Southern Tier Brewing Cuvee Series Two

The lucky beer that I'm going to consume this evening is from Southern Tier Brewing, Number Two from their oak-aged Cuvee Series.  I was a little disappointed by the lack of information on their website regarding this series...they included copies of the labels and brief descriptions of flavors, but that's about it.  From the little bit of information available, I was able to gleen that this is an 11%ABV American Strong Ale that is aged in American Oak barrels. 

The presentation of this beer is pretty cool.  It comes in a box with a drawing of an oak tree, and the Southern Tier Logo stamped on the center of the box.  The bottle itself is a 650ml, with shiny purple label and another oak tree.  I'm drawn to shiny things.  Especially when they have beer in them.

This beer pours out a very dark ruby red, slightly hazy but against the light I can barely see through it.  There isn't a whole lot of head present, just a thin lace after a rigorous pour.  The nose is full of vanilla and oak, along with a heavy malt presence. 

The first thing that comes to mind after the first sip is sweetness...primarily vanilla - there is a creamy vanilla note that hits the palate right away.  A slight hint of dark fruit is present, along with some roasted maltiness, but honestly that woody, sugary vanilla is the star of the show.  The alcohol is also present and provides a small break from the sweet-train.  The thickness of the beer, combined with the intensity of the sweetness, definitely make this a slow sipping brew.  The texture is rich and syrupy, with low carbonation and a warm, clingy alcohol presence in the background.

Overall Rating:  (3.5 out of 6.0)  I would classify this beer as an oak-aged vanilla ale.  For me, it was just too sweet.....I'm actually having a hard time finishing it.  The sweetness and the syrupy texture become overbearing after about half the bottle.  BUT, I was definitely impressed by the intensity of the flavors, especially the oak flavors present in the beer.  Not a bad beer, but just not for me.