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

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

On-tap at the Oak Cafe in Wyandotte, Michigan.

This beer pours a solid black, with cola edges, and one finger of foamy, cloud-top head, which leaves a wall of painted lace around the glass as it gently recedes. It smells of caramel ice cream topping, and little else. The taste is still big with the caramel/vanilla sweetness, but also some graininess, bitter hops, and rather astute booze astringency. The carbonation is low, the body a strong medium weight, sugary, with a forced creamy body. It finishes with a caramel vanilla, vegetal hop character, with some booze close at hand.

Truth in advertising, if ever was - even if things sour a bit towards the end.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2011 01:23:08 | More by biboergosum

Gavage

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: black in color with a 2" head that lingers around a while.

Smell: loads of vanilla, roasted malts, and some coffee aroma are most notable.

Taste: big malt profile with loads of vanilla, dark bitter chocolates, brown sugar, and espresso. Bitterness helps cut into the big sweetness here.

Mouthfeel: heavier in body. Smooth from start to finish. Aftertaste is very long as the flavors stick to your tongue.

Drinkability: after completing the bomber bottle, I kind of lost interest in having any more. This is a one or two glass beer at best.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2009 12:09:56 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours black with a tan head that thins and stays, leaving lacing. Great retention for abv.

The smell is of creme brulee. Incredible how they replicated it - custard and vanilla very strong - It's not "like" or "reminiscent of" it IS...

Tastes like a creme brulee too, though there is a roasted and bitterish undertone to let you know that this is a beer with creme brulee flavor. There is a touch of roast - some burnt sugar - and bitterness to keep it sweet enough, but not sticky or cloying. Chocolate notes appear as it progresses, adding to the complexity.

It has a rich, full, creamy body.

Incredible how they did this - a creme brulee beer, for sure. An awesome dessert beer. They replicated a creme brulee while keeping balance to the sweetness. Alcohol covered reasonably well. A nice, smooth, sipper!

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 01:33:44 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a bomber at Abe's and shared it with some friends on a Friday afternoon. The general first taste response was something along the lines of, "holy sh-t!"

It smells pretty spot on like vanilla custard and creme brulee. Damn. There's a slight bite to this beer that hints at the 10% strength and the flavor pales a bit compared to the deep and rich aroma. Still, more custard comes out on the palate with a mocha edge. The flavors here so vividly recall cream and vanilla desserts that it's easy to forget this is a stout. The balanced body and relatively thin (for a 10% stout) body also make this as drinkable as any sessionable stout.

This beer is, simply put, nuts. It's a great example of extreme beer and American brewers pushing the boundaries of what beer can beer. Bravo Southern Tier.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 20:47:01 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A 650 mL bottle purchased at Sam the Beer Man's in Binghamton, NY.

A: The stout is oily black, a singularity that absorbs all light shone into it. The ale lacks an appreciable head, what lingers is thin and white in color.

S: The nose is syrupy sweet with caramel, vanilla, and butter rum mixing with booze. The aroma is very interesting.

T: The stout is incredibly sweet, thick and full of flavor. More butter rum, vanilla and caramel mix with burnt grains and coffee. The ale is very boozy, reeking of alcohol with each sip. Butter rum flavors last.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet but abrasive. The flavor profile is cloyingly sweet at times, while the alcohol burns. An interesting ale that I was happy to share with ksak.

D: One half of a bomber is enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 21:52:06 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Fathead's sampler glass from the Steel City Big Pour fest...I'm sharing with family and friends. Pours pitch blacdk with a tan mocha head, fine even lacing scattered on the sides of the sampler glass. Aroma is full of creamy milk chocolate, caramelized nearly burn sugars, a touch of alcohol. This beer smells sweeter than dessert and tastes like cream filled cocolate/burnt marshmellow crusted in caramel. A dessert beer that I wouldn't drink a 22 ounce bottle of unless I wanted to pay for it. Mouthfeel is creamy syrupy but so worth it, I don't think it's designed forme but it's delicious. Drinkability overall agan it's way to sweet and cloying to drink in number or volume but if you taste it your amazed with what Southern Tier is doing with beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 19:04:29 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty dark black with a very thin tan head. Nose is so heavy with vanilla that it reminds me of Coffeemate Vanilla Whatever-It-May-Be. Highly sugared, very sweet. Flavor is sweet as well. It really almost hijacks the experience. But there is a slight roasted edge that kind of adds a slightly different dimension to it that helps keep it interesting. Overall though, it is very sweet. And knowing how big the bottle is ahead of me, I'm not really sure how I am going to drink it all. Feel is smooth on the liquid, and I mean rrrreeeal smooth. Carbonation is low, but as it should be. This is very drinkable, yes. I think the problem is that the bottle is a bomber. 22 ounces? I mean come on. You need to share this with a party of six people to keep it pleasureable. As a side note to all brewers: The first person to brew this kind of thing and bottle it in say a 6 or 7 ounce bottle might have something interesting on their hands. Bottom line is that this is yet another well made and interesting beer from Southern Tier. I don't know what happened to their brains over there, but hey...keep it up.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2008 17:09:22 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a deep,deep brown with a nice tan head.

S: Nose was milk, creme, coffee and vanilla beans.

T; It was exceptional! It had lots of vanilla to it with an espresso kick and creme feel that was very sweet

M: The mouthfeel was ok at first but the constatnt creme, vanilla is to much for me after a while.

D: Drinkability was low because while it good on taste and mouthfeel it was just hard for me to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2010 02:18:36 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

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

Modest beige head. The liquid is near black--no light passes through the glass. Slippery lace that slides back into the head.

This truly smells like creme brulee: very sweet vanilla with caramelized table sugar.

Lots of burnt sugar flavor--too burnt for a good creme brulee. There's an element of coffee/mocha to the bitterness. The body is rich, almost oily. Light hop in the background.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 18:20:25 | More by smcolw

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a snifter)

A- This beer has a black body that is dense with only a faint brown glow at the very base of the beer. There is a thin ring of bubbles on the top that form the head. A few random tiny bubbles sticking to the glass is the only carbonation visible.

S- The huge smell of milk and vanilla come through during the pour. There are big caramel notes that fade to butterscotch aromas as the beer warms. The smell of white sugar comes through aswell.

T- The full taste of sweet caramel is very sugary and has a big full vanilla flavor and a honey note. There is a nice roasted coffee malt bitterness in the finish that turns vinous as the beer warms.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no real alcohol heat until it gets pretty warm.

D- This would land a perfect 10 if "tasting like the food it describes on the label" were a category. The flavor was huge and intense but a bit to much for a full bomber of beer. I think I will try this again but with an espresso stout chaser.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2008 01:55:20 | More by rhoadsrage

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks goes out to jwc215 for this brew.

Pours a thick black color, some carbonation, nice little fizzy tan head, some sticky lacing around the edges. The nose is a vanilla bean BOMB, very nice, malty, some hops, chocolate/toffee/coffee notes. The taste is sweet, malty, very nice touch of vanilla, with the big three dark ones. Medium body. Very drinkable, I really like this one, different brew from other Imp. Stout's, way to go ST.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2008 23:56:45 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a three finger pillowy, light tan head that fades very slowly leaving some lace. Black color, no highlights. Nose is very sweet crème brûlée. Good carbonation and heavy bodied. Flavor is crème brûlée and some coffee, very balanced. Thought it would be cloying, it isn't. Would go good with chocolate. $9.00 for a 22oz bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, ME.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2010 23:36:32 | More by jdhilt

mdfb79

New York

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a pint glass. A 2009 bottle that says the ABV is 10.0%.

a - Pours a dark brown with a little bit of carbonation and 1.5 fingers of tan head that has great retention and lacing.

s - This is one amazing smelling beer. Very sweet with lots of caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, and malts. Maybe a little chocolate.

t - Follows the nose. Lots of butterscotch and very sweet. Some vanilla and malts as well. Aftertaste is more caramel and butterscotch with hints of booze.

m - Medium to full body with light carbonation. Very thick and creamy.

d - Thought this was a great stout. If you like sweet smells and tastes, you'd probably like this; if you like butterscotch or caramel, you'd probably love it. The only knock I can see against it is a 22 oz. bottle being too much to drink by yourself due to the sweetness. Personally this isn't a problem for me as I enjoy sweet caramel/butterscotch, but I know some people who can't. Either way, this could be a great stout to share with some friends with dessert.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 00:48:47 | More by mdfb79

Billolick

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ouncer, pours pretty much black, under a mocha frothy head, that leaves tons of fine sheeting. Nose is loaded w/vanilla and sweet/sugary milk shake notes. Yummy, smooth, easy drinking and most undeniably SWEET. Vanilla, honey, more vanilla, toasted sugar, candi sugar, sweet sweet coffee. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Pleasant desert stout, I'd like to try it with a chocolaty concoction.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 02:18:55 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Austin Liquors, Shrewsbury, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" light brown head over the barely translucent dark brown brew. Head recedes slowly, with lacing that falls even slower. Aroma is VANILLA, reminds me of cake batter, for some reason, but regardless I like it. As lame as it may be, the taste follows the nose almost exactly for me, with sweet dark maltiness coming out a bit more towards the end. Mouthfeel is velvet, And drinkability is only limited by the fact that it might get a bit cloying eventually. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2008 02:11:56 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's...
Appears an opaque black with a small, tan head that quickly fizzles into a mild collar. Scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of cocoa, caramel, cream, sugar, tons of vanilla, and butterscotch.
Taste is of the same with butterscotch and roasted nuts standing out.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy, rich, smooth in the finish.
I liked this one but I could see how many would not like this. The caramel, and vanilla, along with the lactose come across as being butterscotch, which isn't usually a likable trait in beer, as it is taken as the usually unlikable diacetyl(which I happen to enjoy in Sam Smith's Imp Stout).

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2008 01:19:03 | More by weeare138

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, surprised I've never reviewed this one as I've had it four or five times. Pretty sure Torontoblue hooked me up with this one.

Pours a deep and opaque black, although some reddish highlights are in the corners, very thick light tan head forms, slowly settles down to a thick ring and thin layer, lace streaks on the glass, looks good. Smell is great, very rich, butterscotch, big vanilla, caramel corn, raisin, more toffee, cream, lactose sweetness, very malty, a hint of roast but basically big vanilla and caramel notes. Taste is similar, milk chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel and butterscotch, more vanilla, more caramel, just insanely rich, like dessert. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low to medium carbonation, alcohol is hidden very well. I love this beer, never really experienced the caramelized and vanilla flavours as rich as this in any other beer. Not for everyone but I really dig it. Thanks Sid!

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 23:54:43 | More by Viggo

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark, dark ruby body. Very nearly black. Not much light gets through this one. Big, thick khaki colored head. Staying power is tremendous and the lace is quite full. Strong thick aromas of caramel and toffee and burnt cream. It's a one of a kind aroma that can be smelt from across the room. Just like the aroma, the flavor is big and bold. Huge caramel and nougat tones. Burnt cream and burnt coffee. Milk sugars and char contrast. Burnt caramel and toffee. Some vanilla and chocoalte as well. This is just a one of a kind flavor. I don't know how this brewery pulls this off with beers like this and Pumking to make them so unique. This might be a little too rich and too heavy for some, but not for me. For a 10% stout, the drinkability is ridiculous.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 03:47:55 | More by Bighuge

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

Had on tap at Pinocchio's, Media, PA

On tap: major improvement from when I had it in a bottle. Again, poured a thick, chocolate brown with a nice tan head that retained for a little while, but almost disappeared mid-drink. Caramel and toffee in the nose, cream, and dark malts. Unlike the bottle, the taste matched the aroma more and was more enjoyable with almost no aftertaste. It tasted sweet and creamy, and well, like creme brulee, as the name would imply. Finishes dry and a bit bitter. Smooth, rich mouthfeel, and nicely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 18:09:55 | More by Rifugium

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

Pours out a brown and black beer, tan head, good amount of carbonation. Amazing aroma, so sweet, tons of espresso like coffee and chocolate to it, with dark sugar as well.

Taste, this is the quintessential dessert beer. So rich, so sweet, but not too sweet that it is a turnoff. Tons of vanilla all over this. Took out some vanilla ice cream, threw some of this on it, even better, just awesome. Very unique very different. This is like drinking a cookie. Its my favorite dessert beer, I'll definitely be trying it again. Its got everything you want in a dessert stout. Lots of vanilla, thick sturdy malt bill, espresso/coffee lightness.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 02:44:47 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours pitch black with foamy coffee colored head. Aroma of vanilla bean, custard, chocolate and roasted coffee maltiness. Tastes like a sweet desert. Very creamy custard with lots of vanilla and roasted caramel maltiness and some butterscotch. Sweet and roasty with a dry bitter hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2008 23:20:12 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

On tap at Frisco's in Columbia the other day.

The beer pours a very dark brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose on this beer is it's best feature by far, consisting of an exotic smorgasbord of vanilla, caramel toffee, chocolate, cherry and coffee. The beer smells as if it will be pretty sweet, and it certainly is. The flavors on the palate generally replicate the nose, though the sweet vanilla and toffee flavors tend to overwhelm everything else. The beer is a bit heavy and tiring on the palate, and as it sits in the glass, the alcohol becomes more and more apparent. Towards the end the beer becomes cloyingly sweet, hot from the alcohol and very, very tiring. Drinkability is not one of this beers better features, and frankly I could barely finish my 10 ounce goblet.

This is an interesting beer, but the combination of sweet vanilla/toffee flavor, coupled with the noticeable alcohol, make this one beer I'm unlikely to order again any time again soon.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2008 12:53:33 | More by johnmichaelsen

DoubleJ

California

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yes, this is one of the more famous "love or hate" beers that one can find. The opportunity showed itself and I was there. On to the beer:

Dark as expected, but it does have some red colored hues. The lacing that it gives off is decent. The nose is a wallop of caramel and a shot of coffee. One thing is easy to decide, I love it!

Upon tasting it, I wasn't sure how sweet the taste would be despite already smelling it. It is sweet, but not SWEET! This is about as sweet as one could go without being cloying. Fully loaded with caramel and a shot of espresso and roast that lingers in the background. The alcohol hides itself well. It's medium heavy, and surprisingly it is easy enough to drink.

I'm a fan of Southern Tier Crème Brûlée, and proud to admit it. Don't like it because you think it's too sweet? Good. More for the rest of us. Afraid to buy a bomber in fear that it may give you diabeetus? Good. More for the rest of us.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 22:54:29 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Got this from a friend.

Pours completely black with a one-finger tan head that recedes into a wispy layer of bubbles and a thin ring around the glass. The top of the beer looks very oily, and there's not much lacing although the beer itself does leave a short-lived layer on the glass.

Smells good. Butterscotch right off the bat and some vanilla aroma as the beer warms. A very, very sweet smelling beer.

Tastes great. Super sweet up front that tapers down into a vanilla flavor. There's also some chocolate in there.

The mouthfeel is amazing. This beer completely coats my mouth and it's unbeliavably creamy and smooth.

Drinkability is good. The sweetness gets to be a bit much, but I had no problem polishing off a bomber of this.

Overall this was all that I thought it would be. Huge butterscotch aroma with a sweet vanilla flavor that goes down obscenely easily. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2008 04:02:45 | More by glid02

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a very dark ruby when held to the light, a dark rich heresy chocolate color in the glass. A frothy 2 finger head sits atop with moderate retention, dark khaki in color, while leaving sparse thin columns for a lacing.

S: The nose was by far one of the most enticing aspects of not only this drink, but probably any drink I ever encountered. A huge rich sweetness of heresy chocolate and vanilla bean are emitted that can be detected from clear across the table, maybe even the room. Like a freshly brewed baby ruth cappuccino with frothy whipped milk and marshmallows this is truly one beer I could sit and smell all day. It is overly sweet but down right ridiculously good, rich, very rewarding and nothing short of a perfect score here.

T: The flavor certainly did not disappoint with regards to a perfect nose delivering nothing less then a stellar performance as well. Rich sweet heresy chocolate with some whipped frothy milk starts things off. Some dark sweetly roasted coffee with vanilla beans soon follow complimenting and providing a nice bridge leading to the middle of the palate where fresh ripe and dark juicy fruit (dates and plums) add to the mixture. The Columbus hops add a soft pungent flowery bitterness (think hop ottin for a prime example) that gently tries to tame the dessert type nature of this drink. The finish finds a beautiful fade of black licorice, some caramelized cane sugar sweetness and a touch of sweetened rum alcohol adding some spicness. Honestly fail to see how you could improve on the nose and flavor here. There is a nice alcohol warming that gently prevents the beer from ending to sweetly and thus adding complexity and a nice finish of warm hot cocoa.

M: slick and lusciously smooth, light in body and with a very flat carbonation presence. A nice slick feel, though maybe a little lighter then anticipated.

D: An incredible drink and probably one of the best per style ive tasted with Lancasters milk stout a close second. Only the 10.0% abv and sweet dessert type nature prevents this from going down any smoother then it already could. Enjoyment was near perfect, second to none. My only parting words would be that this beer seems a bit to sweet and potent to be bottled in a bomber for one serving. This would be best shared with a friend. Consuming a whole bottle by ones self is like eating dinner then having a whole german chocolate cake for desert, a bit overkill volume wise, but there are some of us who cant deny that sweet chocolately calling.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2009 22:32:41 | More by beerthulhu