Weekly Beer Reviews

Southern Tier Farmer's Tan Session IPA

We start our tasting with Southern Tier's version of a Session IPA. The style has become quite popular recently, though this definitely isn't the best representative. The nose is quite appealing with hints of apple sauce, lemon, and grapefruit zest. Soon lighter notes of raspberry yogurt and honey shine through. The taste starts out quite bitter with flavors of lemon juice, pine, and rye bread. Floral notes assault the palate before the finish comes. When it does, the beer becomes incredibly dry and bitter with flavors of toast, rye bread, and parsley. This beer is definitely worth a try, but the flavors seemed a bit muddled.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7/10


Southern Tier 2XOne IPA

This beer went over quite well the last time that it was on tap. I wish this batch was as good as that original run. The nose is practically non-existent with hints of pineapple, pine, lemon, and linen. The flavor starts off bitter with only light flavors of pine, Necco hearts, and kiwi. That flavor disappears almost immediately, though the bitterness remains. Flavors of chalk, tums, and parsley round out an absolutely dreadful finish. This beer is not nearly as diverse as it was before, which may have to do with age and the single hop build.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10


Southern Tier Compass Belgian Strong Ale

The Compass returns to us after several months away. This Belgian-style beer didn't do as well as expected, but it still remains near and dear to the Liquor Barn Staff's collective heart. The nose starts off with the expected rose petal aroma that comes from using them in the beer. Lemon zest, raspberries, strawberries, orange juice, and sweetened lime juice makes for a fruity burst of aroma that is sure to please. The taste starts out with strong floral notes and perfume hints before sparkling water and orange juice burst onto the scene. The finish continues with more orange juice flavor, while the malt and yeast provides flavors of burnt toast, sesame seeds, and honeysuckle.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10


Southern Tier Goat Boy Imperial Weizenbock

We have a newcomer to the wall in the Goat Boy. This is the first year of its release, and so I was a little skeptical at how this would end up. This is an incredibly hard style to do decently, and Southern Tier does quite well with it. The nose displays strong aromas of clove, bananas, and circus peanuts. Lighter aromas of salami, BBQ sauce, and onions finishes off this pleasant nose. The taste starts out with cherries and then displays cloves, oak, sour cream cake, and Necco hearts. The finish is dry with flavors of fruitcake, cloves, mint, and banana ice cream. It is an interesting combination that is a decent alternative to Schneider's Aventinus.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Three Floyds Zombie Dust APA

We end this tasting with the cream of the crop. The nose is quite pungent with aromas of onions, herbal notes, grapefruit, floral notes, paint thinner, and minerals. The flavor is equally strong with more of that onion and garlic flavor to go with the aroma. Pine, orange peel, and floral notes round out a nice front of the beer. The finish is odd with a bit of salty pine, over-ripened grapefruit, lime pith, and minerals. It is certainly a mouthful, though not with the excellence of flavor that we have come to expect from the name "Zombie Dust".

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10