Unearthly (Imperial India Pale Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.73/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've enjoyed Unearthly many times before. This particular bomber hails from Harvest Fine Wine in West Hartford CT, purchased in September for $6.99. Bottle claims alcohol at 11.0% ABV. No date or code observed. Served at 44F in a tulip at the same temperature.

A: A significant cake of yeast is noted at the bottom of the bottle. Brew is a mostly-clear reddish copper color with a moderate quantity of small carbo bubbles drifting upward. Heavy/ moderate pour generates only 1/2" of tan head that settles to a creamy layer. Difficult to get any significant head out of it.

S: Smell is thick with malts that have been slightly caramelized by a long boil, a thick and slightly scorched grainy sweetness. Not much hop noted.

T/M: Thick malt body and taste identical to the smell, semi-sweet, scorched, really dominates the experience. Some mild yeasty funk is also present. Hops are pretty subtle, very tame for the style; some bitter orange pith, grapefruit, mixed herb. Finish is pretty long with citrus rinds and alcohol fumes. Alcohol is present but fairly subtle for 11%.

D: This is pretty lackluster, I remember it being much better. Not at all crisp or hoppy like a DIPA should be. Not much different from any other mediocre DIPA. I'm guessing it's due to some combination of over-cooked batch and an old bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 01:36:22 | More by BeerNinja007

spunionring

2.73/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A fairly dark amber color.

Minimal head that settles quickly. Sips are almost completely flat, lacking carbonation.

Minimal smell.

A bit heavy on the malts for my tastes.

The hops are present, though not very heavy, and not nearly heavy enough to break through the overpowering malt flavor.

Not terrible... but I cant say I enjoyed it myself. Be prepared for the heavy maltiness and lack of carbonation. And definitely dont expect a powerful hop bitterness just because of the hop themed design on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 23:42:38 | More by spunionring

Jparkanzky

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

From bottle to pint glass, split with wife.

A) Golden, more of a "sandy-blonde" as Patrick Bateman would say

S) Smells hoppy, and slightly of oak (although I've had the oak-aged version, which was completely different than this)

T) Malt... booze... a hint of hops... not what I would expect from an IPA.

M) Nothing memorable.

O) Not bad, just doesn't taste like an IPA or double at that.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 01:20:36 | More by Jparkanzky

brunop

Massachusetts

2.55/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

i really wanted to like this. everyone was always going on about it and all. so i was stoked when i got a bottle and chilled it good and got out my favorite glass and poured it.

what a let down. maybe i was too stoked. i don't know.

i was all set for a hop blast. wasn't happenin' at all. maybe i got a bad bottle, i don't know.

a great disappointment. hardly any hop flavor at all. and there was even a sweet undercurrent.

i may try their other beers, but i am skeptical.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2009 19:53:22 | More by brunop

sdmvd6

Oklahoma

2.53/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Deep orange with almost no head. What little there is disappears instantly and leaves behind no lacing.

S - Malt-forward. Caramel malt and that's mostly it. Some searching yields some tropical fruit hop presence but not much. Where's the hop-forward nose on this imperial IPA?

T - Same as the smell. Mostly malt from the beginning with some fruitiness from the hops. Hardly any bitterness is present. This beer doesn't taste bad, but I expect an imperial IPA to be a heck of a lot more bitter and hop-dominant.

M - Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and a slight alcohol tinge in the finish. A little too much sweetness from the malt.

O - This is not a bad-tasting beer, but it is a poor representation of an imperial IPA IMO. The bitterness is very subtle for the style, and the hops are in way too good of balance with the malt. I don't drink an imperial IPA for perfect balance between malt and hops, I drink it for a pronounced hop character.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 22:40:42 | More by sdmvd6

Patrick999

Florida

2.42/5  rDev -41%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Here I am giving Unearthly another chance. I must be a glutton for punishment. OK, let's do it right this time. Poured into a snifter, it looks a fiery orange-red. Typical thin strong-ale head.

It smells good, better than the last time I tried it. Hops hit the nose first, then a strong undercurrent of honeycomb takes over, peaches, apricots, alcohol.

After a brief hit of peach-vodka sweetness, this has a rough, coarse dirt-like bitterness I really don't think I find too enjoyable. High in alcohol in an all too obvious way. Coarse, thick feel - coats my tongue in a weird way.

I still don't like it. It's way too alcoholic, with high levels of not pleasurable bitterness. It's one of the most difficult-to-drink beers I've ever tried. Somehow, other DIPAs or barleywines at or near this strength manage to be tasty and drinkable, yet this in my mind fails. I think 11% is much too much for this, I still maintain it should be closer to 9 - in fact I think all of ST's big IPAs should be scaled down in alcohol a notch or two.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 00:49:58 | More by Patrick999

ibbjamin

California

2.25/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Paid $5.99 for a bomber from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee, WI. Poured into a large snifter.

Pours moderately thick for a DIPA leaving a rather fizzy half inch white head that dissipates quite quickly leaving minimal retention. Rather transparent light amber color with some carbonation visually present. Almost no lacing.

A well balanced DIPA. The hoppiness is balanced well with a grainy malt aroma. Rather mild on the nose.

Again, the goal with this one must have been to make a well balanced DIPA.

The mouth is somewhat creamy but has a somewhat watery, crisp finish. Aftertaste does not last much. Good carbonation.

Not what I'm looking for in a DIPA and even for what it's worth, I'm not really sure this brew was a success. Quite overrated. So much so, it makes me wonder if this is a bad batch or something?

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 03:10:03 | More by ibbjamin

Chinon01

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Apperance is a lovely hazy deep copper-gold. Dense sustained foamy head. Spotty lacing. Nose is strong and unpleasant to me. Murky dark stewed fruits like prunes, raisins, mangos, apricots and some hops but generous to a fault. This is unrestrained deep malt flavor that rests on the tongue. Taste is similar with a really bad band aid phenolic taste to boot. Finish is ashy tasting and feeling also unpleasant. Mouthfeel is nice while drinkability is low due to taste and aroma. I did not enjoy this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2010 02:48:39 | More by Chinon01

n2185

North Carolina

2.15/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Pours a clear, dark orange/honey color with about a finger of white head. The head quickly vanishes into a thin ring with little to no lacing.

S: Lots of caramel malt up front followed by a sweet peach/nectarine smell. There is a bit of piny hop aroma there as well.

T: Caramel malt up front followed by a bit of the same sweet peach flavor. Then come the hops, adding a piny flavor to the middle. There is some bitterness in the finish, but the malt rears its head again as well, leaving an odd mixture of bitter and sweet aftertaste. There's a bit of a metallic aftertaste as well.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. There's a bit of an oily feel to it as well.

D: With as malty as it is and with the hops playing such a minor role, this isn't a very drinkable beer.

Edit; after having this beer on tap, I have to say it's not much improved. Slighly hoppier, but still way too sweet. Maybe a D+ instead of a D.

Overall, I suspect the bottle I got may have been a bit too old. However, if they're not going to bother bottle dating their beer, I should not be bothered with continuing to buy it in hopes that I get a fresh one. Most 10+% DIPAs can stand a bit of age as well before falling off.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 21:02:06 | More by n2185

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.15/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On Tap at TJ'S EVERYDAY in Paoli, PA.

Unearthly boasts a persimmon orange with some dark golden spots around the edges. A nice amount of loose melted sugar colored foam uptop that left after some time, minor sticks on the glass.

Smell is very off putting for me. There is some underlining citrus and earthy appeal, yet Unearthly smells like Elmers Glue. Enamel stripping type stuff, chemicals. Super sweet smelling as well with candi.

Trying to get past the smell, this has some nice heady hop qualitys bringing slight mango and other citrus, tropic like. Im sure it could be better if it was not for the super sweet malt profile that comes with alot of ST offerings for me. Are they trying to kill people?

Feel is a strong medium with a syrup consistency, it's not all that easy to get down the hatch. The carb is low enough to hardly be noticed. Alcohol coats the mouth. This is not looking good.

I had this once when I was first getting into IPA's/DIPA's years ago and I was indifferent on it then, going towards the MEH pile. Now after having it again years later, this is in the FUCK NO pile.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2012 02:53:13 | More by onix1agr

JG-90

New Jersey

2.05/5  rDev -50%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottle into glass

A - Clear copper color that pours a small off white head. leaves moderate lacing

S - Strange smell, malty and an over-the-top sweet/floral, does not smell like any beer ive had

T - Sickly sweet. Tastes mostly like overly ripe (or perhaps rotted) fruit. Also has a large caramel malt presense.

M - Medium body with average carbonation. Sweetness leaves a coating on your mouth

O - Extremely dissapointed. I am a big fan of Southern Tier's IPA and 2XIPA. This is one of the most unpleasant beers I have ever drank. The extreme sweetness hides the ABV, at least.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 21:49:55 | More by JG-90