This is a downright huge beer with a full body mouth feel that borders on syrupy. Prominent alcoholic presence that along with the sweetness overpowers the typical dark roasted bite common in stouts. It was not what I expected, given the vast majority of coffee stouts and porters I’ve tried have been very robust with a typical coffee bite. This one immediately reminded me of Widmere’s Snow Plow Stout which uses milk solids to give that huge mouth feel and very sweet finishing touch. This is a complex beer built for sipping and sitting. Judging by the brewery’s website, Southern Tier has a wide variety of very complex and interesting beers that I’d love to get my hands on. Let me know if you find any.

Name: Jah-va Imperial Stout
Brewery: Southern Tier, Lakewood, NY
Style: Imperial Coffee Porter
Color: Black
Packaging: 22 oz. bottle.
Stats: 11% abv.
Bought: local store.
Ruling: Three point five out of Five Hops. A curiously sipable complex stout.