2X Presso Double Milk Stout

+Southern Tier Brewing 

It is getting cooler out and we are headed towards winter, so there is nothing better as it gets cooler than a nice dark beer. Tonight I am enjoying a nice Milk Stout, cannot get any darker than that. I really enjoy a nice Milk Stout because of their sweet note that may balance out any bitter notes in the Stout. I am trying a beer from Southern Tier Brewing Company. Southern Tier Brewing Company is part of Artisanal Brewing Ventures as well as Victory Brewing. The two are part of a new way of combating  the reach of Macro Breweries. Collaboration and sharing of resources to compete with the big guys. 

Southern Tier Brewing Company is located in Lakewood, New York. They were established in 2002, and by 2005 were distributing throughout New York and Pennsylvania. Southern Tier Brewing Company is focused on providing delicious, accessible, and unique products. They aim to change the way people drink beer. Southern Tier is trying to provide their customers with consistently fresh, clean, American craft ales and lagers that stand out on their own. In the logo, you should notice the brewers star, there are six crucial parts to the star. They are as followed: water, hops, grain, malt, yeast, and brewer. These are the six parts to the brewers star, Southern Tier believes on the maintaining the highest quality for all six parts will produce world class beers. 

2X Presso Double Milk Stout by Southern Tier Brewing Company

The beer I am trying tonight is Southern Tier 2X Presso. 2x Presso is a Double Milk Stout that is brewed with coffee beans and lemon peels. 2X Presso is a relative of the 2x Stout by Southern Tier and this beer has been brewed since 2014. 2X Presso has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 7.5%, pretty reasonable for a Double Milk Stout. The IBU or bitterness of 2x Presso is 55. 2x Presso should be served in a Nonic glass with enhances the style of this Double Milk Stout. 

Appearance of 2X Presso 

This double milk stout has a deep black appearance to it. The foam or head of this beer as it is poured is tan brown. The foam or head is quick to dissipate and leaves a thin ring of foam around the outside of the glass. Aroma of 2x Presso is right along the name. I notice right away with the coffee or espresso aroma. Then there is a sweetness aroma that is coming from the typical body of the milk stout, the combination of lactose and sucrose in the beer. There is a bitter aroma coming from the espresso or coffee aroma as well, which is like it was freshly brewed. I notice the roasted malt aroma in this double milk stout. The last aroma note I am able to notice is the subtle citrus aroma. 

I am eager to see the outcome of the taste of this beer based off of the aroma. I notice the coffee taste right away, that is followed by a chocolate sweetness. As part of the coffee taste I notice a nice roasted note as well from the espresso that is then followed by bitter black coffee taste. The chocolate follows the bitter taste very well and is paired up with a hint of cream. The hint of cream and chocolate notes pair well together, like it was being added to an actual espresso. The last taste note that I pick up on that follows the aroma is the subtle citrus note, the lemon peels added to the beer are an interesting turn. The beer follows the path of someone trying to make the perfect espresso for themselves and adding all these notes to complete the espresso. Another thing I noticed about this beer right away was the thickness from the beginning, but the more and more I sipped on it. The more I notice the medium body behind the stout.  

2X Presso Early Winter Seasonal by Southern Tier

Overall, I thought this was a good beer that showed of the espresso and the Milk Stout. There is a noticeable effort to show how one might go about making their own perfect espresso, by adding a lemon peel and chocolate. Then the smoothness and sweetness of this 2X Presso is enjoyable. The more I drank of 2X Presso the more I enjoyed a warmness from the beer. That is what I look forward to when enjoying a stout during the winter. 

Check out Southern Tier Brewing Company on their Website and their Social Media: 

http://www.stbcbeer.com/

Tweet @STBCbeer

https://www.facebook.com/SouthernTierBrewingCompany

https://www.instagram.com/stbcbeer/?hl=en

 Google Plus +Southern Tier Brewing 

 

Rise Up Stout

Evolution Brewing Company

Tonight I am trying another beer from a local brewery. I have had some of their beer before the most recent on the blog was Sprung, a spring seasonal brew. I am trying another beer from Evolution  Craft Brewing Company. This brewing company started with the passion of two brothers. Tom and John created Evolution Craft Brewing Company. Tom focused on his passion of craft beers and John focused on his passion for food. "It involves you and your friends. Backyard barbecues and amazing meals. And beers you won’t ever want to forget." Evolution Craft Brewing Company is focused on producing well balanced, and handcrafted ales. Evolution Craft Brewing Company was founded in 2009. Evolution Craft Brewing Company is located in Salisbury, Maryland. 

Label for Rise Up Stout 

Bottle of Rise Up Stout

I am trying another seasonal brew by Evolution Craft Brewing Company and that is Rise Up Stout. Rise Up is a Caribbean-Style Stout, brewed with coffee beans. According to American Homebrewers Association a Caribbean stout is: a lighter-bodied stout, sub category of Foreign Stout, is a sweeter and often more fruity version of the style. Rise Up Stout has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.7% and an IBU or bitterness of 40. The Rise Up Stout is condition on beans that are from Rise Up Coffee in Easton, Maryland. 

Appearance of Rise Up Stout

As I poured Rise Up Stout, the color was black and the foam or head was brown. Before I took my first sip the foam/head quickly dissipated and left a thin ring around the outside of the glass. Appearance of Rise Up, this stout is black and has a dark tone to it. I look at this beer and I almost think flat soda because there are no head or foam atop the beer. Aroma is right with coffee right away. First aroma note that I notice is the strong coffee aroma that is like a fresh cup of black coffee. Roasted malts are noticeable as well and subtle fruit notes in the aroma. The sweet bitter aroma note, I picked up on is subtle dark chocolate note.  

Let's dive in to see where the taste and aroma meet, or where the taste may take us. I took my first sip and coffee taste come rushing at me. I noticed the malt backbone of the beer and then the rush of coffee. The more and more I sip on this beer the more and more I notice the roast and malt notes in the beer. The coffee starts to take a back seat, but is still noticeable in the roasted notes in the beer. It's like the aroma with the fresh roasted coffee notes. There is a subtle bitter note in the beer that I am picking up on. The hops and the dark bitter chocolate are the two notes I picked up on. Rise Up Stout has a medium body with good carbonation. At first you think this is a full bodied beer but the finish is smooth with a little prickliness. The finish of the stout does leave a subtle bitterness on the tongue. 

Check out Rise Up Stout

Overall I thought Rise Up Stout was delightful. I really enjoyed it. I thought at first that the coffee would be too much for my liking, but I really ended up liking the amount because it switched over to roasted and malt notes. I think if you are a malt forward fan then this is a beer that you might enjoy. I also think if you enjoy coffee notes in beers than this is a beer you should be checking out. By the end I really thought all the notes combined well and not one overshadowed the others. I think the addition of the coffee beans into the conditioning of the beer is a great idea and adds an additional layer of complexity to the beer. The more I drank of this beer the more I noticed the balance of roasted notes to malted notes in the stout. The stout gave a sweet note that was then balanced but a subtle bitter finish. 

Check out Evolution Craft Brewing Company on their website and on their social media: 

http://www.evolutioncraftbrewing.com/home

https://www.instagram.com/evolutioncraftbrewing/

https://www.facebook.com/evolutioncraftbrewing/

Tweet @evolutionbeer