Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale - Southern Tier Brewing Company

Blakaeris

Iowa

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours cloudy golden-amber with a slight soapy head that doesn't hang around long.

Aroma is grainy, slightly grassy, pale malt.

Taste is relatively sweet, pale and caramel malt. Hops are understated but manage to bring a lemon citrus quality. Finishes with a lingering musty and grainy character.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied.

Overall I found this to be extraordinarily average.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 17:02:52 | More by Blakaeris

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cloudy light amber/orange, dark yellow, with moderate white head. About half- a mini-inch/pinky thick/thin, adequate lacing.

Fair nose of toasted malted barley. very faint, very light notes of grains, some citrus and piney hops. Very light on the nose. Aromas, while good, are very faint. Have to press your nose pretty hard to detect.

Light fruity malt sweetness ride the mouth, very light and faint hops follow in the background. Light body, your standard pale ale(medium to high)carbonation. Very light, smooth and satisfying.

Not bad. It's no SN Pale Ale, but it's satisfying and meets the standard.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 01:42:51 | More by happy4hoppybeer

gabedivision

New York

2.65/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle to a DFH tumbler glass.

Pours a deep golden yellow/orange with a 1/2 finger fluffy white head with a massively visibly carbonation. Faint citrus hops on the nose with a lemon musk wafting around. The low profile hops and funky must give it almost like a lager type smell that i cant seem to get over. A citrus tingle on the tongue, light malts, light grassy hop character, more of that grainy lager style on the taste, slight lemon bitter on the tongue. Light in body and in the mouth, big carbonation. Southern Tier makes some extraordinary ale's ... this aint one of em. I just dont get this beer at all, this is a perfect beer for a person just weaning off of BMC or drinks it regularly to try because they have similar characteristics. Man, it hurts slamming a ST beer but this beer sucks, do your self a favor and avoid it.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:47:28 | More by gabedivision

budgood1

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

pours out a bronze tinted gold colour with a minimal head and lace. graham cracker nose...a bit of lemony hop zest teases the nose. taste is bready malt combo of sourdough and lemon cake. hops provide a touch of lemony zing with a lingering, zesty bitterness. medium bodied, with an easy going feel to it. nice drinkability...a thirst quencher to be sure without being over the top. would wash down some of your favourite game day grub. or be a good lawnmower ale in the summer time.

overall, average at best. certainly not "extraordinary" by any means. maybe "pedestrian" or "working mans" ale might be a more appropriate. my scores are kind and definitely give this the benefit of the doubt. the label lists this as %5.7 ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 21:36:55 | More by budgood1

Apostlebrews

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The APA from Southern Tier is a very drinkable beer with good flavor but minor complexity.
The nose gives off some hops, bread, and citrus notes. The taste is similar to the nose with an added flavors from the malts. The taste from the front to the finish doesn't change much--there's a consistent taste of the citrus notes (grapefruit and orange peel) and a sweetness from the malts.
As I said, this beer is not very complex, but I don't think it needs to be. It's very drinkable and has a good flavor. This could easily become a regular in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 19:10:42 | More by Apostlebrews

leokbelo

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear gold color in a witbier glass. An unespected scent of a "hoppy witbier". This Pale Ale presents itself way differently than other APAs. Hint of orange peel with some citrus hops on the nose.
Nice hoppy flavor, but not overwhelming.
Decent but it seems it tries too hard to be something it's not.
Very drinkable, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 01:02:44 | More by leokbelo

BooRad81

Tennessee

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into New Belgium snifter. Soft white lacing with some nice wheaty peach color. Nose is a touch muted but opens up with some nice spearmint and orange marmalade and same on mouthfeel with some rather muted citrusy hops. Not overly hoppy but pleasant. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 06:49:54 | More by BooRad81

tdm168

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a moderate copper color with 1/2" of thick, foamy head that has decent retention. The nose is very bready, showcasing the barley malt. The taste is malty up front but not as bready as the nose would lead you to believe; it's much more indicative of pale malt. The malt is followed by a mild floral, piny hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with decent carbonation.

This is a decent APA but it's hardly complex. The flavor profile is all around subdued. I prefer ST beers that are more robust and showcase a more profound flavor profile. For the style, however, it fits in nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 17:26:31 | More by tdm168

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ring of soapy white head, golden orange, light lace. Smell is full of citrus, orange, spicy yeast notes, firm malt backbone, lemon with grassy notes. Taste is grassy and citrusy, lemon, bready malt, mildly floral, moderate bitterness, citrus and grapefruit finish and aftertaste, drying. Medium-high carbonation, medium body, fairly oily. Solid stuff, could easily drink a bunch of these in one night.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 14:41:22 | More by peensteen

Rhynes2

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light clear orangish color with a slight head but not much retention. The smell has notes of orange with a touch of floral hops. It has a great light flavor and is something that I would prefer to have on a sunny hot day. Taste is refreshingly crisp. Notes of citrus are what really pops out at me. comes off as a touch on the dry side which I like a lot. I'll be trying this one again for sure

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 20:28:15 | More by Rhynes2

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice vibrant orange with a small white head.

Smells of crisp light hops and grains. Wheatgrass, grains and cereal

Taste is well balanced between restrained hops and sweet toasted grains. Nice hop flavor without the bitterness kick from an IPA

Easy drinking pale ale

Decent pale ale from ST

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 18:25:20 | More by TheMultiYeast

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful. Orange with pale edges. Bubbly.

S: Slight hops. Almost eggy, as odd as it sounds.

T: Light as hell, but packed with hop. It doesn't hit my throat like an IPA, though. I'm lovin' it.

M: Smooth and watery. A little bit of carbonation excites my tongue.

OVERALL: I could drink this all day long. ST does it, again. I'm glad I gave it a go.

NOTE: Live review @ The Ram's Head in West Chester, Penna.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 06:30:26 | More by RobertColianni

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden straw color with some orange highlights and a white head.

Smells of grapefruit and orange with coriander, and a floral bouquet.

Taste bitter grapefruit giving way to sweet orange, with some spicy coriander notes, followed by a biscuity, chewy malt mouthfeel. Very nice, a solid ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 22:36:09 | More by Chickenhawk9932

david18

New York

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this beer as a part of a "Pack of Pales" they were selling. Twelve bottles, three each of four of their pales. This was my least favorite of the bunch. A little light on all accounts.

Appearance was a golden color, clear like the others with a nice amount of carbonation.

Aroma was somewhat biscutty with very little hops to speak of.

Flavor was also very light. More of a light lager than a pale.

Overall not as impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 21:08:31 | More by david18

Neorebel

New Jersey

2.2/5  rDev -38%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Advertised as having 3 types of malts, 3 types of hops. I was pretty excited. Color is clear yellow... with almost no head. The aroma was nice - sweet apricot and grains coming out. The taste was bready, earthy, and bitter, in a somewhat stale and off putting way. I almost didn't review this because I thought the bottle may have gone bad, but other reviews seem to suggest that's how it is... Pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:25:06 | More by Neorebel

BDIMike

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark golden color. The liquid is completely clear with no haze, but a lot of carbonation that creates only a thin white head with very little lacing.
Smell is of fresh hops. A subtle citrus waft with floral undertones.
Taste falls short in comparison to smell. Taste is stronger on the malt with a biscuit taste. The hops are very subtle and barely tasted.
Mouthfeel has a nice bite to it. Very refreshing.
Drinkability is nice. A good american pale ale. I have had better and I have had worse. A good beer for a drinking session, but it may get boring after a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:49:39 | More by BDIMike

rdub

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've been liking the southern tier products lately so I picked a single up from wegmans mixed six area. Poured into my Duvel tulip. Clear and golden with a minimal head. What's going in here? Slight hop aroma mixed with malt. This is kind of weird. Tasted kind of basic. Kind of like a junior APA. Not sure why this is extraordinary. Basically ok.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:09:56 | More by rdub

climax

Kansas

2.58/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

If this APA encompasses enough outstanding traits to be deemed extraordinary this shall be fun, like Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure fun.

It pours an amber hue with filtered clarity. I really had to molest the pour to get any head out of it, as it was starting out relatively flat. However, the retention and lace of what I did get is fairly decent.

Slight skunky bitterness and diacetyls are pilsner-esque in the aroma. The hop profile is herbal, seems of noble variety, but rather vague and subdued. Oktoberfest toasty and spicy qualities mixed with a lager-like tinny twang confuse me further as to what's going on in here.

The Munich lager theme from the nose get's further portrayed in the taste. Clean, but uninspiring is the theme in here. The banana, vanilla, earthy finish is really all that denotes any sort of character. A relatively watery body further denotes that this one doesn't have much oomph.

Not sure what a solid club like Southern Tier was after with this one, it is not extraordinary by any stretch. It's easy to drink and there is nothing offensive about it, but it just seems like a lost puppy with no pedigree.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 23:31:15 | More by climax

bnes09

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lemon-orange colored brew. Good clarity. A few bubbles form on top them disappear into oblivion. No retention, no lacing. Poor.

Bright citrusy, pine-like aroma. Fresh bread.

Nice hop flavor, orange peel and pine cones, assertive yet not overpowering. Fresh baked biscuit flavor from the malt. Well balanced and smooth.

Sturdy medium body. Crisp and smooth. Lively carbonation.

Good brew. Tasty and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 04:40:57 | More by bnes09

mntlover

Tennessee

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a lightly hazy golden color with a smaller white head even from aggressive pour. Head falls quick but some lacing left behind.

Aroma is light citrus notes on a bready malt base, pretty basic avg pale ale.

Taste is bready malts light metallic notes with some hop bite. Citrus dominating with some grassy notes in the finish.

Mouthfeel is light with crisp carbonation.

Overall a light refreshing brew, easy drinking but not as great as some good Pale Ales. Don't see ever re buying this one not bad just not good enough.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 22:56:22 | More by mntlover

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a lightly hazed gold color with a small tan head. Retention and lacing leave a bit to be desired.

Nose is mostly bright, sharp citrus hops along with a biscuity malt base. Pretty basic, refreshing summer brew on the smell.

Alot of hop flavor with only a fair amount of bitterness. Malt backbone is pretty flabby, but I think the brewers intended this to be light bodied and easy to drink. Biscuit dominates with a grainy, very mild toffee character. I like the hops used here...little bit of tropical, lot of citrus and a smattering of resin. Freshness seems to be paramount to this one, as I already notice a difference in the 3 weeks it has been since I last cracked one of these. Pretty tasty stuff overall, I could see myself getting a sixer of this at least once a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 20:51:05 | More by twiggamortis420

rebel1771

Florida

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a crystal clear pale straw color with a slight head that fades quickly.

S: Nice hoppy citrus aroma with notes of pine thrown in.

T: Citrus up front fading to a slightly dry cracker flavor. Vague fruit notes in the end.

O: Pretty good APA but not extraordinary.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 22:26:53 | More by rebel1771

Kendo

New York

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. Body is clear golden in color with a small, off-white sudsy head. No real visible carbonation gives it a "flat" appearance. A little bit of lace is left on the glass.

S: First impression of the nose was that something was "off" a little bit - something metallic. But after a few sips either that's gone or I've gotten used to it. Now I'm getting a slight toastiness and some citrusy, lemony hops.

T: Light-ish malt up front - definitely of the toasted bread variety but with a touch of sweetness too. Slightly metallic hop flavor follows, along with citrusy lemon and a touch of florally hops. Finishes fairly dry with a light lingering bitterness. Good for an APA - balanced nicely between the bready malt and lemony hops.

M: Light-to-medium body. Carbonation is there, surprisingly (given the appearance) - fine but active.

O: Solid. Well-balanced. An easy-drinking APA.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 02:43:32 | More by Kendo

doughanson78

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks to jmarsh123 and his LIF for this one.

A: Nice golden color, with a slight haze. One finger slightly yellow head, with good retention and lacing.

S: Malty, with good caramel aroma. Slight citrusy hop notes, led by apricots and grapefruit, with touches of tangerine and light pineapple.

T: Not a huge taste on this, but good. Sweet caramel up front. A little tostiness through the rest of mouth. Not much bitterness, but a light grapefruit and orange comes through. A touch of tart in the finish.

M: Lighter in body, but definitely not watery. Higher carbonation. A tad creamy.

O: A pretty decent Pale. Not the best by far, but very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:51:24 | More by doughanson78

TippySelenoid

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

It's a lighter color than I expected. It's a dark gold color, kind or orangey. It has a white head that laces pretty well.

Smells malty, with some bitter hops. Not too powerful, but a good scent.

It has a sort of sweet sort of bitter effect. Tere are some bitter hop flavors that are balanced by some not too heavy malts.

It has pretty active carbonation, it's not a very heavy beer, but it';s by no means watery.

I like it. This would enter the regular rotation at my house if it weren't so pricey, $10 a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 13:56:06 | More by TippySelenoid