I like labels. I've talked about their affect on me before with my post of Milten Gaither's label design for Brooklyn Sorachi Ace. Labels say a lot about the beer you're about to spend your hard earned money on. Good labels - and packaging, in general - should tell you everything you need to know about the product. I'm not talking just about the name, or the description, or the logo on the front. The colour and the shape*. The texture, the size, and even the smell all play a roll in telling you what's inside.
So what does Southern Tier's packaging say about their IPA? Their labels tell me they are very particular about their products. There is nothing on the label that doesn't belong. The simple color scheme makes the 6 packs easy to find on the shelf. Just look for the sea of green (IPA, 2xIPA) or purple (porter) and you're on your way. Southern Tier is very pragmatic and efficient. Nothing is wasted. Everything in it's right place**. If there is a hop addition or a malt used, it has a reason. Nothing is just for the hell of it. The packaging has an organic look. Not to say that their beers are organic in the eyes of the USDA, but they portray an image of care for the environment in a down to earth, practical way. The consistency from beer to beer and from case to bottle to tap tell me that Southern Tier is detail oriented and I can expect that attention to detail to extend to their recipes.
The aroma starts with pine resin and earthiness. Like a walk through a redwood forest. Burnt orange color with a dense head that lingers.
Bitterness is well balanced with a touch of caramel (and honey?) sweetness. Pine and earthy flavors cary through from the aroma. Some minerals appear in the tail. Moderately long finish that isn’t overly sweet or bitter.
The balance stays throughout, never tipping from one side or the other, like a skilled tightrope walker. The medium body feels thick from the hops. I’ll be licking the insides of my mouth for a while.
Overall quite an enjoyable beer whose strength lies in its balance.
*good album, btw.
**good song, btw.
Here is further analysis on why someone might think this label looks "organic." In this case, "organic" meaning something like "natural, earthy, rustic, and not like machinery or otherwise highly technological."
ReplyDeleteThe upper portion (everything above the black strip with brand identity) is the most organic-looking of the label. None of the lines (using an informal version of that word) are completely straight. The typeface used to indicated the amount of hops and malts looks handwritten, and the type for IPA is weathered. The background is mottled, in that it is not a solid flood of color.
Along the bottom of the label are some concentric arcs (which are interpreted as circles) and waves in the background. It is possible that this was intended to look like the sun with wavy rays extending from it. The waves are of varying thickness and are not equally spaced.