Southern Tier Brewing Company- Harvest Ale: Damn I love Fall.

Tonight is the opening night of the NFL’s season and they are tossing us one hell of a football game. To me fall is about three things: football, going back to work and Oktoberfests/ fall brews. No season brings beers that compare to fall. And no sport screams, “drink beer” like Pro Football. I have been looking forward to The Saints vs. The Vikings all week. Needless to say, some wussy light brew was not going to cut it tonight.

Here is the lowdown on Southern Tiers Harvest Ale, “Harvest Ale is our celebration of the changing weather and the sowing of hops and barley that will be used in our upcoming brews. We usher in the fall with a classic English style Extra Special Bitter of the highest order. Deep ruby in color with an even deeper hop flavor… in fact, we throw fresh English hops into every brewing vessel, then dry hop after fermentation to impart a zesty kick. This beer has real hop character that mingles with fresh malted barley for an experience that will make you wish it were fall year ‘round.”

The first thing I noticed was the great hops bouquet. If you were blind folded you would swear this was a double IPA before you. The color is the traditional dark amber/ crisp orange of a fall beer. Harvest Ale is very fizzy. It had bubbles dancing in my glass long after the pour. Beyond the scent of the double barrel hops shotgun, I was able to detect traces of citrus and a roasted malt (sulfur) scent that I have only ever encountered in Three Floyd’s Gumball Head.

Alright, Harvest Ale is intense. The roasted malt jumps out first and is quickly followed by a hop rush. It finishes quite dry and leaves traces of its oily hop resin in your throat. Complex, unique, original, bold, challenging, rewarding and delicious, if this brew were a babe, it would be Beyonce. Southern Tier has something beautiful, thick and sexy here. I wanna bath in it. Track this one down while you can. (Go Saints!)

ABV: 6.7%

Consumed: Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy A Case