2X Stout - Southern Tier Brewing Company

ReelBigwigFish

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into hoegaarden hex glass from bottle

A: Almost black with minimal frothy light tan head. Minimal lacing.

S: Sugary lactose sweetness, mild coffee, milk chocolate, minimal hints of sweet alcohol and grassy hops. Very sweet.

T: Sweet lactose sugar up front with a fair amount of cocoa. There is an earthy/grassy hop component battling with a smoky flavor in the finish. Good flavors separately, but I don't feel like they're blending together that well.

M: Full bodied, with a good amount of carbonation for how thick it actually is. I know that might contradict itself a bit, but really, this beer is heavier than you first think it is.

O: Not a bad offering, but really not my favorite representation of the style. I preferred terrapin moohoo and riverhorse oatmeal milk stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:02:26 | More by ReelBigwigFish

tut2528

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours black as night with no transparency whatsoever. Minimal head formation, but a thin film hugs the side of the glass.

S: big roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee grounds dominate the nose. Not getting much sweetness on this one. Nothing else is coming through other than a mild alcohol burn.

T: very robust coffee notes and roasted malt completely dominate the body on this one. I pick up on a bitter dark chocolate as well. I honestly am not picking up that much milk/creaminess as I thought I would….its actually very subtle and I find myself reaching for it.

M: medium bodied, not as big as I expected. It leaves a mild touch of alcohol and roasted malt on the palate after the finish.

O: it’s a nice brew, very basic, decent drinkability but dont think it resembles this style very well. the milk is very subtle as well as the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 04:08:14 | More by tut2528

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Opaque black with a mocha colored head. No lace nor retention. Boo, hiss.

Dark roast coffee and char aroma. Some burn sugary something in there as well.

Bold, grainy and full o' roast malt. Surprisingly, very little lactic sweetness. Char and slightly nutty.

Pretty monotone. ST says 2 hops and 2 malts and it shows. Simpler is not always better, I'd like more depth.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 18:20:12 | More by donkeyrunner

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

i want to love this beer i want like this beer i read the reviews , man im in a slump , ita a milk stout why does it leave a boozy aftertaste in your mouth . oh but what a frist taste and going down is mighty fine dont know what else to say at 7.5 that too high , drink and enjoy it dark nothing finer then that

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:02:53 | More by wac9

Swim424

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-Pours a dark brown with a small head java colored, that fell quickly, leaving a partial layer on top.

S-Weak scent, smells of a hint of mocha and thats about it.

T-Tastes a bit sweet upfront, that sort of hangs in there till the end, with maybe a hint of mocha in the middle. Also has a slight taste of alcohol mixed in on the finish.

MF-Medium body, on the thinner side of it. Leaves a sweet coating taste throughout your mouth.

O-This is pretty good. Nothing exceptional. Nice sweetness to it, lacking a bit of flavor, but nice to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:33:01 | More by Swim424

jmarklan

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. This is the first beer i've tried from southern tier so i'm kindof excited.

A: Pours a deep black color that lets very little light through it, a little red around the edges, nice color. Not much of a head though, quickly dissipating and virtually no lacing.

S: Slight chocolate, dark fruit, molasses? Touch of alcohol as well. Smells good, just a little weak.

T: Roasted malt throughout, chocolate up front. Dark fruit and some molasses in the middle with the roastiness rounding up the finish with some sweet, fruity alcohol as well.

M: Pretty smooth, nice feel, nice carbonation, but for a stout of above average stregnth i'd like something a bit heavier.

Overall:Not as sweet as i'd expect, not as thick as i would have liked. Not what i hoped for, but still good. I've heard really good things about this brewery so i'll keep trying their brews out.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:36:59 | More by jmarklan

joebeerdude

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm expecting the sweetness to come through loud and clear with a milk stout but it's not happening for me. It's got more hopiness taste than what I'd expect in a milk stout or maybe that is alcohol coming through . I'd call it a 'big' beer and I pretty much like anything in that category. I'm not picking up what I'd call a refined smell. Kind of rawness about it to my nose. Contrary to some other posts I'm not finding this to be high in smoothness. I'm getting a lingering hop / bitterness aftertaste. If this was a style that would get better with age then that is what I'd recommend to make it better. Bottled on date 12/29/2011

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:59:47 | More by joebeerdude

confer

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown and opaque. Not a hint of light gets through a pint glass.Almost no head at all.
Light roasted malt smell.
Good mix of the bitter roasted malts and a touch of the sweet lactose.
A good stout that is on the lighter side of stouts. I'd drink it again but like the Blackwater series much more.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:05:31 | More by confer

tkarsies

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Having tried many of Southern Tier over-the-top flavor beers (Creme Brulee, Chokolat), I thought it would be worth giving this a try, especially as the weather cools.

Served at cellar temp and allowed to gradually warm. In standard pint glass.

Small tan head over black. Leaves lacing throughout. Looks as I would expect.

Smell is a hint of roasted malt and hops. A bit of a disappointment.

Taste is better. Roasted malt, a bit of sweetness beside the malt. Hops are more prominent than I was expecting with a milk stout. Would have liked a bit more of the roastiness.

Mouthfeel is too thin for the style and strength. Carbonation is light.

Overall not what I was hoping for. While not bad, it is a bit lacking for style or for the expected ST strong-flavored brews. Alcohol is a bit evident in the taste and is noticeable by the end of a couple. Will finish the sixer but not sure I will be hunting this down again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 23:31:58 | More by tkarsies

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Super dark brownie brown. Quick head and no residual foam after a few sips.

Dry chocolate cream with some black coffee bean. Strong roasted malt presence in the nostrils, but always with creamy undertones.

Milk chocolate and heavily roasted malts. Burnt coffee beans mix with the milky chocolate in the middle of the palate. I think the alcohol thins out this oily palated beer. Their's some warmth, but it seems to go along with teh flavor pretty well. Not a bad sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 16:52:56 | More by scruffwhor

Pahn

New York

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Free pour yields a 3/4 inch frothy light tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving a tight semicircle of lacing. Pours black with brown highlights. Leaves several thin lacing arches.

Smell: Not much aroma. Some malty sweetness, maybe some vaguely Willamette-esque hops. With time, a nice sweet coffee note emerges. Remains too muted, but the character of the aroma is nice.

Taste: Sweet up front with some roasted malt, then a long roasted malt aftertaste follows the dry finish. Further sips reveal some coffee and cola flavors up front, with the malty sweetness blended with husky roasted malt staying strong. Dry, roasted malt dominated finish remains satisfying.

Repeated the phrase 'roasted malt' four times in the last paragraph--appropriately, really, since that's the main story here.

Mouthfeel: Full side of medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Great dry finish as mentioned above (keeps the beer at a 3.0). Lactose seems to only be adding sweetness; this beer could use some more body and creaminess. Bit watery. Especially disappointing for a style defined by its creamy mouthfeel.

Overall: Honestly, the dry finish, inoffensive sweetness, and prominent roasted malt flavor makes this a satisfying stout fix. It's nothing spectacular, but if someone showed up at a party with a 6pack, I'd be happy to have one.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 23:24:06 | More by Pahn

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle poured into a snifter

A- looks like coffee, with a fizzy an head that dissipates quickly. No lacing.

S- I pickup a lot of the lactose on the smell, with a mild mocha character.

T- Starts with a hit of lactose sweetness, with a bit of a coffee bitterness. There's a hop bite mid sip as well. Transitions into a mild mocha flavor before a big lactose/sugary sweetness on the finish.

M- Thin for what a double stout should be, with a medium carbonation. oddly dry and sweet at the same time on the finish.

O- I love Southern Tier, but this isn't their finest effort.
Needs more roasty-ness and a heavier dose of dark chocolate for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:38:26 | More by JWU

RWLawman

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Thin, almost non-existent head. Black as night in terms of color.

S - Mostly chocolate with some hints of coffee and roast.

T - I tasted more roasted malts and bitter chocolate than anything. There was some sweetness in there, but I didn't pick up on it as much as others have in previous reviews. Still a tasty stout, though. The hops are definitely present in this one, and I think their bitterness may have overpowered the sweet aspect a little.

M - Pretty smooth, for the most part. Filling as well. I think that this aspect of this beer would improve hand-over-fist in a nitro-tap.

O - When I drink a milk stout, I expect creaminess, sweet, and a lot of chocolate. This one didn't deliver quite as much on the creamy side as I would've liked. Left hand milk stout, to me, is the comparative piece for a solid milk stout, and I think this beer falls short of LHMS. Still a well-done stout though, and I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 14:31:26 | More by RWLawman

sommersb

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Tasted On: 03-20-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Tulip pint
Purchased: Single from Frugal MacDoogal, Nashville

A: Black and opaque color, with a finger's worth of tan head. Retention of the head is fair and lacing is good.

S: Aromas have chocolate malts and a light coffee-like roasted smell. Some earthy hops as well.

T: Tastes of bittersweet chocolate and roasted coffee grains. Also has some woody/earthy hop bitterness. It's not as sweet as other milk stouts, which kind of surprises me since everyone says how sweet ST beers are. Has some alcohol warmth.

M: Carbonation is on the low end and the body is medium. I don't get the creaminess you'd expect from a milk stout. Finishes dry and has chocolate aftertastes as well as bitterness of toasted grain.

O: Overall a good beer, but seems to miss the marks of a sweet/milk stout. Seems closer to an American stout or perhaps an RIS to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:24:28 | More by sommersb

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.49/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 2/20/13

Appearance: Dark, dark brown - clarity around the edges - tiny, borderline nonexistent head - manages to leave some spots of lacing, though

Smell: Roasty sugar - caramel, sugar, and lactose sugar - roasty coffee (with cream) - dark chocolate and milk chocolate - typical Southern Tier level of sweetness, but it seems to work here - some lightly burnt, chocolate malts

Taste: Somewhat like a milky mocha - roasty coffee, with some light roasty bitterness - sweet, with caramel, sugar, and lactose sugar - somewhat creamy (the lactose) - some dark chocolate, but mostly milk chocolate - some dark fruit as well

Mouthfeel: Medium body, minimal carbonation, smooth, sweet finish

Overall: Very good, could use a better name

This is a good milk stout. Nothing about it screams "2X" in any way, but I guess I felt the same way about Southern Tier 2XIPA. It's sweet, which should be expected, and the 12oz format works for this reason. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 05:22:22 | More by angrybabboon

BeerGog89

New York

3.49/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Age: 03/19/12
First Impression: Bitter sweet aroma upon opening of bottle.

Appearance: Dark black body with a light mocha head, body allows no light through. 4.0, head was small but had a nice fluffy air to it.

Smell: same bitter sweet aroma as upon opening smells of brown sugar. Not as strong as I personally prefer but still not bad.

Taste: Not bad...slightly watery but the flavor is very much there. More sweet than bitter. Beautiful combination of the sweet and the bitter. Great blend of hops and malts.

Mouthfeel: Perfect amount of carbonation for the flavor, not too heavy of a feel,just enough of a presence to be a stout...about mid range I would say...not to strong not too weak...

Overall: This is a fairly good stout...for those who don't like it too strong or too weak this is a beer for all. Finds a perfect middle ground among stouts. I will definitely be having this beer again and will recommend it strongly to friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 19:54:45 | More by BeerGog89

breakingbland

Michigan

3.49/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This beer pours with a one-finger head that dissipated fairly quickly. The color is a virtually opaque brown. The aroma was not outstanding: some toasty notes but not as marked as expected. The taste did not disappoint in delivering a rich, toasty chocolate deepness. This beer has a strong malty sweet character with an underplayed hoppiness that accentuates toward the end. The characteristics of the sweetness and hopiness are characteristic of this style. But the sweetness may be overplayed. The carbonation was at a medium level, and the body was full -- almost syrupy. Overall, I would have this beer again, even though I prefer a somewhat less sweet version of this style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2013 01:07:36 | More by breakingbland

merc7186

New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes Almost No Light, Mild Off White Head, No Lacing

S: Cocoa, Lactose Sugars

T: Milk Chocolate, Lactose Sugars

M: Okay Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Mildly Dry

Overall, a decent beer but no better than an average milk stout, but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 01:18:10 | More by merc7186

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - dark brown with a nice amount of fizzy brown head

S - sweet, malty, oats, chocolate

T - smokey, oats, oak flavor, floral hops, sweet malt

M - smooth and creamy, goes down nice and easy but leaves a sweet grape-ish taste afterwards

O - overall this is a decent stout. not too heavy but heavy enough!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 23:24:56 | More by facundoCNB

Andrew61923

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Ballast Point shaker pint after a long day. A buddy was telling me how much he enjoyed this, so I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

A: Very dark, almost black with just a bit of brown tinge on the edges of the glass. Very light tan head, just over one finger after a fairly aggressive pour. A great start...looks damn good.

S: Booze. A little malt. A pretty muted nose and not really what I was expecting. Disappointing.

T: Sweet up front with a good amount of cocoa in there. Odd metallic aftertaste that I'm not a big fan of. Not as much booze as I expected after the smell. Thankfully the metallic taste fades as the beer warms up and there's a heightening of the lactose sugar over time. In other words, let it warm up a bit.

M: Good amount of carbonation and pretty smooth at the end. Very creamy feel...nice.

O: I had high expectations for this after my friend's recommendation. Though I wasn't turned off by it, the beer didn't quite do it for me as much as I'd hoped it would. B-/C+.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:48:34 | More by Andrew61923

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Souther Tier 2X Stout is thick and dark looking, with a slim brown head. The head retention is pretty good, but there isn't really any lacing left behind.

The aroma has a sweet, creamy scent to it, as well as black malt and anise.

The flavor has a lot of black patent malt and a touch of roast. Baker's chocolate comes through as well. The creamy-milk-like flavor is pronounced and it's probably the defining characteristic of the the beer. There is also a good dose of anise, which I typically don't love, but I will admit it works in this one. Pretty boozy.

Full, adequately carbonated, but pretty hot.

2X sout is an OK milk stout, but it's too big and too hot for me, especially considering the actual ABV isn't huge. I tend to think of milk stouts as being smooth and light on the alcohol flavors, which I like. I'm guessing that just isn't what Southern Tier was going for here, and it reminds of one of their big flavored stouts without a ton of sweetness. It's worth a try if you're interested in a big milk stout (which Southern Tier does a lot of, and does them pretty well).

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 18:47:16 | More by Hojaminbag

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with "12/12/11" stamped towards the bottom of the bottle. 5 days old! This is a Double Milk Stout brewed with lactose sugars.

Poured black in color. You can see some brown towards the top of the beer if you hold it up to a bright enough light. Head is cream colored and stood about a finger or so tall following a medium pour. Has settled to nothing more than a ring of foam around the inside of the glass.

Pretty tame nose on this one. A little bit of sweetness and and roasted malts, but it's pretty darn clean.

Taste is smooth and creamy up front. The sweetness shows itself next, accompanied by some mild roasty notes and a subtle bitterness. The sweet flavor from the lactose lingers on in the finish.

Medium bodied (but the mouthfeel seems to fade on the back end) with a fairly low carbonation.

A good Milk Stout overall, but the sweetness is a bit much after a while.

Morey's Bottom Line: Good, but I had higher hopes for this one. Pretty tame, and just a little too sweet. I couldn't drink too many in a row.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 00:35:14 | More by Morey

beesy

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

A - poured a dark brown, cola appearance, with a finger of medium brown head that dissipated fairly quickly.

S - a fair amout of smokey/acrid notes with some yeast profiles coming though

T - roast and dark chocolate notes up front with a somewhat fruity yeast profile and a smokey/acrid flavor lingering on my palate. A firm bitterness lingers as well.

M - somewhat thin - not quite enough here to support the flavor

D - somewhat low. Lots of flavors that don't meld together the best paired with too much smoke/acrid flavors.

Overall, not a bad beer, but some room for improvement. Inceasing the mouthfeel, reducing the smoke/acrid notes and upping the lactose would improve this one. I was let down a little, but had high expectations the quality of this would mirror something like Choklat or Mocha, but alas, it does not.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 00:13:24 | More by beesy

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle, $1.99 from the Village Pump. Bottled 8th Feb 2012.

Pouring a very dark brown/almost black with dark brown highlights, there's a dense, light brown head with rather excellent retention and lacing. The nose has a pretty nice lactose character to go with ~50% cocoa milk chocolate, cappuccino and some caramel and brown sugar. A little toffee is perceptible as well. A touch of earthy hops rounds out the nose.

The palate opens with an enjoyable, creamy, chocolate flavor that's surprisingly bold. The sweetness of the malt bill makes this taste closer to a 35-40% cocoa chocolate compared to the nose. Some sweet coffee flavor is present as well. All told, a little sweeter than it needs to be with the caramel/sugar notes dominating the lactose flavor, that's also present. A very smooth roasted malt flavor is present, lending a mild bitterness in an attempt to balance the sweetness. Lactose lingers on the finish, leaving sweetness, a little bitterness and some coffee. Medium in body with a moderate carbonation, this feels quite nice on the palate. Ultimately, it could use a little bit more roasted malt flavor to balance the sweetness. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 01:15:08 | More by DefenCorps

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

A: This beer is about as dark as it comes. Opaque black with a touch of brown. There is a dark tan head with decent retention.

S: Deep roasted flavors on the nose. Bittersweet chocolate. I pick up the milky sweet aroma from the lactose sugar and some vanilla.

T: The same roasted chocolate notes from the aroma are present and expanded with a bit of smoky character. Vanilla sweetness complements the chocolate and some oak.

M: Fairly thick and creamy in a way. Good carbonation is mild but fizzy.

O: The first "double" milk stout I've come across, this is similar to many other offerings but more potent in both flavor and alcohol. Thick and dark enough that I think it will be a good winter beer, but easy drinking enough that I could have a few no problem.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 03:59:52 | More by WankelEngine