When this arrived at 3 Sons Dogs & Suds I swear that every regular that I talk to told/emailed me that this was a must buy. Gotta love communication like that! I love most Southern Tier products so I was really excited to see something new on the shelf. Wait till you read the story behind the name!

Southern Tier Krampus
brewery: Southern Tier – southerntierbrewing.com
style: Munich Helles Lager
abv: 9%
serving size: 22oz
glass used: sniffer

Overview
Here’s the story from the Southern Tier website
St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ‘the list’. European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children.

That has to be one of the best stories ever for inspiring a craft beer. Just wait till I have kids and share this one!

What I think
Before I dove into craft beers I never thought much about glassware. Using a sniffer is key in this one because the nose you’ll get will make a hop head moan. After the initial pour there was an ivory white head resting on top of an amazing copper body. This is pure beer porn and the first drink was just as amazing. The hops are settling on my palate like a mild blanket meanwhile the malts coat the roof of my mouth making me crave for more. If you’re a lacing junkie make sure you take your time to savor the beer before geeking out at the drapes of goodness.

This is a great way to bring in the holiday season on a cold snowy tonight kinda like what I have right now. I’m feeling all warm inside.

Spoon’s rating: A-