2X Stout - Southern Tier Brewing Company

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Steve, 12oz into a snifter.

Poured a dark brown/black with an off-white head. Little retention and a tight collar. Nose has some coffee grain, dry and chalky dark chocolate notes as well. Taste has dark toasty grains, bran (?), light smoke, coffee and some toasty/chocolate notes. Medium mouthfeel, medium-low carbonation. A good but not great stout. Lacks any substantial complexity or thickness in the body - left me wanting much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 16:06:12 | More by liamt07

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a nice looking dark brown color with a moderate mocha colored head on top. There wasn't much lacing, the retention wasn't too bad though. The smell of the beer has a nice mellow roasted aroma with a bit of chocolate on the nose also. The taste of the beer was sweet upfront with a solid bitter roasted dark chocolate finish. The mouthfeel was creamy, medium amount of carbonation and smooth. Overall this beer was pretty good in my opinion, I liked the mouthfeel the most I think. I can definitely see myself having this beer again one day.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 20:35:49 | More by Knapp85

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

kbutler1

Minnesota

2.83/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Bottle. Poured into a tulip glass a dark brown color with a thick light tan head. Slight roast and chocolate in the nose but nothing over the top like some of their other beers. Medium, velvety mouthfeel. Slight roast with a dark chocolate sweetness. Almost has a little smokiness to it as well. Ends with a lingering bitterness and leather taste. Overall, not as good as I expected from them.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 16:30:04 | More by kbutler1

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark black but a deep red when held up to light. A light brown, bubbly head with no retention and no lacing.

S: Not much here. Light, watery roasted malt and chocolate. A little milk sugar and cream.

T: Heavily roasted malt with milk sugar in the finish. Pretty nice for the style. No alcohol presence.

M: Smooth, lightly carbonated, and pleasant roasted flavors. Not too cloying and the right amount of sweetness.

O: A solid milk/sweet stout that I wouldn't hesitate to order on draft but once from the bottle is enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 04:33:44 | More by Gatch

horshack7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: On top is a beige head that is about two fingers thick. Beneath that head is an abyss of wonderful darkness.

Aroma: Espresso notes, molasses, roasted malts and hops. Dark fruits are in the back. Touches of milk sugar in the end.

Taste: Silky smooth mouthfeel. Molasses, brown bread and sugar, roasted hops almost burnt but certainly not. Cocoa is mixed in well amongst the dark furits.

Notes: Overall a very tasty an drinkable beer start to finish. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 21:33:03 | More by horshack7

ncketchum

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel Tuilp

A - pours a dark brown, copious light brown head which quickly fades

S - interesting nose - I'm not sure if it is from the lactose or what. a bit of a funk, then hints of sweetness and chocolate

T - wow, big taste up front with hops, roasted malt, finishing up with sweet milk chocolate. Sweetness approaches the other stouts from Southern Tier

M - fairly heavily carbonated, a bit of alcohol burn, fairly viscous

O - overall, a good offering from Southern Tier, glad I tried it, not sure if its one that i wlll keep in my regular rotation though

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 03:58:35 | More by ncketchum

Ommy

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark and cola-like. The heady is a bit thin and goes away fairly quick. Holding the glass to the light reveals redness around the edges.

First off on the nose I get roasted coffee beans. I also feel like I pick up an aging plant matter note... Am I weird?

The taste is crisp and bold, and is pretty much as I expected. The alcohol comes through a bit, but isn't horrible.

Overall I'd say it is a fairly good stout, very drinkable, though I usually prefer a stout with a bit more character.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 00:53:26 | More by Ommy

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

2.7/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A-Pours quite dark but not very thick in body. Moderate light penetration. Head is smaller and bubbly but is quite light in color. Small head retains well and does a pretty good job painting the glass with lace.

S-Interesting aroma. Not very heavy but it brings for aromas of lactose and some smokiness. Sweeter chocolate and subtle coffee. Light hops. Definitely milky.

T-Flavor has a strange, lingering, coppery-metallic twang that almost takes over the entire flavor. Made me wince a bit. Sweetness and lactose behind the off-putting metallic flavor. Really not digging the flavor here. Tastes like its been sitting in a can for 2 years. Maybe its the lactose? Who knows.

M-Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Lighter than expected.

O/D- God, the metallic taste won't leave. My palate refuses to adjust to it. Really surprised to dislike this beer as much as I do. I love their 2X IPA, but this 2X bothers me. Makes me glad to have only purchased a single. I rarely, rarely drain-pour, but this one is close.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 03:27:25 | More by VelvetExtract

dogfishandi

New York

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. bottled on 12/12/11.

pours out black as night, a little ruby brown noticable on the edges. one fingers worth of tan head that faded within a minute to a creamy ring. tiny strands of lace.

not that big of an aroma. burnt grains, dark fruits as well as some fruity esters.

sweet burnt toasted grain, a little burnt lactose sugar, but the sweetness is quickly overtaken by a somewhat piney, earthy hop bitterness. cocoa and dark fruits on the finish. more of a lingering hop bitterness than i would expect for this style, but it seems to work.

medium bodied with kind of a dryer lighter finish. a little over carbonated.

kind of a different take on a milk stout, but not all bad. IMO this could use some more body and less of a grainy taste. but drinkable. im sure ill be drinking more of this sooner or later.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 23:16:12 | More by dogfishandi

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

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tulip

Pours a deep mahogany, and has a somewhat clear hue when held up to the light. Very interesting. A minimal one finger beige head fell quickly. Little to no lacing.

The aroma is primarily of roast, burnt lactose sugar, and bitter dark chocolate. A little bit of pine from the hops. Not as sweet as your everyday milk stout.

On the palate, the roast comes off strong at first, giving way to burnt lactose sugar, pine, and bitter chocolate. This is really more bitter than sweet.

Medium to full body, smooth and lush. Creamy in all the right places. A faint lingering flavor of pine, roast, and bitter chocolate.

This is not your typical milk stout. Heavy on the roast and chocolate and a little lacking on the sweetness. This is a tasty beer, but I think it missed the style a little too much.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 03:38:09 | More by ColForbinBC

IdrinkGas

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From a 12oz bottle into a snifter.
Typical pitch black with a small, clingy off white head.
Some roasted barley, lactose sugar and a little hops.
Sweet malt, some roast, lactose, burnt coffee and a slight metallic after taste. Just seems overly sweet like the other Southern Tier stouts. The flavors don't mesh well for me.
Creamy mouthfeel with adequate carbonation.
Wishing I would have tried this before buying a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 01:06:57 | More by IdrinkGas

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lighter fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades semi quickly without much lacing, over super dark pretty much black beer with the faintest hints of brown ruby light sneaking through the edges in direct light.

Nose brings some darker malts, no roast though, some dark crystal malts, hint of milk chocolate and chocolate milk, creamy lactose, a little bit of booze, caramel, hint of vanilla, and some earthy herbal hops. There is also a very slight grainy and nutty malt aroma.

Taste starts creamy, very creamy, lots of lactose, chocolate milk, and malty, caramel, lots of crystal malts, a hint of chocolate and maybe black patent malt. There is a light scorched roasty malt bitterness that isn't big, light acrid burnt flavor, but no roasted malt flavor. hint of coffee, and vanilla, light creme brulee. Light earthy hops round off it all with a hint of bitterness. The finish gets a bit more bitter, more light burnt flavors and burnt creme brulee, more light earthy hops, and plenty creamy chocolate milk shake. It gets a bit dry and sticky on the finish with a weird milky lactose feel.

Mouth is a bit heavier bodied but very creamy, decent carb for the style.

Overall not bad but not quite my style and not great either. Some OK flavors but some not quite what I was expecting. No real off flavors just not very pleasant flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 18:19:30 | More by jlindros

tdm168

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a six pack of this at the brewery's tasting room on 12/23/11. Poured into a ST tulip also purchased at the tasting room that day.

Pours a very deep brown that borders on black. There's a half inch of dense, brown head that great retention. The nose is heavy on the roasted malts with hints of coffee. The lactose sugars give off a sweetness that you can smell as well. The taste is deep, roasted malts and coffee up front with sweet, sugary finish. There is just enough bitterness here for the hops to be noticeable and add a little balance. There are some noticeable alcohol esters throughout that add body and warmth. The mouthfeel is close to full bodied with moderate carbonation.

This is a pretty solid milk stout. The flavors mesh well and there are enough hops to cut the sugary sweetness. The alcohol is noticeable throughout which detracts a little bit from the overall flavor, but adds body so maybe it evens out. In the end I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:41:12 | More by tdm168

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pitch black with a modest mocha head that laces well and sticks at about 1cm in height.

milk chocolate, day-old dark roasted coffee, maybe some slight fruitiness. kinda bland smelling.

dark roasted coffee comes first, with a bit of alcohol heat, then some lactose sugar and milk chocolate before a slight hop bitterness that gives way to a nice charred finish.

velvety body with a subtle, yet prickly carbonation and a slight syrupy finish that makes the flavors linger.

nice, easy drinking yet flavorful milk stout. would definitely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 05:36:59 | More by silentjay

9InchNails

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not much of a head. Spotty lacing as its consumed. Very dark, opaque some ruby red at the bottom.

Caramel, coffee roasted aroma and a hint of booze.

Dark chocolate, dark fruits, coffee, alcohol a sweetness that mixes with bitterness for the end result.

Noticeable but slight carbonation, dry feeling in the mouth and it leaves the lips slightly sticky. Pretty easy to throw a few back although the abv. is up there.

Some things are lacking like the aroma and appearance. The taste is good, quite complex missing a little something, can't put my hands on it. Otherwise, not a bad brew at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 10:42:46 | More by 9InchNails

gabedivision

New York

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle to a pint glass.

Pours a pours a deep brownish black, with a 1 finger head that thins to a tiny white lace around the top. Sweet black licorice on the nose with bitter bitter coffee bean aroma. Toasted robust malted scents with a a sweet chocolate and toffee on the finish. Sweet chocolates, toffee, caramel and a touch of vanilla on the tongue, followed by a roasted nut and coffee bean touch that ends the sip on a bitter finish. Smooth and creamy in the mouth, medium to full bodied, bitter sweet, complex flavors all melding well together. At first sight i was weary about this beer, But wow what a taste. This has big nut and coffee elements to it that just explode in the mouth and a sweetness that only Southern Tier can do right. Im a big fan of this beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 03:56:54 | More by gabedivision

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass
A - dark dark black, small white head dissapears quickly
S - chocolacte, coffee, very sweet
T - starts out with coffee, then comes chocolate, pretty good, but not overpowering
M - very smooth and drinkable, but very thin
O - very solid stout, I really enjoyed it

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 00:30:05 | More by vicsju1991

scottyg354

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Pour jet black. Minimal head and lacing. Head is slightly off white.

S: funky. You can smell the milkiness in this beer. Mild hop aroma.

T: hops, funk and malt. Licorice and candy sugar. Finish with slight coffe flavor.

M: crisp and smooth. Nothing special here.

O: try it out.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:29:24 | More by scottyg354

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

plaid75

New York

4.01/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a deep brown hue with a two finger frothy tan head. There was wry good retention and lacing.

The smell featured charcoal, a touch of smoke and dark chocolate.

The taste consisted of dry and sweet cocoa, roasted barley, lactose and a nip of hop.

The mouthfeel was round and full.

Overall a tasty full bodied stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 00:32:12 | More by plaid75

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.94/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A- served in a big old snifter with creamy tan head and lots of swirly lace. Body is a deep chestnut brown, almost black.

S- roasted aroma is subdued until it warms significantly and I'm glad this bar was nice enough to have the oversized snifters. Roasted and chocolate, some coffee, stone and mineral with molasses and slight berry tartness. Hints of booze as well.

T- taste mirrors the aroma with less sweetness than expected and big roasted coffee flavor. Very earthy with mild hops and some leafiness. Nice dark chocolate with a hint of acidity.

MF- big bodied and sticky with light carbonation

D- pretty decent but seems kinda dry for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 21:44:30 | More by hustlesworth

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

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Roast Public House (Madison). When I first had this in a bomber last summer, I didn't love it. It seemed light weight that time.

But now on tap I appreciate its virtues, while not feeling its drawbacks are as pronounced as from the bottle. The aroma is still not much to speak of. And the flavor isn't exactly competitive with the better imperial stouts (Southern Tier calls this a "double stout", aka, imperial). But the lively carbonation and lighter body fill a niche in the imperial stout genre: the refreshing, highly sessionable imperial stout. The flavor is an imperial coffee stout w/ no alchoholic phenols or sharpness, at all.

In the mouth it is lighter weight at first, like a porter, but then the creaminess pulls things together.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 04:59:15 | More by martyl1000