Southern Tier Krampus

It seems like I'm always opening a new type of Southern Tier. They are just constantly releasing new beers and styles and it seems even if its not a new beer, I'm still waiting for something to come out i.e. Choklat. Anyways, this beer is one I'm excited for -- an Imperial Helles Lager? Don't think I've ever had an imperial lager, but hey, there is a first for everything. I tend to take a certain enjoyment from these types of beers, these types being very standard sessionable styles but imperializing them. Just something about Imperial Pilsner being the same style of beer as Bud or Coors but it actually is flavorful and tastes good. It's almost like alright Bud sucks, but Pilsners aren't a foregone style of beer. So an imperial lager, lager being a rather sessionable and limiting type of yeast, seems like something right up my alley....Let's get to the beer.
Pours beautiful with a nice sticky lacing and beautiful ruby golden color. Smell is immediately one of malt, serious malt bill. But wet malt, cold and muted. The taste is actually alittle surprising. Very dry up front with good spicy and herbal hop qualities. Mouthfeel is slick and rich and carbonation is perfect for the flavor it needs. Allows your tongue the appropriate time to coat and get the full range of flavors, but then fizzles out to a nice dry and crisp citrusy hop finish. It's good and very unique, you can taste the certain lagerness to it. It is definitely a spicy beer and appropriate of its holiday designation. The hops tend to dominate this beer in their very spicy nature and suppose that its hard to imperialize this style without so much hops. And I say bring it on. This beer is quality, definitely a good one to eat with some nice food, particularly of the Asian variety. It is an easy drinker and finishes with quite a lasting bitterness, but dry leaving you yearning for the next sip. The bitterness does get slightly overbearing at one point, calling for a refresher of water, but this beer is still great.
Of course, I expect nothing less from Southern Tier and the Krampus is no exception. The ability to pull such "under-dog" styles of beer into imperialized, exceptional monsters is one thing that keeps bringing me back to Southern Tier... can not wait for the Choklat