The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 10

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 10 of 10!

Stone Imperial Russian Stout
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Stone-Imperial-Russian-Stout-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-46-209220841.html

Weyerbacher Merry Monks
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Weyerbacher-Merry-Monks-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-47-209221861.html

Southern Tier Oat
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Southern-Tier-Oat-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-48-209335531.html

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Firestone-Walker-Wookey-Jack-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-49-209335931.html

Stillwater of Love and Regret 
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Stillwater-Of-Love-And-Regret-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-50-209336731.html

Quick Sips: Southern Tier Pumking

Welcome to what might be the most sought-after pumpkin beer in the nation, Southern Tier's gigantic Pumking, a big ass imperial pumpkin beer. (Note, this review is of the 2011 batch.)

So, the thing about most pumpkin beers is that they don't as much taste like pumpkin as they do pumpkin pie. Which is fine. Think about it. Pumpkin on its own just tastes like mushy vegetable. Pumpkin pie tastes awesome thanks to all those fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, and others.

That's what most pumpkin beers are. Spices. They are spiced like pumpkin pie -- and may not even have any real pumpkin! It's true. You don't need the pumpkin in the beer to make it taste like a great pumpkin beer, just the spices.

Anyway, Southern Tier's sought after imperial version of the style? Well, it smell likes nuts and butter and peanut butter. So how about the taste?

Nutty! That's right, nutty. It tastes like liquid peanut butter with some spices. VERY sweet. Almost sickeningly so. To drink a whole bottle of this on your own? Ugh. No thanks. I can't imagine doing it.

Word of mouth suggests this 2011 batch was off from previous years, a significant downgrade from what was made before. Having never had Pumking prior to this batch, I can't comment on that. I will say that if batches can vary that much from year to year, the otherwise exceptional Southern Tier has some quality control issues to worry about.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This tasting is based on the 2011 batch, consumed and written in late February of 2012, and only posted now.

Quick Sips: Southern Tier Mokah

Southern Tier, out of Lakewood, NY, are very quietly brewing some of the best beers on the East Coast right now. I expect over the next year or three they'll increasingly become one of the more highly regarded brewers out there. Most of what they do is very good, and much of it is fantastic.

This one is Mokah, a big imperial stout brewed with loads of chocolate and coffee. It's a hefty one, clocking in at 11.2% ABV. Definitely a sipper. (I nursed this bottle over the course of an afternoon.) The chocolate and coffee are strong but not gimmicky, tasting rich and Earthy rather than like cake in a bottle.

Though it's a strong beer, you don't taste that big alcohol content. It drinks very smooth. Delicious dessert beer. Would probably taste nice poured over ice cream or pie, too. I didn't pair it with a cigar, but I expect this would be a perfect match for a dark, musty stick.

Recommended for a nice winter night or after a dinner by candlelight.