The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: Old Man (Winter Ale)
Availability: 6-pack, draft (Seasonal)
ABV: 7.0%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home
The Story? It's Sunday, 21° outside and 48° inside. The boiler is in round two of replacement parts for the day, having been down since Friday night. After keeping myself warm, feverishly cleaning up the house in preparation for Thanksgiving guests (after earlier being showered with safety glass from a display shower door, but that's a completely different story), I figured it was time for a drink, cartoons, and a blanket.
I reached for a bottle of Old Man, Southern Tier's winter ale, which seemed terribly appropriate. I vaguely remember drinking this almost exclusively for a week or so around this time last year and have some fond memories of those festitives. It's one of my go-to winter warmers when I want a robust, drinkable seasonal, that packs a bit of a buzz and doesn't remind me of licking a holiday tree or potpourri.
The Beer? Old Man pours out a deep, amber with a finger of head, leaving a nice ring of lace. The nose is full of citrus and spices and the body goes down wet, with a mildly boozy finish. There's lots of toasted malts packed in this out with just the right touch of hop bitterness.
I like how full bodied this one is, while still being so drinkable. It starts with a creamy mouthfeel -while still refreshing - full of tangerine hop notes and caramel sweetness, all dried in the finish with herbal notes and that warming, ester finish I'm pursuing tonight.
Overall, this seasonal has great balance for a winter seasonal, firmly walking alongside Southern Tier's quality, hop-centric offerings, but packed with malts and winter spices that never gets too velvety or overspiced.
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