Pro-AM 2012 (Imperial IPA) - Southern Star Brewing Company

DocJitsu

California

3.06/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

I received this beer in a trade. It might of been under more pressure than usual because of the jostling. However, I had let it sit in the fridge for at least three hours before opening. It spewed and poured suds out of the can the moment it opened. I tried to get most of it in the can. A huge bumpy head formed and stayed. Stayed. And stayed some more. There are some citrus notes on the nose, bust mostly a hammering of malt. It's a dark, murky amber color. Sort of ugly. Finally I get a sip around the fat foam. Malt bomb. A lot of raw hop hotness on the back of the throat, but no real hop flavor to balance this malty mess. There is a bit of misplaced chocolate. It's got a pleasing heavy mouthfeel. Only redeeming quality in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 04:51:46 | More by DocJitsu

oline73

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy orangish amber with just under a finger of off white head that fades to a layer on top of the pour.

Smell: Definitely hop forward, I'm getting some grapefruit peel and a fruity note. There is a slight malty sweetness behind the hops.

Taste: Grapefruit peel hops hit the tongue right away. This reminds me more of an east coast IPA. The hops stick around through the whole sip, but don't intensify towards the finish. There is malty sweetness behind the hops the whole time, but it's not particularly interesting. The finish is rather bitter.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium with lots of tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I never would have guessed the abv was so high. This is a pleasant but unspectacular DIPA. I'd have more if it was offered.

Serving type: can

12-19-2012 21:16:51 | More by oline73

KKB

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A – Provocative. An orange amber with a tall yellow-white head with tight-knit bubbles that sit on top looking stickily back at me. Superb lacing and retention. Big thumbs up.

S – Hops, hops, hops, hops. Some pronounced malty, caramel scent, but primarily pine resin, citrus, juicy, tropical, grapefruity, floral hops. All coming for my nostrils. Smells so incredibly good. One of those beers that you smell, and then pull your face away, and then bring it right back and smell it again, and repeat this process 3-9 times.

T – She’s a mouth shredder folks. Super, over-hopped, bitter with what I can only assume is an IBU that is totally off the charts. Just a bitter bomb…but actually after a few sips it becomes more juicy with citrus and grapefruit overtones. Very, very nice transformation. Floral and tropical now, never without losing that bitter character though. Such an interesting symphony of flavors. Really just lovely, it’s singing to me. There is also that dab of malt that is keeping this from being just an outrageous hop bomb, it lends a honey-caramel backdrop that does nothing but contribute.

M – Dry and bitter, but intermittently juicy as they battle it out. Light with a slight chewy/syrupy element that keeps it on the tongue just long enough for you to get the full effect. For a double IPA/Imperial IPA I expected a bit more body, but you know what? I don’t care. This is very well done.

O – I had my first one of these months ago. And I didn’t love it. But I was beyond a novice at the point in time; it was actually one of the first craft beers I had ever had. I have since sampled a smorgasbord or different beers and styles and only about 3 short months have passed. I think that the hops might have died down a little bit since then but I don’t think by much owing to the fact it was in the fridge the whole time. This time, I recognize this beer to be truly unique. Actually, damn good. Perhaps one of the best beers I have ever had. I really love this beer. I hope that it is readily available when I move back east, but I won’t forget it in any sense. I HIGHLY recommend this beer to someone who likes...well, beer. But more importantly someone who loves hop bombs. Just totally, completely awesome. I might need to see if I can track down another 4-pack of this before I leave.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:06:12 | More by KKB

jlindros

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Yay, craft beer cans! Thanks to dcloeren for this one.

Pours a light fizzy almost fluffy head that reaches 1 finger before fading at a med pace, with nice lacing, semi clear golden reddish orange beer.

Nose some nice hops, light candied citrus, floral, some tropical fruit with a hint of grapefruit and a fruit punch like tropical fruit juice, light resin and pine, little fairly fresh smelling, and just a bit of sweet malty base.

Taste starts with a light sweet malty base, and a hint of booze and candy flavors. Then right into big hops, fairly bitter, with some light tropical fruit juice, little citrus, grapefruit, tangerine like, etc. But then the hops really get crazy spicy and chewy, light resins and a nice big punch of pine. The hops get astringent as it moves towards the finish, a long spicy chewy hop finish that never ends, fairly dry as the bitterness ramps, it's astringent, spicy, salty hop flavors even, quite bitter, that makes me keep sipping so I can avoid too much of the astringent bitterness.

Mouth is med to fuller bodied, just a bit of warming booze, good carb, huge astringent bitterness that rips the moisture from my tongue.

Overall pretty good, it starts nice but the super spicy chewy salty astringent hop finish takes away from it a bit. I used to like the over the top ridiculously hoppy beers, but after having so many of the big tropical fruit and citrus hops, and other balanced malt/hop beers, this goes a little over the edge, but still a great beer.

Serving type: can

11-21-2012 00:27:15 | More by jlindros

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. can into stemless tulip pint. No visible canning date, but I believe I bought it and stashed it in the fridge 2-3 months ago.

Look- Hazy orange-amber with four fingers of dense head that sticks around for absolutely forever. The look of it leads me to believe that the haze is almost certainly due to intense dry hopping. Ten minutes after the pour and a few sips later and there's still a finger and a half.

Smell- Bold, bright lemon-lime-grapefruit zest, passionfruit, fir, honey, pear, dry toast, resin, musk. Sweeter than expected, but not overly so and it works well.

Taste- half a hair shy of what I would consider a real hop bomb, malt is there but the bitterness and juicy hop flavor is solidly in the slap to the palatte range. Drier than expected, grapefruit, apricot, resin, vaguely nutty. Lingering tealike bitterness. No hint of the ABV.

Mouthfeel- Mild carbonation, medium body, almost silky. Something of a cottony feel. Very drinkable, a full pint...or two... would have been great.

Overall- Not much to fault it for, and well put together- I wish there was a bit more depth of flavor, but that's a minor gripe. Absolutely worth grabbing, lets hope they make this one a regular.

Serving type: can

11-15-2012 02:13:21 | More by Lawl3ss

davey101

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can into a pint glass. Thanks for this one gtermi!

A - Pours a dark and hazy amber color with floating bits of hops and yeast. Two finger creamy white head with soapy and sticky lacing and retention. I'm a sucker for unfiltered IPA's!

S - Caramel malts, piney hops, bitter grapefruit, and some dank resin.

T - Nice blend of caramel malts and dank hops. Light grapefruit and pine. Bitterness is low but pleasant. A bit malt forward but rather tasty. Mouth feel is creamy and slick. I'm actually a bit surprised by the 10% abv, its not even noticeable.

O - Seeing as the first review is from mid-August I'd say this one has a bit of age on it. Even in its current state its drinking really well. Plenty of caramel malt and grapefruit/dank hops. Alcohol extremely in check. Really nice.

Serving type: can

11-11-2012 02:52:09 | More by davey101

hammondc

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark copper. Nice sticky head that lasted almost the whole drink. Very thick resiny lacing that may need scrubbing to come clean. Poured in a 15oz snifter.

S - Dank and citrus. Smells like I just squeezed some sticky kush between my fingers and then punched a bowl of grapefruit. Dear lord this stuff smells good. A little citrus lingers. No alcohol smell at all

T - Resiny, piny and a bit sweet. VERY heavy grapefruit. Like you just bit off a chuck of pink grapefruit.

M - Despite it being right around 10%abv, there is virtually no booziness to it, however It comes across quite dry. Pretty intense bitterness in the throat and on the back of the tongue.

O - LOVE it. Maybe the best Double IPA brewed in Texas for distribution? I have not had one better if there is one. Fantastic brew. I'd like to see them up the sweetness a touch to offset some of the intense bitter. I am stocking up some to age for a bit to see if it calms it down. A++ value for $7 a 4pack.

Serving type: can

11-03-2012 20:49:11 | More by hammondc

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma has some big double IPA notes, with a lot of resinous pine and orange citrus notes. I also get a hint of biscuit malt. The flavor is more of the same. The caramel malt keeps the bitterness from being too high, but what really comes through are some dank, resinous pine and orange citrus. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 03:59:14 | More by Mora2000

genitempo

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Polished well into a pint glass from a can (I let the can warm up for about 20 minutes prior to pouring). The color was surprising, an almost scorched IPA with a deeper and darker SRM than one would expect. Nice, frothy head that maintains a deep-root during the sipping. Minimal lace.

S - The nose was basically high-handed by a floral aroma. Although some may deem it overbearing, I felt it was the brews strength. Subtle fruits at the tail.

T - Booming. Well-balanced bitter that conceals the high ABV.

M - A tad bit thin for my palate. Low on carbonation. Its attenuation allows the flavor to really hit every aspect of your mouth.

O - Solid.

Serving type: can

10-18-2012 03:49:09 | More by genitempo

OriginalHopHead

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Trying this beer for the first time at Hopfields, Austin -which is one of my favorite places to have beer. Looking at my snifter I'm loving the color; it's a nice, dark-amber color. It has a smooth smell. But let me tell you about the taste! Oh, the taste! You are going to love this Imperial if you are into bolder, richer flavors. This is one of the best I had in a while.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2012 18:16:15 | More by OriginalHopHead

AgentZero

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to MasterSki for this one.

A - Nice looking beer. Copper color with two fingers of white head with great retention. Slightly cloudy, some good stick on the sides of the glass.

S - Pine, grapefruit, whole lot of hops. Not particularly sweet.

T - Holy bitter Hell! I took a little sip straight out of the can, and I thought it reminded me of Pliny. After getting it into the glass and having some more generous sips I realize this is not the case. Exceptionally bitter, one of the more bitter beers I can remember having in quite some time. Lots of resin and oil, touch of pine, and some grapefruit that isn't sweet. It's nice tasting but might be a bit rough for some.

M - Medium bodied, fairly smooth somehow, although the hop bite might make it appear to be less smooth than it is. Moderate carbonation.

O - Solid beer, but was actually kind of hard for me to get down due to how bitter it was. Drinks much easier than 10%, alcohol very well hidden. Worth seeking out if you're a hop head.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 04:49:00 | More by AgentZero

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can poured into an Ommegang chalice. Thanks to ksurkin for this can.

Appearance - Pours a hazy burnt orange with a nice two finger off-white head. Sticks nicely.

Smell - Grassy and piney hops. Juicy grapefruit and just a hint of that simcoe garlic. There's a ton of hops, but even so a strong sweetness comes through behind. Just a little bit of a burnt malt smell. Gives it a touch of must.

Taste - An intense hop profile similar to the smell. Definite booze kick to it, too. Malty sweetness, but dries out making me think they added some adjunct to get the ABV up. I could have done without that. Healthy bitterness that is amplified by the dry finish.

Mouthfeel - Boozy and dry. Medium heavy. The sweetness is held in check by the bitterness at first, but it gets a little intense in the finish. The bitterness, that is.

Overall - I had high expectations. It's good, it's not great. It's a little rough around the edges and too big. Nice hop profile, though.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 01:08:36 | More by Alieniloquium

gtermi

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: This beer pours a very nice cloudy dark amber orange with a thick white head that slowly fades.

S: There is a nice spicy hop smell with a tiny bit of sweetness.

T: Just wow! The flavor of this beer is absolutely fantastic. It hits you with a strong hop flavor that explodes in my mouth and has a nice undertone of sweetness to control it just a tad bit. As the beer lingers, the hop flavor slightly fades away and the sweetness becomes more prominent.

M: This beer goes down with ease and has a nice full body. There is a bit of crispness on the tip of the tongue and the back of throat.

O: This is an amazing beer. I was lucky to find just one 4 pack and boy am I glad I found it.. Just amazing.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 03:57:44 | More by gtermi

GRG1313

California

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another Texas winner that must be commented upon.

Pours dark orange with a long lasting firm white head.

The nose is just what you want in an IPA, none the less a 10% imperial IPA. The big fresh hop nose is very assertive, clean and pure. The high alcohol is not reflected in that "alcohol sweet" character some high abv IPAs can have. Nice nose all around.

Mouthfeel is big, rich and bold. Full bodied with light carbonation and nice bitter balance.

Flavor profile is big pleasant bitter pine and grapefruit skin but with high tones; bright tones and rich deep flavors. There's some burnt toast, "almost sweet" burnt oranges and just a big bitter character.

Finish is all grapefruit oil and long lasting. Another good Texas effort. 09/12

Serving type: can

09-27-2012 01:46:21 | More by GRG1313

MasterSki

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can from xpimptastikx. Served in a Darkness glass.

A - Big off-white foam slowly settles to a thick cap, leaving rings of splotchy lace. Mostly transparent fiery copper body. A few streams of fast-moving bubbles are visible.

S - This is an intensely piney and earthy beer, and I was actually surprised to find out it was an Imperial IPA as it smelled more like a 7% IPA. There's a touch of grapefruit and lemon rind, as well as a touch of dankness, but this isn't a very sweet hop bouquet. Malt is surprisingly understated for a 10% beer.

T - The flavor reveals more of the IIPA character, with some sugary malts, candied citrus, and tropical fruits mid-palate before yielding to a lingering piney and herbal bitterness. Again, no trace of the listed 10%. It's not a super-complex beer, but it's got nice balance to it. I can also sense this is rolling off a bit at the one month mark, so I'd encourage others to try this sooner rather than later.

M - Soft, creamy medium-full body, with some nice residual oils and resins as well as a bit of malt stickiness. I prefer things a bit dryer, but it's a 10% IIPA so it's not terrible problematic. Alcohol is well hidden, with only a bit of warmth after most of the can is done.

D - A solid IIPA that is a really fast and easy way to get krunk. Not sure who the homebrewer was who collaborated on this beer, but kudos! If you like old-school hop bills and easy-drinking high-ABV beers this is a very good choice. Just looked it up and the hop bill is Simcoe, Centennial and Columbus - makes sense.

Serving type: can

09-20-2012 00:04:55 | More by MasterSki

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz can pours a very hazed light red color with an ample cap of long-lasting, off-white head. Sticky lace bumps this into the 4+ range on appearance.

Nose is tropical and citric hop dominant but has enough sweetbread maltiness to add a semblance of balance.

Taste is equally as hop flavor forward as it is hop bitterness. The body is plentiful, if not full or cloying, and not totally without presence. The alcohol is ridiculously well hidden, more so than any DIPA I have had in recent memory. It is really nice to see some local brewers crank out some hoppy stuff that can hang with the best in the nation. Resinous, delicious and bursting with hops…I would love to see this one make it into the regular rotation.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 00:18:39 | More by twiggamortis420

brentk56

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color capped by a nicely formed head; very nice retention and several shards of lace are left behind

Smell: Floral, piney and citrusy - the epitome of a great DIPA aroma

Taste: This is a DIPA with a maximum dose of hops and just the right amount of malt balance as it starts out laying a hint of caramel and then dashing forward into the realm of the hops; the hops present as piney and citrusy and build from there; loads of grapefruit, along with some pineapple

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; slightly boozy

Overall: This is a great DIPA to my way of thinking (or tasting) - love that the malts are way in the background and the vast majority of the flavor comes from the hops; not sticky at all like many other DIPAs - glad I was in Texas when it hit the shelves

Serving type: can

09-09-2012 18:40:17 | More by brentk56

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice light ruby color, with a beige colored head. Dissipates to a spongy ring, leaves some spotty lacing. The aroma is slightly sweet and citrusy, some orange, with a caramel sticky maltiness. The taste is much more piny and resinous, with a big bitter bite to it that lingers. Some bright citrus tinges as well with a nice malt profile to balance things out. Solid full body, not too sticky or over-bearing, feels great on the palate.

This is a beast of an IIPA! Love me some pine!

Serving type: can

09-07-2012 21:59:40 | More by EgadBananas

obrike

Texas

4.39/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Well lookee here...a Texas DIPA that quite possibly rivals Saint Arnold Endeavour in bad-assness.

Got a 4 pack at my Round Rock Specs thanks to the helpful employee who pointed it out to me. An awesome price at less than 8 bucks.

A rich, copper pour, not a huge head, but a lovely little white ring that leaves streaky lacing throught the drink. A rich looking DIPA.

Damn...this thing has a fresh aroma. A great combo of grapefruit, orange, tropical fruit, and sappy pine. Amazing scent from a canned brew.

Holy crap! A fantastic blend of sweet malt and sticky bitter hops. The piney hops are pronounced and the tropical fruit abundant. This one is comparable to a freshDeviant Dale's in my non-expert opinion....but better! Just mind-blowingly good and a huge surprise. Incredibly drinkable...dangerously so, for a 10%. beer.

Man... this one does indeed rival Endeavour as a fantastic Texas double IPA...seek it out my friends.

Serving type: can

09-06-2012 00:55:47 | More by obrike

champ103

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very attractive hazed copper/orange color. A disappointingly small and thin white head forms, but sticks around as a cap. A light watery film of lace is left.
S: A heavenly aroma. At first pine and tree sap. A huge juicy mango, pineapple, and peach aroma that is to die for. Love it.
T: A bit more toned down here. Pine and resinous tree sap again. The juicy fruity flavors are there, just more in the background. A long and lingering grapefruit bitterness lasts forever.
M/D: A medium to full body. Very crisp and dry. For the huge bitterness and alcohol this drinks exceptionally smooth.

I am not a hop head at all. This is very good and enjoyable though. The long bitter finish keeps this from being truly exceptional for me though. Hop heads rejoice, this is very well made.

Serving type: can

09-03-2012 20:19:40 | More by champ103

GregSVT

Texas

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can into a snifter

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark orange with a nice white head that fades to a layering and leaves some good lacing on the glass. The carbonation is about perfect for the style and can really be seen if you swirl the glass...it creates a big creamy white head again that sticks around for longer than a normal DIPA.

S: The nose is about what you want from a DIPA. Big aromas of pine, tropical fruits, and sweet malt. The tropical fruits are there but not as prevalent as the pine.

T: The taste is really bitter at first but as you sip it and let it warm a bit you can really pick up the other flavors. There are big flavors of pine and bitter grapefruit rind along with some tropical fruits and caramel malt in the background.

M: The feel is creamy and medium bodied.

O: This is one of the better DIPAs I've had recently and can hold it's own with some of the more bitter and over-the-top examples of the style. I hope they make this on a regular basis as I'd buy it more often than some other IPAs in the TX market right now. The 10% abv is barely noticeable which is pretty impressive...so smooth and drinkable.

Serving type: can

09-01-2012 05:11:17 | More by GregSVT

whoneeds8

Texas

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of the can into a tulip glass a burnt orange color with a one finger white head. Low head retention, but great lacing all the way down.

Scent is . . . HOPS, HOPS, HOPS. There's a small amount of alcohol in the nose as well.

The taste is a hop whollop, lots of piney citrus flavors with a great malted backbone. Overall well balanced IIPA flavor.

Mouth-feel is right up the standard for IIPA.

This has to be one of the best Texas Home Brew Winning beers that has been put into limited production (Eat your heart's out Divine Reserve Big Batch Brew Bash Winners, because none of you have equaled this beer).

Serving type: can

09-01-2012 02:26:17 | More by whoneeds8

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The beer poured a hazy amber/gold with a nice finger of head that dissipated very quickly, good lacing as well. Remember, 'Clarity is overrated.' The aroma was explosive, huge citrusy west coast hops. There is a battle going on between the more aggressive piney hops and a bouquet of candy-like fruit. This all translates into the taste and is accompanied by a substantial and very refreshing hop bite. The malt contributes very well, not infringing in anyway upon the hops while still cutting the bitterness and giving reinforcement to the more delicate hop flavors. The body is full, and even somewhat silky, with a light carbonation bite and a touch of alcohol burn.

Overall, this is one impressive beer, it is so common for IPAs to be overly one-sided and this one is anything but. It has complexity within the hop bill, complexity within the malt bill, and it all works together so well. Very well one of the best Texas IPAs I have ever had, dangerously drinkable for a beer this strong. I would love to see Southern Star add this to the rotation.

Serving type: can

09-01-2012 01:51:20 | More by Siriusfisherman

FosterJM

California

3.85/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

1479th Review on BA
Can to Piraat Tulip
12oz can

No canning date. (Probably 2weeks old)
Thanks to lnashsig

App- A very deep orange coppery color with a small 1/4" head that was off white and faded quickly. Decent cling down the glass with a pond layer. Good density in color.

Smell- Well this dry hopped big ol amarillo bomb has a lot going on. Like a deep orange zest with a pine tree and whispy booze. Big and thick with a ton of aromatics. Not all in harmony but solid.

Taste- Its dry and crisp with a huge bitter, piney hoppy citrus flavor. This is a flavorful beer, like the nose its big and boozy but a bit more tidy on the flavors. The opening dry gives way to the citrus and finishes a bit hoppy. A good amount of pine needle flavor is what keeps this from being great. Dial that down, little better I think.

Mouth- This is the best part of the beer. A big boozy thick finish with a good amount of pine/zest residual flavors. A bit dry but has flashes of being a bit wetter.

Drink- Still not the biggest amarillo fan but this was pretty good. Boozy, piney and hoppy. Just needs to be dialed back a bit. Glad to try this but wouldnt have seeked it out.

Serving type: can

08-31-2012 02:49:22 | More by FosterJM

jbeezification

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I bought this beer because I kept hearing about it on twitter and my beer store recommended it. I have never been a huge fan of Southern Star.

Served at 45 degrees poured in a (512) Snifter.

At first pour the color, body and aroma are instantly obvious and very pleasant. Good head about 1 finger from a non aggressive pour. Pretty good head retention.

It has a strong smell of citrus with hops. My buddy who isn't a craft beer drinker said it smells like weed. I didn't catch that but its worth noting.

Very good balance of hops, citrus and not overly bitter. Taste is reminiscent of Hoptimum and Endeavour. If I had to chose between this and those two I would have a tough decision to make. This beer is that good.

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 11:18:48 | More by jbeezification