Southern Tier Phin and Matt's

Southern Tier Phin and Matt's - Extraordinary Ale (2011)

Everyday Availability

12 fl. oz. / $0.78 USD (Sale) / 5.7% ABV

About: "When we sat down to collaborate on this beer, we knew we had to create something extraordinary. After sampling a wide array of great beers, we hit upon an idea: use vast amounts of whole hops, the finest malted barley North America has to offer, and crystal filtered artesian water. Thus creating this classic American style pale ale."

Thoughts: Poured a seriously light amber yellow with a huge fluffy and bubbly white head. Very minimal carbonation bubbles rising, and it's slightly hazy. The glass is looking pretty cool with all those bubbles clinging to the side like that.

Beautiful scent on this one. It's long and lingering. Candy apple sweet. A tingle of sweet hops with a very welcome flowy malt background. Nice.

Grassy hops. Caramel malts. This is a very pleasing beer. It's subtle, yet elegant tasting. You get this little hint of soft oven baked sweet rolls that are sprinkled with a peppery sugar... or a little bit of a caramel coating with not-really-cinnamon.

It's actually quite watery, goes down super smooth with a bit of a bubbly froth at the end of the gulp. Still, a bit more watery than usual though.

Overall, a pleasing taste all around. There's no super sweet, no bitter, no sour and no discomfort. It's just soft and smooth and like a watery candy. Hops and Malts balance equally and they're both identifiable. It's really done so well, even if a bit watery. So far I like this one the best out of the three standard Southern Tier brews that I've tried (Hop Sun and IPA). This one's Nice. Is it Extraordinary? I don't think I'd got that far.