Southern Tier Raspberry Porter (NY)

I've never had Southern Tier's Porter or Raspberry Wheat beers. Perhaps the Raspberry Porter is just a blend of the two. It pours very dark, nearly opaque, and only by holding it up to the light can I see any shades of red. The smell is definitely of raspberries. Specifcally, rapsberry seltzer water. That's okay; I don't really expect bottled beer to smell like a pint of fresh raspberries.

The taste is predominantly rapsberry too, nicely balanced between sweet and tart, with some roasted malt in the background. The finish tries to pull back with some dryness, but it's still mostly berries. About their porter, Southern Tier cautions that dark beers are not necessarily strong, and that's true of Raspebrry Porter. The alcohol isn't high, the body is medium at most, and the malts aren't really rich. It's extremely drinkable, though. I really like it, but shouldn't have waited until winter to try it.

I think this is one for those who complain that fruit beers are too light or inspid. It might not convince porter purists, dark beer fanatics, or those who can't abide berries in their beer.