Southern Tier Oak Aged Un*Earthly

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

Clear reddish copper in color with almost zero head, and no sign of carbonation. Aroma is sweet and resinous with intense and clean citrus. Taste is the same, and lightly tannic, but so balanced that I would never have known about the oak if I hadn’t been told. Finishes clean, and is not cloying in any way, despite my initial perception of sweetness $10/22oz

The aroma is unique. It has the same earthy quality of the original, but with a pronounced smell of oak. An aroma of piney hops is present. Also there is a buttery/biscuity undercurrent. The alcohol is well hidden in this one. The Appearance is a reddish gold, true to the style, slightly more gold than normal for a IIPA, and slightly brown. Medium white head. The flavor is close to the aroma, oak is clearly evidenced, as is the pitch pine hoppiness, and a buttered biscuit flavor. Overall very nice. The finish has an astringent pitch pine qulaity, bittering, and enduring. The mouthfeel is nice full, a little sticky. This is definitely an improvement on what was already an excellent beer.

Pours out a clear orange/copper colour with a creamy, lasting off-white head that leaves nice rings of lace. The nose is of dank earthy citrus, tangerine and resin. The aroma suggests a lighter malt body than I get in the flavour, which brings forward chewy, syrupy caramel, some very minor woody/vanilla notes and some piney NW hops. The aftertaste is pine, sticky-sweet caramel and tropical citrus. This is a great DIPA, but only a tad better than the un-oaked version. The palate is sticky, full-bodied, medium carbonated and super long and drying in the finish.

Pours a clear orange amber color with a thin streak along the sides of the glass. The nose has some pepper hops. There is also some strong hints of malt and lemon grass. The flavor is nice and bitter with some oak that sticks on the sides of your mouth. It leaves a sticky oak, and toffee finish on your mouth that never leaves your palate. Overall the carbonation is good with a great balance of malt and hops.

Pours copper / amber with a small off-white head. The aroma has prevalent oak, earthy hoppiness, pineapple and fruit juice like sweetness. Full body that is mostly smooth with a touch of roughness and mildly sharp carbonation. The flavor starts with a mix of hearty oak, assertive earthy hops, toasted malt and pineapple. The finish has a very dry abrasive grapefruit trait, more earthiness and a nice offsetting smoothness from the oak. This was very nice.

Pours a clear amber with a medium off-white head that quickly disappears. Aroma is moderately sweet with grapefruit, caramel, juniper berries, light oak and pineapple. Flavor is caramel, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit and light oak. Sticky texture, medium to full body. Finishes dry with a slight alcohol burn.

Aroma is one of those all star winners, bright , nose tweaking citrusmore lemonade then grapefruit, some subtle hints that contact with oak was made, no use searching for caramel ,as long as this beauty is fresh, taste is citrus dominated ,with a quite challanging bitterness to deal with,minor sparks of carmel malt and the oak,but when the hop aspect is this strong ,fresh ,and well done,I’m content to enjoy the marrow of the hop plant . On tap at Sugar Maple,get it while its fresh

huge nose of lemon. some hops, but an extremely acidic background lays the groundwork. color is translucent rust. flavor is of perfumed citrus, lemon mostly. hops and lemon/wood comes in waves then intermingle. like the gemini, the sum of the parts does not add up to the whole: its hard to believe that the intense bitterness of regular un eartlhy is the basis for this, it has certainly mellowed. i worried that the barreling would really ’contaminate’ its taste for the worst -- there is plenty of talk/criticism about IPAs and wood, and i am verbal about it as well -- but i daresay this is a success! light yet sharp, brightly flavored and not dragged down by the wood although it is present. ADDENDUM: as this wears on, the aroma becomes overwhelming, reminding me with each sip. i asked myself if i would ever purchase this again as an alternative to regular un earthly (which i have purchased many times)...the answer is indeed no, and with that the last few tiresome ounces are drained into the sink and my rating loses .1 points.