WILK Friday BeerBuzz - 28 Dec 2012 Southern Tier 2XMAS

Holidays are a special time on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz.  For 2012 we not only logged FOUR live Friday morning shows, we also launched a 4-segment 1-Hour Overextended Holiday spectacular, bringing our total for the number of beers sampled in the month of December to 10!  Because of that, we wanted to go out with a bang and feature a new and exciting holiday beer today with an exciting and unique style.

Southern Tier Brewing company has an extensive history on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz.  Back in the spring of 2011 we featured one of my favorites, 2XIPA, and followed that up on Oct 2011 by chatting with founder Phin Demink as we featured his fantastic Blackwater Series Mokah.  Both great beers and of course Phin was a great guest.

When I heard Southern Tier was launching a new brew as part of their 2X series of beers, AND that this beer would be a holiday ale, I knew we had to feature it.  Southern Tier 2XMAS was launched back in November and it’s a completely different style of holiday ale.

2XMAS is brewed in a style similar to a Swedish Glogg, and if you’re unfamiliar with that as a beer style, it’s because it pretty much doesn’t exist in many (if any) existing beers.  A Glogg is a traditional Swedish holiday beverage that uses mulled spices and it’s typically served warm.  Southern Tier took that tradition and created a holiday spiced ale that has a complex mix of ingredients.  Starting with 4 malt varieties and 2 hop varieties, Southern Tier added in figs, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger root, cloves and even cardamom to make their beer-glogg and it came out great.  2XMAS is 8% ABV and loaded with spicy flavors as you would expect, but it’s a lot more drinkable than the stats or style would convey.  Try this one for yourself and see if you don’t agree.

Stay tuned for more excitement coming from Southern Tier as they continue to work on heir expansion.  With six HUGE 660bbl fermentation tanks installed and a new 110bbl brewhouse in place, Southern Tier is hitting production levels of 70,000 barrels as the year closes with the ultimate goal of 150,000bbl in the future.  Of course all this means more great beer for you and me.

T

hank you to Nancy, John & Joe for yet another

fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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