Southern Tier Oak Aged Un*Earthly

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

Bottle. Pours a clear orange with a small white head. Aroma of oak predominantly as well as sweet citrus and grapefruit. Flavor of sweet fruit and oak. A bit of an odd combination really...I’m not really a fan of it but it wasn’t terrible either. I’ll stick with the regular IIPAs... 7/4/7/4/14 (3.6/5)

22 oz bottle
The enigmatic Southern Tier has come through with a winner here. I am not too shocked as the base they used was superb in its own right. Oak aging it has only improved upon an already outstanding beer. It is also a reasonable value at $7.99 a bomber.

Aroma / Appearance - The thick rich white head filled the glass along with a carbonated dense caramel toned body. Sheets of clear lacing accented everything nicely. Vanilla from the barrel complements the rose, pine, and toffee without being unbalanced at all.

Flavor / Palate - Caramel, rose, and other floral notes create a memorable impression that lasts for a few minutes before the oaky finish. Almost like orange creamsicle spiked with strong hops it is enjoyable to drink and goes down smoothly despite the 11% ABV. This is one of the best imperial IPAs that I have tried and hopefully will come out again in the future.

Thanks eagle. Poured an orangish color with good head and okay lacing. Aroma was of citrus hops some oakness. Flavor was pine citris some darker fruits in there, oak was toned down. Solid beer for sure.

Bottle: The aroma is huge with equal parts citrus hops and oak along with hints of mint and vanilla. It pours a bright transparent amber with a small soapy white head. The flavor starts with lots of citrus hops with some faint pineapple. There is some faint caramel in the background. The finish is loaded with oak. The oak flavors are just a little too much for my preferences. Medium bodied with mild carbonation.

Pours a golden/ copper with a smaller frothy white head. Aromas of sweet hops, pineapple, pine, oak and a touch of grapefruit. The flavors are complex with notes of citrus, oak, touch of vanilla and pine. Sweet and bitter. Alcohol comes through the nose a little but not to noticeable. A good oak aged brew from the unearthly.

Clear copper with nice, but fading head. Obvious oaky vanilla and cherry aromas come off, but they are more subtly combined with the pined and woodsy hop offerings. The flavor itself is balanced between a pronounced but yeilding hop bitterness to a rounded and more gentle oaky vanilla presence, which takes the edge off the hard citrus pine and provides for a nice transition between mid to late palate. Overall the brew doesnt drink as heavily as the 11% it says on the label. Smoothed out but lacks the depth in complexity that I look for in these oak aged creations. Still a killer brew though, wicked tasty and kicks like a mule

Bountiful head, slow to diminish. Lots of lumpy lace on the glass. Amber, on the side of darker, a little bit of cloudiness. Plenty of floral hop in the nose. Mild, lighter malt is also present. Tastes like a traditional American IPA. Lots of harsher bitter flavored hops. Initial sip barely shows the neutral malt presence. The rest is bitterness through the long aftertaste. Good body, low carbonation. A very good example of the style.

Bottle from State Line in Elkton, MD. I love this store and it was probably my last visit there for a long time thanks to the economy. Pours a slightly hazy orange amber with a two finger pale yellow white head. Aroma of grapefruity hops and vanilla. Medium to full bodied with a slight syrupy texture. Flavor of toffee and butterscotch, countered by nice, but not overdone grapefruit bitterness and sweet vanilla from the oak. Sweet and slightly sticky finish. Not as complex as I was hoping, but solid enough to try.