I am on special summer assignment so I am very grateful to have received this review from Gary in Ithaca NY along with a picture of the beer next to one of Gary's own steins:

Ever been making a cheese sauce and the whole thing blobs into a big sticky mess in the center of the pasta, like a cheesy jellyfish, and you can't do anything but eat it anyway and throw out the recipe? At least the beer was good at dinner, and the dogs will enjoy the sticky mess in the pan.

So, a couple of weeks ago Alan, master beer blogger himself, is in our neighborhood and we went to a (typical) college joint, smelly air, sticky floors, fantastic pizza and plenty of beers and even a band playing later. Anyway, Alan said 'hey, try this Southern Tier IPA', and when it arrived, his smile got huge, and appropriate comments about grass clippings and hops were made, and it was a fantastic brew, indeed. Well, at Ithaca Coffee Co this morning, I noticed Southern Tier's Phin and Matt's Extraordinary Ale. I also ate free cheese (ementaler today) and planned dinner, which was not a success, as mentioned above.

I highly recommend the website, although I didn't learn anything from it, other than I could try to find the place and drink some affordable drafts.

Well, I love pale ales, and this is a nice thick pale golden ale. It is a little hoppy, a little yeasty and a little malty. I told the wife, 'this is the best everyday beer I have ever had in my life' and she said 'sharp and flavorfull without being hoppy and acidic'. Well. I think she should start writing the reviews. She has since added "cute website!" and "how come my glass was so small?" What she doesn't know is that whenever she turned, I snuck sips out of hers.

Go get some of this. It is fantastic, and if Alan comes to town, you're in for a good time.