Southern Tier Iniquity Black Ale Review

One of Southern Tier's big beers, iniquity is "the antithesis of unearthly" (unearthly is their DIPA).




Date: 2/23/10 9:45pm
Beer: Souther Tier Iniquity Black Ale
Abv: 9%
From: 22oz Bottle
Vessel: Snifter
Temp: 48f

Iniquity pours a very rich deep brown (almost black) with a moderate tan head. Nose is full of wonderful aromas, first of chocolate but gives way to scents of coffee and even a hint of hops! Mouthfeel is somewhat thick and quite oily. Flavors of milk chocolate (a nice break from the dark choco taste of many stouts) just dominate this beer and you can even pick out a bit of vanilla at the end. The fact that this beer is moderately hopped is quite clear and makes for a beautiful contrast with the heavier flavors here. Maybe a VERY subtle toastiness lingers on the tongue, but not much as this is quite a clean finisher.

I had to remind myself when tasting this that it is an ALE. The color and mouthfeel alone are more indicative of a stout but you'd be mistaken to characterize this as such. The most intriguing aspect of this offering is the presence of hops (flavoring, aroma, but no bittering). According to the bottle both cascade and chinook are used. Not only is Iniquity hop backed after the boil, but it is also dry hopped after fermentation. These two methods of employing hops in the brewing process allow for flavor and aroma but do not impart bitterness (which would ruin this beer in my opinion). That is done almost entirely by using hops during the boil, which ST must do conservatively for Iniquity. I must say that this is one of the most enjoyable tasting experiences of the last year. Iniquity Black Ale will most definitely become a staple in my cellar.

4.5/5