box.

Smells of vanilla and coffee cream, quite good aroma. Dark, not quite jet black color. Smooth and creamy drinker, it hit a ton of intangibles here.

However, the taste didn't do it for me. As per the rules I'm judging taste by the style and what they were trying to accomplish here which clearly will earn good marks. But from a personal point of view, and this is probably heresy, I didn't come close to enjoying this offering from Southern Tier.

The taste is a bit more coffee cream than creme brulee, but the effect is similar of a sweet, vanilla and coffee and chocolate dessert beer. Very little to complain about if you dig that combination of flavors. Well worth the effort if so.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 00:10:23 | More by USCTrojanBrian

LittleBreeze

New York

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Finally showing up at stores in my area.

Minimal (1/4 inch or so) creamy tan "head". The dominate aroma is vanilla. There is spice and burnt sugar. For me, this tastes like it smells. Overly dominated by vanilla. It is far to sweet. The flavor is good....hints of coffee...bit of chocolate malt. But the vanilla and sweetness got to be to much. This from a person that loves creme brulee..loves stout...loves creme brulee with stout. ;-).

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

Drinkability suffers due to the sweetness. A dessert beer of course. It really needs a pairing to cut the sweetness.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages. I'm hoping the vanilla fades just a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2008 00:02:26 | More by LittleBreeze

JoeMayo

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The resemblance to the dessert creme brulee is almost frightening, especially at 10%abv

A- Pours thick and rich, almost like black simple syrup

S- Absolutely wonderful! Vanilla, cream, and cinnamon are the dominant scents, but roasted malts definately make their presence known as well. There's also a few whiffs of caramel.

T- The beer tastes like Creme Brulee! Creamy custard (vanilla and cream flavors) with a layer of torched sugar (caramel). There is a dark, maltiness to the beer, reminding us that in spite of its likeness to dessert, it is still a stout. Notes of cinnamon and banana are also present in the taste. The alcohol is also noteable.

M- Thick and pleasantly carbonated, but a little syrupy. My lips were sticky after a few sips. It's also a little hot with alcohol...maybe this will go away once the bottle's been in the cellar for a few months?

D- It's delicious and drinkable, but certainly not to quickly. All the sugar gets the alcohol going a little faster too!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2008 14:08:43 | More by JoeMayo

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.63/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black with a very minimal head that disappears almost instantly. Aroma is burnt sugar, caramel, vanilla, a little chocolate, and bit of alcohol as it warms. Smells exactly as advertised, like a sugary desert. Taste follows the smell to a tee. I had to look at the bottle twice to see if this was artificially flavored, and it appears not to be. Tastes like dessert, gets a bit sweet towards the end of the glass. Thick sticky mouthfeel, maybe a bit grainy as in grains of sugar. Full body and ample carbonation. Certainly a different beer. I enjoyed it immensely, but is not something I would drink often. I would call this a dessert beer, one to be sipped and enjoyed. Another one outside the box from Southern Tier, Great Job!

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 23:58:39 | More by johnnnniee

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.83/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle, 10% ABV. Black color, with no highlights at all. Having said that, it is not completely jet black. Frothy mocha head, which trickles down to a thin layer after a minute.

Amazing caramel, vanilla and cream aroma. Exactly like creme brulee. A bit of chocolate and roasty notes in the background, but the vanilla is the big note here. I literally smelled this thing the entire time, probably one of the best aromas I have ever noticed.

Pretty sweet up front. There is a hint of the stout base, with a roasty component, and a bit of chocolate. A nice midpalate of caramel and lots of vanilla bean. A bit of creme rounds things off.

A bit on the sweet side, but not quite cloying. Certainly a dessert beer, and a sipper too. Good body and carbonation. Wonderful blend of flavors. Alcohol is slightly noticable. Overall, I thought this was a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 15:52:13 | More by Bierguy5

kbnooshay

New York

4.97/5  rDev +27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This poured a very dark black with red highlights and a small amount of carbonation sticking to the sides of the glass. The half inch sized brown colored head lasted for about a minute.

WOAH! The aroma is incredibly rich and sweet. The sugary vanilla scent is very powerful. I would also describe it as butterscoth and caramel. Lots of melted sugary goodness.

The taste is more of the same; a blast of creme brulee/vanilla at first. The second stage is roasted and toasty. There is a nice hint of coffee. A 10% abv brew. I can't detect any alcohol. Just the warmth that it is sending to my brain. After maybe 10 sips i began to notice some light hop flavors.

The feel is smooth, creamy and thick. A very full bodied beer.
Incredibly drinkable. The malt and sweetness hides the high abv. A bomber is plenty though.

A dessert beer! If you wanted to be retarded you could have it with ice cream i suppose but there is so much going on here I wouldn't want to eat anything with it.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 02:43:13 | More by kbnooshay

naproxen

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

yowza! I enjoyed this first from a bottle at bonbon's summersplash, then split a draft the other night at eli cannon's for 'dessert'.

Appearance wise, all Imperial Stout, it is black as night and really that is all there is to say, very true to the style, coffee w/ milk colored head.

The smell is amazing, butterscotch and caramel knock you right in the face like a diabetic at the Werther's factory. The taste itself is not as strong with its aroma, but this is by all means a palate killer so enjoy this, go figure, as dessert. In all my endeavors as a cook I have yet to make or enjoy real creme brulee, so I can not comment on how close this is to tasting like one, but I can only hope and pray it really is. It leaves a sweet, almost puckering, film in the mouth. I want to not like it because of the overbearing sweetness, but hot damn it is just tasty. Good to enjoy, with friends, once or twice. I could never have a whole bottle alone or often.

((edit only for spelling errors, my english teachers would frown so bad))

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2008 02:37:15 | More by naproxen

Slynger

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep black color with a lid of very fine, lightly creamy, light tan bubbles.

The nose is all caramel, vanilla bean, butterscotch, and cream, and it's really nice.

The flavor back's it up all the way. Sweet for certain, caramel, cream, french vanilla, and butterscotch, with dark roasted coffee providing balance and a light bitterness. Full bodied and milky smooth with a light carbonation.

Really a great beer. No dessert necessary as long as you have some Creme Brulee (IMS) around.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 01:58:05 | More by Slynger

andylipp

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Poured very dark brown/black in my tulip (standard taster). Only about ¼ inch of chocolate milk colored head. Much lacing as the glass drained.

Smell - Burnt sugar, vanilla caramel custard. It smells like the best item on the dessert cart. Even my stout-hating wife liked the smell. Some very slight hop aroma, but it is overpowered by the sweet vanilla.

Taste - Incredibly sweet, almost cloyingly so. Vanilla flavors dominate and the sugar never lets up. A very late hop finish that seems to be at odds with the sweetness. But without those hops it wouldn't be apparent that this is a stout of any kind. Still, very yummy.

Mouthfeel - High viscosity and fairly low carbonation. Just about perfect.

Drinkability- This one goes down smoothly. Only the bitterness from the hops in the finish slows you down. The high abv is lurking though, so sip with restraint.

Comments- I couldn't see drinking this as anything but an after-dinner digestif, perhaps, not unlike one might have a very sweet framboise at the end of a meal. I couldn't drink another beer before or after this one, for what that's worth. It is dessert in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 01:36:17 | More by andylipp

genog

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a rich black body color with a very light brown, chocolate milk colored frothy, and bubbly head resting on top. Aroma is about as strong a scent as I have ever had the privilege of noticing in a beer. Vanilla bean and burnt sugars pound your nostrils and make you back away quickly. Coffee, and hints of cocoa come around as well. Taste is very strong on malt and chocolate, but no alcohol presence is really noticed after how sweet this beer is. Drink slowly!
A very nice beer. I am glad I bought several.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2008 18:57:24 | More by genog

BanditBrewingCo

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had twice on tap at Cambridge Common over the weekend. With all the hype plus my past experiences with the Blackwater Series, I think my expectations were set pretty high...this one did not let me down. Served in a snifter.

Black with a garnet hue to it. Light beige head that leaves a fine skin coating that eventually resides as a lace webbing.

Smells like vanilla custard. Butterscotch. Based on the smell alone, this beer deserves its name 100% already.

Tastes sweet, low on the bittering end, kind of heavy but very smooth. Almost like a liqueur. Not hot but a tad boozy. The butterscotch seemed to prevail when it was cold but the vanilla really comes out as it warms up.

Mouthfeel is again smooth, I'm thinking there's go to be lactose added to this one...? Very nice.

Drinkability: obviously not a session beer but this stuff is delicious. Sip and enjoy. Liquid dessert indeed. I've got some questions for Phin, hopefully I can talk to him a bit tomorrow at the Publick House.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2008 01:24:22 | More by BanditBrewingCo

gregc

New York

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

Bottle, poured into a snifter.

Pours a really dark black with a small very dark brown head.

The smell is intense...first pass i get a load of butterscotch, vanilla and some caramel. Smells very sweet, but not really like a creme brulee, im missing the burnt sugar.

Taste is a lot of butterscotch, some vanilla and now i taste the burnt sugar. This is very sweet, its a tough bottle to drink by yourself. Definitely a dessert beer and a sipping beer.

Mouthfeel is nice, good carbonation, smooth feel, but again its very sweet. Being how sweet it is i have to make the drink ability a 3.5.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2008 23:45:30 | More by gregc

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-Deep dark brown with dark ruby highlights. Medium tan head reduces to a ring leaving spotty lace.

S-Vanilla, sweet caramel, butterscotch and a hint of coffee. This is extraordinary! How do they do it?

T-Initially it is strong on the vanilla. As things progressed and the beer slowly warmed essences of oak and a light bitter coffee like finish emerges. This enables the beer from ever becoming cloying. Yes, it is sweet up front and that is the nature of creme' brulee'. But, this is more than just an in your face sweet beer- this has depth too. Alcohol sneaks in at the edges.

M-Medium body with a smoothness that is simply velvet like! A bit of lingering espresso-like bitterness.

D-Was I hoping for Choklat in Creme' Brulee' form...yes. Did I get it....YES! This is another fantastic accomplishment by the brewers of ST. Alcohol a bit more present and limiting feeling than in Choklat. This is a sipper and one to be enjoyed s l o w l y...but enjoyed it will be!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2008 23:04:26 | More by Deuane

EStreet20

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bomber poured into a large snifter.

A - Black liquid with a nice sized tan head which dissipates to nothing quickly.

S - This smells like pure vanilla, with some butterscotch aroma in there as well.

T - Taste has the vanilla all the way through, but gives way to a fairly smoky characteristic. Remains sweet, but finishes with a tiny bitterness on top of that vanilla taste. Some alcohol peeks up for a second.

M - Big bodied and very creamy.

D - Is very nice and smooth. Has a very sugary taste reminiscent of its namesake dessert. Quite interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2008 05:32:47 | More by EStreet20

Neilio

New Jersey

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

A-Deep black with no head at all

S-a cross between gourmet vanilla ice cream and fresh brewed french vanilla flavored coffee

T-like sweetened vanilla milk, or a vanilla flavored tootsie roll (yes, they do exist) with a robust alcohol bite right at the finish

M-Smooth and slightly creamy

D-This is very easy to drink but not something I would session because of it's abv. Would go great with lots of deserts.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 23:33:55 | More by Neilio

puttyman

Massachusetts

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

Poured into an oversized snifter and served a little colder than I would typically drink an imperial stout. I thought for sure I was going to hate this beer, I usually hate flavored or fruity beers. But I have to say, this one surprised me.

A-Black with slight mocha-brown thinning at the edge of the glass. Thin tan head that vanishes quickly.

S-Its got a big nose of vanilla-caramel sugariness that slaps you as soon as you open the bottle.

T-Not all the vanilla on the nose comes through on the palate, which saves this one from becoming immediately cloying. But don't get me wrong, its still there in force. Its balanced enough to drink or split one bottle and call it a night.

M-Viscous in sticky, syrupy way.

D-If you're looking to drink 45 of these at a frat party its not going to happen, you'll get diabetes and a mouthful of cavities. Drink or split one after dinner and that'll be enough.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 23:31:51 | More by puttyman

AWSBeerDude

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Tasted out of a 22oz bomber with several other people.
Combined notes.

A- Pitch black with little or no head (what head there was disappeared quickly).

S- Vanilla cake frosting, if you can believe that. It was definitely vanilla, but artificial. Certainly not Creme Brulee though.

T- Sweet, Sweet, Sweet. Tons of vanilla, chocolate and a hint ashtray (not as much as I would have expected from a milk stout). The 10.00% alcohol was disguised very well.

M- At first, well carbonated, maybe too much. Then it becomes very creamy ( and a little syrupy).

I can see what they were going for, and a lot of thought and work went into this beer, but it was not for me.
I have liked other Southern Tier brews (including other blackwater offerings), but in our opinions this one misses the mark.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 20:35:26 | More by AWSBeerDude

israel

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

poured into my ommegang tulip

A- pours pitch black with a thin tan head that disappears pretty quickly.

S - burnt sugar along with smells of butteriness and coffee mate.

T - to me it tastes like a sweeter than normal milk stout. lots of the same qualities in the taste as in the aroma.

M - a bit syrupy but pretty silky and pleasant.

D - when I first took my initial sip I was blown away, what a delicious beer but towards the end of the bottle it became difficult to finish due the sweetness. This seems like it would pair well with some typw of robust food to balance out the sweetness.overall a really nice and different beer, but is probably best shared with a friend or two. a glass would do me just fine..

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 03:28:45 | More by israel

Wildman

Ohio

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

This beer poured pitch black and formed a small light tan bubbly head that left trace lace as it subsided. The aroma was of malt, and heavy of vanilla with hints of cocoa and coffee. It gave it a smell of someone's coffee or cocoa with some vanilla extract or Coffee Mate or the premixed concoctions. The flavor was of malt,
milk chocolate, vanilla and coffee. The body is medium and silky. The finish is rather sweet and hints of vanilla. Vanilla is obviously the strongest component of this beer which I guess represents the milk. A good beer, if sweeter than I like for this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 02:18:23 | More by Wildman

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

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

A - Black with brown and ruby highlights. A thin tan head disappears almost immediately.

S - Bold, sweet vanilla aroma, buttered popcorn, hazelnut, burnt caramel popcorn, coffee and cream.

T - Similar to aroma. Bold vanilla, burnt caramel popcorn, buttery cream and butterscotch.

M - On the light side and creamy with light carbonation.

D - A sweet beer that makes a nice sipper for dessert.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 02:06:37 | More by brewcrew76

Douglas14

California

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a pitch black color with a light tan head that leaves a lot of lace. The aroma is overwhelmingly of brown sugar, syrup, caramel, and creamy coffee. The taste follows the smell. The taste is wonderful - kind of weird at first but still amazing. The Creme Brulee tastes like brown sugar and coffee-flavored cream...or maple syrup and pancakes (like i said, weird at first but still good). Slight roasted malt notes appear towards the end. It has a full body and feels heavy and excellent in the mouth. The intense sugar and syrup qualities of this beer knocked down the drinkability score...i can;t imagine drinking more than one of these at a time.

Anyway, Southern Tier surprised me again with this beer and how amazing they are. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2008 00:32:34 | More by Douglas14