Day 25 (8/18/2011): Creme Brulee by Southern Tier Brewing Company

I've been waiting to try this one for quite some time. The summer seasonal for Southern Tier's Blackwater series, Creme Brulee (I'm not going to waste my time using all the symbols and whatnot) was supposed to be released in June, but was pushed back a couple months for whatever reason. Regardless, I got my hands on a bottle.

Creme Brulee definitely is not your typical summer seasonal. A big, imperial stout flavored to mimic, you guessed it, creme brulee is a far cry from your typical light colored, thin bodied, refreshing outdoor drinking beers.

It pours a brown just short of black with a finger or two of tan head. Leaves thin lacing, but not a ton of it. It smells tremendous: burnt sugar and cream, milky, with a good deal of vanilla and butterscotch. Definitely smells sweet. There is next to no roastiness evident in the nose, but the almost 10% shows up some with a little booze.

The taste surprised me. While you do get a lot of the vanilla and caramel that is in the nose, the taste is a bit more subdued and features the roasted malts a lot more. While I'm a little let down that the taste wasn't as bold as the smell, it's certainly no slouch in the taste category and it's probably much more drinkable this way.

The mouthfeel is thick and creamy; probably one of the smoother big stouts I've drank even with the lingering burn from the alcohol. The carbonation is a tad higher than I expected, but it helps counter some of the thickness.

While this certainly is not an everyday beer, it is a great "dessert beer" and I wouldn't mind trying this a few more times as the weather cools down. It easily is one of the most unique smelling beers I've ever had the pleasure of trying, but it's not a particular drinkable beer. It definitely has its place, though. I'm looking forward to trying the rest of the Blackwater series as I get the chance. I give Creme Brulee by Southern Tier Brewing Company a B+.

Style: American double/imperial stout
ABV: 9.6%
IBU: ?
Beer Advocate: B+
Ratebeer: 98/64

Purchased from Market Wines at Findlay Market for (I believe) $9.99. Available where Southern Tier products can be purchased, but it is a seasonal, so grab it while you can.