Southern Tier Oak Aged Un*Earthly

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Lakewood, New York USA

Many thanks to HogTownHarry for sharing. I’ve been looking forward to this version for quite a while. Appearance: Cherry/orange with a small white head. Aroma: Sweet pineapple, mango, citrus and lemon, no wood detected. Flavour: Sticky sweet hops, pineapple, a HINT of wood, pine, apples. Nice but I can’t help but prefer the regular Un*Earthly. Thanks for sharing Harry :-)

Bottle. Pours dark orange, amber, with small white head, some lace. Aroma of heavy oak, giving lots of vanilla, some cirtus and pine hop aromas as well. Oak really dominates aroma and flavor. Taste is very vanilla and oak, with an ipa hanging in the background. Some more citrus and pine hops, with a subtle sweet malt backing. Finish is smooth and warming. A full, sticky mouth. Overall, a big oaky brew. This is way oakier than I expected. Very satisfying and unexpected brew.

Bottle. Hazy orange-amber pour. Head is nothing more than groups of bubbles. Aroma is oak, citrus oils, piney hops, sweet malts, caramel and candy. Taste is rather sweet and woody with more oak, sweet malt, chewy caramel, vanilla, orange peel, pine needles, and hop resins. Body is creamy and chewy with a medium-full feel and some oil to it. Also a fair amount of alcohol warmth. Ends with more caramel, honey, oak, vanilla, grapefruit juice, sweet malts, pine and candy. Rather sweet for an IIPA but tasty nonetheless.

Bottle. Poured a half inch of white head atop an amber sunburst body that produces considerable lacing. Redolent of sweet caramel, overcome quickly by prune, sharp notes of grapefruit citrus and pine resin, finishing modestly vanilla and creamy oak. Flavor was surprisingly sweet at first like caramel plus gummy bears, grapefruit citrus, pine, cream, vanilla, oak, hints toward licorice that are finally consumed by alcohol and warmth your throat. Palate was almost light for an IPA but at the same time creamy and woody like a cigar. The only word I could think of to describe this is romantic. Just romantic; a wonderful combination of unlikely flavors.

Bombers via trade with goldtwins and bonused by pilsnerpeter, shared with bartzilla. Bart loved the first unearthly so I knew this had to be shared with him. Pours orange with a tan ring. Nose is sweet, citrussy and woody. Taste is sweet, hoppy, with a nice citrus push. Gotta like this beer, alc is there but doesn’t hit you in the face.

22 oz bomber enjoyed from my RR tulip likely from Binnys South Loop (Chicago, IL). Pours a glowing amber, good haze, with small offwhite yellowish head that laces some. Aromas are preaching some caramel malts, a touch of a sweet syrup, with oak and vanilla coming through. Floral bouquet, light citrus comes through, but the oak seemingly cuts some of this away. Nice. Initial is a bit thick and full, cool pushing a floral and citrus bitterness, quickly covered by a strong thick malt body: syrupy and caramel malts, with some vanilla and seemingly extra sweetness thrown in by the oak. The bitterness is much less than the base beer, prefer the base. The nose is interesting, as the body feels a little closer to sweet and syrupy. The hops die out, and the oak isn’t strong enough to save it. Dissappointing, lacks real barrel character, an ok beer, but not something I’d buy again.

Pros: Nice hop character, in both the flavor and aroma. Super fruity, piney, well utilized hops, with the lightest hint of vanilla and toast from the oak chips. A solid, fresh Double IPA.

Cons: A bit light in body. Not a lot of malt and I still can’t advocate the use of oak chips. They use oak chips to make box wine. Should they use them to make beer?

Pours orange with thick white head. Aroma of oak and hops. Flavor is overwhelming with oak. Nice woody notes with slight hops in the finish. Thick mouthfeel. Nice alcohol burn. Good.