Pine Belt Pale Ale - Southern Star Brewing Company

schmidtn

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a satisfying pale. I live where there is a huge choice in locally made craft beers, but was disappointed upon my frequent travels to Houston with the local variety. To be clear, there are tasty brews, but not enough of them in H town. This beer is a nice find, but I don’t see it well distributed.

This ambrosia is a nice hazy amber color, with a nice head and good lacing. Smell of citrus and pine.

Taste is bitter. Nice balance of aroma, and bittering hops. Malty aftertaste balances this out. Nice mouthfeel, carbonation is done right.

I will be looking for this can often on visits and am eager to try the other brews by Southern Star

Serving type: can

07-31-2011 03:22:14 | More by schmidtn

wray7276

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

serving:16oz can

appearance:3 finger off white head,mild carbonation,hazy amber in color

smell:caramel sweetness and fresh pine cone aroma

taste:very creamy and smooth

mouthfeel:a little thick and carbonated

overall: i thought it was very good for an APA,it was very creamy and quite refreshing, i must say when you pop open the can get ready to pour because they bring it right away...1st time i had an APA in can and i was quite impressed...give it try!!!!

Serving type: can

07-19-2011 18:31:20 | More by wray7276

LittleDon

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Amber with a slight haze, big fluffy head and minimal lace. Aroma is caramel, pine, and floral, less malty than a traditional APA and more hoppy. Flavor is consistent with aroma. Hoppier than the typical APA, but not over-the-top like many West Coast IPAs. There's enough malt sweetness to give the impression of an APA. Touch of alcohol in the finish. Best characteristic is the mouthfeel, very smooth, big body. Maybe a bit much for Texas summer weather, but an excellent cooler weather beer.

Serving type: can

07-18-2011 21:21:36 | More by LittleDon

GPHarris

Alabama

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a - poured a two-fingers thick fluffy, tan head into a snifter. head settles to a thick ring of lace and billows nicely. the body is a hazy amber color.
s - big biscuity malt flavors with the slightest hint of sweetness. not enough hops coming through on this for me but they are there.
t - again big malt flavors though the grassy and piney hops begin to show off.
m - very creamy, medium thickness.
o - really nice pale ale overall though it could have some more hop aroma. very balanced and i like that it's in 16oz cans.

Serving type: can

07-06-2011 15:22:31 | More by GPHarris

zdk9

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a really cloudy dark orange/brown- kind of a treyish tint that lends an air of dishwater. A good finger of head. Not much in the way of lacing.

S- Ripe pineapple smacks you in the face. There is a lot of tropical fruit hops. Some dark wheat bread, maybe toffee. Is there a pine flavored candy? I think I smell it in this beer.

T- The taste is surprisingly different. There's way more pine and way less pineapple. Fairly bitter. Still tasting some of the wheat bread. Hop forward.

M- Not aggressive in bitterness, sweetness, or carbonation. In this department it most closely matches my expectations of a pale rather than an IPA.

O- Can they really market this as a pale? I would put it on the hoppy side of an IPA and the color leans that way as well. Good- one of the hoppiest TX beers I've had. I like.

Serving type: can

07-04-2011 21:16:47 | More by zdk9

jeremy2027

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1. Poured from a can into nonic pint glass.

2. Light amber, a little dark for a pale ale. Two finger head with nice lacing.

3. Good piney hop aroma not overbearing.

4. Nice hop bite for a pale ale. Defiantly not a malt forward pale ale but its there nonetheless.

5. Awesome mouth feel from the first sip to the last, coats the tongue and is not watery at all.

6. Over all I would put this up against any good Pale Ale, its a little darker than most but that in no way should deter you from pouring a glass and enjoying. I would recommend this one for sure.

Serving type: can

06-29-2011 03:10:50 | More by jeremy2027

SWMeyer4141

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance-Deep amber body with a 2 finger white head. Tight, creamy bubbles and great retention and lacing. No complaints here.

Smell-Sweet malts and piney hops.

Taste-A little watery and bland upfront but in the middle of the tongue you get some piney hops followed by some sweet malts along with the pine.

Mouthfeel-Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Highly drinkable, could use a little more body.

Overall-I drank the whole 4 pack of tall boys while playing cards. Nice Pale Ale, works for me. Will return to these again.

Serving type: can

06-16-2011 05:13:46 | More by SWMeyer4141

obrike

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought a 4 pack of 16 oz cans at Specs in Round Rock.

A lovely, murky copper pour in my New Belgium goblet. Full 2-3 inch head, nearly over flowed the brim. Excellent lacing throughout the drink.

Sharp pine hop scent right off the bat...nice for an APA. Can also smell a slight sweet malt coming through Getting pretty excited here...

The taste was a little flatter than the smell led on. Light Piney hops, followed by mellow malt, but not the bang I was expecting. Aftertaste was a bit off as well. Still, an easy drinking summer brew a good choice for the beach or pool party.

Serving type: can

06-10-2011 00:36:44 | More by obrike

Roeters

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oc can into an imperial pint glass, thanks to bread112.

Poured a dark amber color with a off white head starting with 3 fingers of head that fell to 1 over a few min. Smells sweet malt with a piney/grassy with a touch of citrus. Least of sweet carmal malt with a nice piney hop bitterness that picks up in the back. Middle of the road mouthfeel that stands up on its own. Good beer for the style.

Serving type: can

06-03-2011 00:12:10 | More by Roeters

JayAre46

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - burgundy tall boy can poured into a 512 pint glass, not the most vigorous pour but GD, 3 fingers of off white fluff that created an amazing dome above the glass, love it, deep orange haze color rather dull.

A - pine, little more pine, some hints of lemon, grassy aroma and a very dry malt presence... not a lot of sweet going on with this one, nice change of pace from all the floral and fruity PA's

T - grassy and the dry biscuity malt then some pine and hop bitterness for a very clean dry finish hints of lemon peel. this is such a solid brew, this is my number one poolside beer, the bombshell is taking a backseat this week.

M - creamy, medium body, very light carbonation not very prickly at all just smooth and finishes rather dry.

O - the drinkability on this is through the roof, very refreshing and clean. i don't like drinking this or bombshell from the can but it can be done and be decent. i feel pouring this really brings it to life and straight out the can not so much but still worthy. if you're looking for something that is easy yet still has a complexity to its character here you go. drink it haters

Serving type: can

05-29-2011 03:27:18 | More by JayAre46

DearthVader

California

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16 oz can poured to my Saint Arnold Pint glass (both generous extras courtesy of turfy)

Pours a dark amber orange with a giant 3 finger off white head that is incredibly thick and settles to a 1/2" after about a minute. Huge sheets of lacing cover the glass. You can see the carbonation bubbles when held up to light.

Smell is of slight hops and mostly a sweet malty backbone. Definite pine, grass, and some citrus, but the malt stands out the most.

Taste follows the smell. Pine, grass, lemon peel, unripe orange, sweet maltiness that flows into the nice, subtle, bittering hops.

Very nice mouth feel. Somewhat creamy for a PA but it fit perfectly with this. Perfectly carbonated which makes it an insanely easy drinker.

This would be a constant purchase for me throughout the summer if it were available local. Very simple and easy drinking PA that would be perfect for the hot summer days. It's one of those beers I definitely wouldn't feel bad drinking straight from the can.

Thank you for this Texas local David!

Serving type: can

05-19-2011 20:56:38 | More by DearthVader

tewaris

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

6.3% ABV
45 IBUs

16 oz can with no visible date poured into a Surly pint. Thanks Rubio.

Clear and deep amber-orange with a medium and creamy off white head. Good retention, great lacing.

If a beer is named pine belt, I expect a PtE out of it, and even PtE didn't deliver in that department :/ This smells of some hops, if not powerfully piney, but rather woody. Not strong enough and just average. Tropical fruit comes in screaming WTF when it gets warm. Kinda discordant if you ask me, but not repulsive.

The taste is ok... slightly sweet, quite clean, and unidirectionally bitter w/o any hop derived flavor. A little too clean, if you know what I mean. The bitterness however is very perceptible because of the "simple" nature of this beer. I am divided about whether to call it simple or ordinary or simply ordinary! Also, the woodiness of the aroma is very present in an unlikely astringent finish that I would normally frown at but the moment makes it ok.

Mouthfeel is "right" given the clean nature of the beer. This one is the kind that is not worth actively seeking out, but drinking a few over a few hours at the bar. Problem is the ABV; a little too much bang for the buck?! Overall I am NOT impressed but discontinuing this beer will NOT make the world a better place.

Scores: Appearance 4.5/5; Aroma 3/5; Taste 3/5; Mouthfeel 4.5/5; Overall 2.5/5

Serving type: can

05-18-2011 09:34:25 | More by tewaris

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy medium copper color with a fine head that leaves lots of lacing. Great color and a pretty beer.

Piney hops on the nose mix with a toasty aroma from the malt. The flavor is a big pine hoppy flavor - perhaps the most piney flavor of any beer I can remember. Orange citrus hops peek out around the edges. Tangy and dry with a pleasant bitter finish.

Medium bodied and juicy. This is a great drinking beer that doesn't quite seem to know what it is. The name is pale ale, but elsewhere on the can it is called an amber ale. I would put it somewhere between a red ale and an American IPA. But it certainly lives up to the pine part of its name. I like it and would buy it regularly if I could.

Medium body

Serving type: can

05-01-2011 22:19:32 | More by CliffBrake

jdense

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

4-pack of 16 oz. cans carried back from Texas, enjoyed with beer buddy 4.25.11.

Cloudy copper amber body, several trails of rising carbonation under finger and a half rocky white head, medium-slow dissipation with above average lacing. Good dose of hops in the nose, citrus and some pine resin, balanced by bready malts. Taste mirrors nose, pretty hoppy for the style, lingering bitter finish which got more aggressive as it warmed, tasty. Mouthfeel is medium, effervescence is ok. I understand from personnel at Gabes #60 in SAT that they had changed the recipe for this, I am assuming they amped up the hops, this is pretty hoppy for the style. Worth a try for those looking for something a bit hoppy in an APA.

Serving type: can

04-30-2011 15:11:32 | More by jdense

AleWatcher

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

So I was in live with this beer for the past 2 summers.... This was one of the few canned craft options, which meant this was my go-to beer for times on the waverunner or boat...

It's coppery orange with a eggshell white head of thick creamy bubbles that rose 3 fingers in my nonic.
The retention was solid and the lacing was respectable-- nice rings and silken lace trailing off them.

Smells of dry British malts and American hops... Nice faint notes of lemons, grassiness, grapefruit, and a biscuity malt. The nose isn't overpowering, but it is pleasant. The body is a little full of medium with decent carbonation... A slightly oily and syrupy feel coats my teeth.
The flavor is exactly as the nose predicts, with a nice bitterness at the back end. The beer is tasty enough to drink again, complex enough to keep me buying it, and simple enough that I will drink straight from a can when out in the water or playing disc golf.
This is, quite simply, an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: can

04-23-2011 19:33:02 | More by AleWatcher

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16 oz can at 42 degrees into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A: It pours a slightly hazy ornage color with a gorgeous finger and a half of thick, wet head of light tan that holds and laces well, while turning rather rocky after 30 seconds or so.

S: Fresh piney hops and tasty caramel malts make up the nose.

T: The taste is identical to the nose. It is simple but tastes incredibly fresh.

M: The body is of medium thickness and goes down easily.

O: This is very good, super smooth, and quaffable.

Serving type: can

04-18-2011 02:12:33 | More by bucklemyshoe

JMad

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a 16 oz can into a tall pub glass...

The beer was a murky orange, copper color with a thick, frothy, off white head. Smells of pine, spruce, citrus peel and a hint of caramel. The taste is mostly bitter piney hops with some biscuity flavors, melon and a bit of sweet toffee. You can also taste bitter, citrus peel in the finish. This beer is medium bodied with perfect cabonation. I can't tell you how impressed I was with this one. Being a Texan I can't believe I haven't tried it before. Highly recommended!

Serving type: can

04-17-2011 03:06:18 | More by JMad

seeswo

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a fantastic orangey-gold with a bit of haze and a really nice head that hangs out for a while. Smell is of piney hops, generous malt and maybe just a slight hint of metallic nose. The taste is exactly the nose. Very refreshing and easy drinking. 16 oz can is treating me well. Mouthfeel is right on, good carbonation etc. Overall, I enjoyed this one, even though it isn't the best APA I've ever had.

Serving type: can

04-09-2011 20:57:41 | More by seeswo

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.35/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Craft beer in a can!

Poured into an imperial pint glass. It's a nice copper color with a bubbly off-white head.

It has an earthy hop aroma with a little metallic twinge.

The taste is mostly hoppy, piney as the name indicates. There is a little malt kick but mostly hops. It's tasty, but not one of the best APAs I've had recently.

Great mouthfeel. Bubbly carbonation, no bad aftertastes. Feels good.

Overall I'd say it's a notch above average.

Serving type: can

03-29-2011 03:50:12 | More by theboozecruise

mrnobody

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

16 oz. can poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Really foamy. Three plus fingers of off-white head on top of a hazy bright orange body. Good retention and loads of sticky lacing.

S: Smells like an IPA: citrus hops, caramel, pine. Smells great!

T: Taste is a bit of a letdown from the smell: definitely more APA in this department. Fairly malty but has a nice bitter finish: piney as per the name.

M: Mouthfeel seems thin and despite the initial foaminess, low carbonation.

D: Quite drinkable, a very decent pale ale.

Serving type: can

03-25-2011 01:57:16 | More by mrnobody

dchew85

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rumor is is that Southern Star recently changed this recipe. Good call. It wasn't bad at all before but now it is GREAT! It pours a cloudy amber orange with a pillowy off white head that becomes cloud like and laces nicely. The aroma is piney but not overwhelming. The taste is slightly piney with a great malt balance that gives it a biscuity taste that makes this beer really drinkable IMO. Mouthfeel is creamy with good carbonation. Love this beer!

Serving type: can

03-23-2011 05:44:03 | More by dchew85

Ghenna

California

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 16oz can, courtesy of a reddit.com beer of the month trade.

Pours a hazy light copper with a slightly billowy off white heat that has awesome retention and lacing.

Huge pine nose, like crazy pine. Herbaly too, with just a hint of malt in the background. Taste is a little bit pine resiny with a little bit of a soap finish- bear in mind I am not a huge hop fan. Maybe a little malt sweet in there, but I can't really get at it for all of the pine/soap.

Pretty light in terms of MF, which would make it fairly drinkable if it weren't for the hoppiness. Looking up though I see that drinkability isn't a graded criteria anymore so fuck that last sentence. I guess if you are into hops this would be a nice beer, but the soapy flavor doesn't really do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 04:39:11 | More by Ghenna

BUNZILLA

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16oz. can into a beer mug.

Appearance : cloudy orange haze with a great 3 finger head that really lasts a long time

Smell : muted pine citrus hoppy notes

Taste: a good tasting brew great for chugging down after you mow the lawn

Mouthfeel : Light bodied with not a lot going on

Drinkability : Very Drinkable

Serving type: can

03-09-2011 01:00:20 | More by BUNZILLA

chefelf

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on a recent trip to Austin. It's interesting that their other two canned beers are 12oz. and this is only 16oz. Actually, reading that back it's not really that interesting at all. Just unusual.

IPAs are not my favorite type of beer but this one was pretty enjoyable. I appreciated this one nonetheless, even though it's not my favorite type of beer.

I usually reach my IPA limit at the 10oz. mark so instead of 2oz. of leftover beer in the can I had 4oz.

Such a shame.

Serving type: can

03-07-2011 20:57:47 | More by chefelf

SkipWeathers

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - slightly coudy, orangy with ample head, drank it in a goblet.

S - fresh-smelling, pine of course, not too aromatic.

T - sour-bitter, full. Grassy, piney, citrusy earthy.

M - pleasant coating on the tongue, which kind of gathers at the back and warms throughout the palate

D - 16 oz cans a novelty, two would be my limit before they start tasting repetitive. Still, a diamond in the rough here. So glad it's from Texas. I will buy and buy again.

Serving type: can

03-05-2011 01:05:49 | More by SkipWeathers