Southern Tier Brewing Company was founded in 2002 in Lakewood, N.Y. They began with limited sales in New York and Pennsylvania but now see distribution in at least 30 states as well as some international markets. That’s quite the feat in such a short amount of time. They now offer a wide variety of beers. Today, we try their Tangier India Pale Ale.
Tangier Pale Ale pours a golden yellow with a thick, white, foamy head that stood at just under two fingers at its height. Some carbonation can be seen rushing up to reinforce the head. The aroma is pretty mild for an IPA. There are floral hop notes, a little citrus and not much else.
The first sip actually follows the nose but with a little more oomph. The floral notes come out a bit more and there is some citrus from the tangerine peels. Like the tangerine, the citrus is limited and more sweet and mild. The beer is medium-bodied in the mouth and has a bit of a creaminess to it. The head has settled about halfway through and while much shorter it still covers the beer. The hops in this brew are there but they are almost subtle which was a surprise. With an IPA you almost expect a lot of hops with that dry finish. Here you get the bitter note of hops at the end, along with the dry finish. However, it is very subtle.
Overall, this was a decent beer. It feels like it falls short as an IPA but it does offer a refreshing quality. It almost feels like you are drinking a slightly hoppy orange creamsicle because of the sweetness from the tangerine and the creaminess of the head. It definitely is a summer beer and at just 4.6% ABV you can make this a daytime drinker or a session beer if you like. It is worth a try but you will either like it or move on.
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