Northern Lights IPA - Starr Hill Brewery

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate amber color. Off white head and some lacing. The nose is grassy and floral with some light malt in the background. Bready malt and light hop bitterness ride underneath some light floral and grass characteristics in the flavor. Good body and carbonation. This is an easy-drinking IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 10:59:54 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper color with a rocky head that leaves plenty of lace behind

Smell: Pithy bitter aroma with an undertone of cracker malt

Taste: Bready, up front, with a big blast of pithy aspirin-like bitterness arriving by mid-palate; after the swallow, the malt adds a sweeter balancing dimension but the flavors don't come together particulary well

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Lacks the fruity element I find in my favorite IPAs but it is certainly on style and will suit those who like their pith to be dominant

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 20:59:16 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good to see this brew show up in my local area.Poured into a nonic a dull slightly hazed full golden with a large tight wthite head that left broken rows of lace as it settled slowly.If I did a blind test on aroma I would never think this was an American IPA,mainly caramel malt with just a passing herbal hop note,not to impressed with that.Flavors regain a little of the hop character but still mild in my mind,light citric and herbal hop mixed with some biscuit malt.A little thin and not the most complex IPA but its not awful.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 22:57:00 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pungent and resinous hops greet you in the nose as your pour this slightly hazy amber ale. It's almost like opening a bag of fresh hops! It brings up a full-sized head, and then maintains an inch thick cap for quite some time. (Lacing is good as well).

The flavor is just as hoppy, but balanced by a bit of yeasty fruitiness and lots of crusty, toasty bread... the kind that's just on the edge of burning at a few small points. It's floral, grassy, gently citrusy, leafy, and a touch piney - very much like East Kent Goldings, but with something else going on in there as well. Kind of a hybrid... It's interesting though, that they've stuck with mainly English hops though, as everyone seems to be making really hoppy beers with all American hops these days. I really like the blend. And I'd say, although it's not massive, that this is a really hoppy beer! And it's got the bitterness to prove it too! It's backed by a bold bitterness that clocks in at probably more than 80-85 IBU's, but at the same time, the rich, kind of luxurious bready-sweet and grainy malt keeps it from getting out of hand.

I've had a few Starr Hill beers before and enjoyed them greatly, but I've never really been impressed until this one. It's really a unique IPA in a sea of IPA's. And superbly balanced, but still with a lot of girth. You don't even know you're getting a hop slam at first - it takes a few sips for the massive oily hop resins and bitterness to set in. Really nicely done. Superb! Worth seeking out for fans of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2009 10:18:09 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a chilled mug at The Tombs.

Pours a light amber-ish straw with about a finger or so of light ecru head. The latter has good retention and produces some nice rings of lacing. A constant stream of bubbly bubbles flows from the base. The smell is pretty heavy on the hop citrus, with a lesser turn by the pine and not much else there at all. The taste generally follows, though the pine is more pronounced than the citrus, and an overall bitterness pervading throughout. In the back, though, is a strongly bitter bite that lingers into the aftertaste. The body is at the lightest notch on the moderate ladder, and the carbonation is fairly pronounced. In sum, this is a pretty drinkable brew, but that last strike of hoppy bitterness keeps it from a very high drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2010 22:18:10 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a hazy dark golden color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a complex malt scent that boasts of pale, Munich, and biscuit malts. It's light with a touch of sweetness and a bit of bread-like character. The hop aroma is mild at best with just enough to sneak out of it's malt forward character. The taste is decent. It has a crisp hop bitterness up front along with a solid malt taste. It goes down easy with a refreshing hop character that runs through to the finish. The malts that were so pronounced in the aroma are merely a balancing agent in the taste. The mouthfeel is decent as well. It is a medium/full bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a pretty solid IPA. It's complex, yet easy drinking with good hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 16:17:00 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at some crappy bar in downtown DC. Served in an odd glass closest to a shaker pint glass. Beer is clear as far as I can tell and kind of amber / red. Forms a one finger head of small off white bubbles that leaves some lacing on the glass. Looks OK.

Aroma is a little weak. Mostly piny with some malt notes.

Beer is medium body and kind of smooth. Overall its just an OK IPA. Minimal sweetness up front, minimal bitterness in the back. Overall I enjoyed it but there are better IPAs out there.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2010 18:13:39 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, orange color with a deeper amber color at the top of the glass. It had a one-finger, tan head with small bubbles. It left minimal lacing.

S - Good aroma of orange and some grapefruit. Also, some grasses present.

T - This one has a sweet bready malt backbone with some orange and other citrus fruits. Good bittersweet mix of malt and hops.

M - It was crisp, sharp and had a dry finish. A medium bodied beer that goes down easy.

D - This is my first brew from the state of Virginia and I really enjoyed it. It is a good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 21:49:51 | More by zeff80

Gavage

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: light orange in color with a 1/2" head that broke down quickly. No lace developed.

Smell: some soft caramel tones and a hint of hop bitterness came through but were tough to detect.

Taste: bready malt profile with a moderate but slightly harsh bitterness, caramel, lemon, and a bit of ripe fruit sweetness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp throughout with some dryness late.

Drinkability: a somewhat slower quaffing beer, as the refreshment level was reduce with some of the harsh bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 17:39:00 | More by Gavage

mdfb79

New York

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had tonight at Dave's Downtown Taverna in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Poured into a pint glass.

a - Pours a nice amber color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, floral hops, and fruity malts.

t - Tastes of light citrus hops and light floral hops. Good but light in the taste.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - A decent IPA. I wish the taste was a little stronger. Wouldn't seek out but would give another shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 03:17:58 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper, with several fingers of foamy off-white head. This settle down into a rich dollop of froth in the middle of the glass, coating the sides with a sticky latticework of lacing. The aroma smells of floral tones, spice, earth, and some light metallic notes, with an underlying mix of citrus and a rather prominent grainy sweetness that pushes upward.

The taste has a fairly assertive citric bite to it that is undercut by some earthy and herbal character but stills leaves some rather stiff bitter pith and spice lingering on the tongue. Like the nose, the malts here have a strong toasted grainy presence to them that is nearly as forceful here as the hops are. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a soft crispness in the mouth that intertwines with those more mellow herbal textures to keep this relatively smooth feeling despite the presence of some alcohol here.

Just based on the malt presence here, I could tell that this can must be getting up there in age yet those citric hops still had a bit of fresh life left to them in spots as well. I think that there was enough here for me to want to investigate this one again.

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 14:35:30 | More by Kegatron

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's especially difficult to know which "northern lights" IPA you're drinking whne the beer bar in question (Red Star in Baltimore) simply lists the beer as the Starr Hill IPA. Oh well...

The beer pours an amber orange color with good head retention and lacing. On the nose I get some light citrus and earthiness, suggesting this will be a fairly dry IPA. On the palate, sure enough, this is a dry IPA, albeit a pretty flavorful one. I get considerably dry hoppiness on the palate, with some pepper, earthiness and light wet tobacco. There is almost a slight grittiness to this beer, which is in no way a detraction. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and drinkability is pretty good. Not sure I'd want to drink a lot of this, given how many good IPA's are out there, but this was not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2009 16:28:56 | More by johnmichaelsen

plaid75

New York

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a light copper hue with a one finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light citrus hop and a soft doughiness.

The taste consisted of a soft biscuity malt and lightly sweet citrus hop.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a soft carbonation.

Overall a subtle AIPA - very mellow.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 02:18:07 | More by plaid75

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Somehow, I found this one less musically inspiring than its CANival counterpart. I suppose, like JenRay, I take my IPAs too seriously to be frivolous and capricious. Still, I found it in a CAN and that counts for a whole lot in my book. Let The CANQuest (TM) CANtinue!

From the CAN: "Starr Hill founded in Charlottesville, VA (but I founded it at Whole Foods in DC)"; "The Gift of Great Beer"; and undersigned by "Mark A. Thompson Master Brewer".

The Crack & Glug was another success! I had two tawny fingers of thick, dense head (besides my own) and the smell ... The color was a deep orangish-amber with NE-quality clarity. The nose was so grassy and minty that I thought perhaps someone had seen fit to mow my lawn! I had the back door open on this very pleasant afternoon on the eve of my return to school so it was not out of the realm of possibility. Whoops! It is only Friday and the weather report generally only goes in a New Beer Sunday review. I have never been known as much of a CANformist, so I should be okay. Mouthfeel was medium and the mintiness of the hops was just understated enough that I had downed over half of it without even thinking. Easy drinking? Too f'in' easy! Finish had a clean, minty aftertaste like I had just finished with mouthwash (although the cops would probably disagree). Heavy lacing throughout and I began to despair that I might have to fire up the jackhammer to get it all off. I would definitely want some in the cooler at any given time, but especially on Hula in the Coola Day (01 Feb, annually)! Yum.

Serving type: can

08-12-2011 20:38:20 | More by woodychandler

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a fairly hazy orange with a nice head that fades to a thin cap and leaves some sloppy lacing. Nice piney aroma with a fair dose of malt to sweeten things up, and a bit of citrus in the finish. The taste is fairly mellow, with a citrusy light bitterness that fades fairly quickly. Orange and lemon notes supported by some soft malt, with some late grapefruit. A little on the sweeter side, but refreshing, not sticky at all. A quencher of an IPA- a little too soft for my taste, but not bad- the flavors are clean and pleasant.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 03:25:26 | More by Georgiabeer

avalon07

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an amber color and a somewhat cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy head and some OK lacing.

S: Smelled of citrus, hops and malt. Not overpowering, but nice.

T: Tasted of citrus, bready malt and some bitter hops. A decent combination of flavors, but not overly inspired.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a slick finish. Light-bodied.

D: A drinkable IPA, though not awe-inspiring.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 15:17:34 | More by avalon07

dirtylou

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz single, supplied by the black knight - bort

appearance: poured into a tyranena mini-imperial pint, cloudy amber body, beige froth

smell: citrusy hops, caramel malts, tropical fruit

taste: moderate bitterness, ruby red grapefruit, pine, spicy with a dry finish...nice ipa

mouthfeel: dry finish, stinging hops

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 22:05:31 | More by dirtylou

kylehay2004

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the brewery.

A: single finger head on a hazy golden body and crimson hues.

S: very nice aroma with candied citrus, mostly tangerine, pineapple and orange. Nice malt presence.

T: well balanced but still too lightly hopped. Hops mostly provide citrus notes, minimally floral. Nice malts presence.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: like so many of their brews, drinkable, nothing stands out and therefore not much memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 23:22:22 | More by kylehay2004

smakawhat

Maryland

2.38/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass giving a very good white head of two fingers with somewhat soap like bubbles. Some carbonation from the bottom in a dark clear brown apple/gold color. Some retention and some lacing but not much. Decent looking beer this is a good start.

What the heck is that smell???. oh my lord I know what it is.. this thing smells exclusively of DISHWASHING SOAP! Are you kidding me? no hops no biscuit or citrus... this is not looking good.

Taste really does not improve at all by much. Extremely wet bodied and I can't get past that smell it feels like I am having Palmolive. Bitter hop finish at least but leaving a soap bitterness which just lingers.

I am never having this again and will never drink it anymore. I can drink it and get past and find some hop bitters on the finish but this whole soapy fake detergent/perfume thing is a killer. Nope never again thank god this was on sale and it didn't cost me an arm or a leg.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 04:18:46 | More by smakawhat

FosterJM

California

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1375th Review on BA
Bottle to Small Tulip
12oz

No bottle dating

Thanks to my co-worker for bringing this state tick back to CA for me.

App- A mixture of copper and orange with some yellow highlights. A small one finger off white head with a touch of cling and lace. Like a deep sunset.

Smell- Really had that Euro/East Coast IPA aroma with grass, dirt and more malts behind it. Small amounts of hops came up but not much. Also small amounts of over ripe fruit.

Taste- The taste was very similar to the nose with the malts dominating this profile. Seemed like being in a dirt field after a tractor just made some dirt dust come up. Small citrus backing flavors.

Mouth- A fuller medium with a certain dryness behind it. A fuller carbonation level as well. Residual earthiness and over-ripe fruit.

Drink- It was a nice IPA. Wasnt earth shattering or anything crazy. If someone likes a bit more malts and less citrus balance. Check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 21:18:44 | More by FosterJM

AgentZero

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Burnt amber color, little bit cloudy. Small white head, little bit of lacing.

S - Light citrus hops, little bit of pine, sweet malts, and corn syrup.

T - Sweet malts, some citrus hops, little bit of resin finish. Little bit of grass and floral notes, but a little too watery.

M - Light body, decently carbonated, little bit watery.

D - Not bad, fairly drinkable, not a ton of taste.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 04:42:39 | More by AgentZero

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: nice head over a deep copper beer, average retention and some spotty lacing

s: fresh, pulpy hops give aromas of grapefruit flesh and leafy herbals atop your standard caramel barley backbone, pushing the hops out front while providing just the right blend of grain aromas

m: carbonation on the lower side of medium, medium body

t: good balance abounds here between the moderately sweet caramel and pale malts and citrusy hop presence, big grapefruit notes, packs plenty of bite in the finish, more formidably hopped than anticipated

d: a solidly enjoyable, true-to-style ipa

single from Norm's, Vienna, VA

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 03:33:58 | More by blackie

tdm168

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy orangish amber with a mountain of soft, dense, foamy, white head that has great retention. The nose is lightly bready and has a nice citrusy hop aroma. There's a soap aroma as well which fades with the head. The flavor is malt forward with nice bready, doughy character. The hop character is faint for the style with notes of faint citrus and pine. The hops clash a little with the malt character which throws the flavor off a little. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, and smooth.

This isn't an awful beer, but the balance just isn't there. Ultimately, it's just a little too mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 01:41:53 | More by tdm168

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.26/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A - Pour is fairly dark amber with a 1/2 inch of head that leaves a pretty sweet lace ring throughout.
S - Smell is subdued hop bitterness, old malt, and some cracker crust.
T - A very lackluster IPA with more malty base than standard hop bitterness. Slightly below average.
M - Malty medium bodied with a not very "crisp" finish.

Overall a very forgettable IPA that is worth passing for the single reason of no bottling date. Guaranteed to be old.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 03:38:53 | More by DrDemento456

merlin48

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle pours a hazy amber body with a medium offwhite head. Abundant patch lacing adorns the glass.

Aroma has lots of grassy/earthy hops with a hint of grapefruit. Biscuity caramel malt underneath.

Mouthfeel is medium in body and carbonation with a mild hops bite.

Taste begins with a grapefruit hoppiness which quickly turns to a bitter and grainy earthiness. Maltiness is grainy and biscuity. Finishes with some citrus rind with a grassy hop bitterness in the aftertaste.

A decent American IPA but the grainy bitterness detracts. Not as good as the other Starr Hill brews I've sampled.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 14:44:18 | More by merlin48