Brewery: Southern Tier
ABV: 10.6%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown
Southern Tier continues their streak of ridiculously high ABV beverages. The bottle of this particular brew says that the ideal serving method is in a brandy snifter at 48ºF. Ok, I can probably handle letting the beer warm up a little, but do I really seem like the kind of guy who owns a brandy snifter? Yeah, I keep it in my study with my smoking jacket, fancy globe and encyclopædia collection. Get real.
The Jah*va is a very dark beer. It's pretty much solid black, even when held up to a light. Usually with a stout there are some highlights at the edges, but not this time. I read a few other reviews of this beer, and all of them said there was a good amount of head but no lacing. For some reason, even though I tried to pour it to generate head, mine did not have it. There is a strong aroma of roasted coffee with a hint of alcohol and sweetness, probably malt.
My initial sip of the beer generated a reaction that was partly "mmmm!" and partly "whoa, this is strong!" It was pretty good, but I don't think I let it warm quite enough. After a few more minutes, it was a little more mellow, which I believe is the brewers' intent. Once it warmed a bit more, it really stood out as a good beer. There is a good coffee flavor the whole way through each sip. It starts off with sweet coffee and a little bit of chocolate and finishes with a nice crisp bitterness. It's very lightly carbonated, but I think any more carbonation would be too much. The beer has a slight aftertaste of coffee.
Final thought - Alright, this is another good example of making a high ABV beer without overdoing the alcohol flavor. Don't get me wrong: I love taking shots. I just don't want to feel like I'm taking shots when I'm supposed to be enjoying a beer. Jah*va is definitely one of the better beers I've had in recent memory, and another strong showing from Southern Tier.
-Jon
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