ÜberSun (Imperial Summer Wheat Beer) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

Todd

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz brown bomber. Pours a slightly chill-hazed, rich golden colored beer, crowned with a super creamy, white foam head with some great stick and retention.

Big, earthy, raw, floral, definitely dry-hopped aroma w/ a spicy herbal back and notes of candy and toasty malts. Mild esters initially, but they become a bit more pronounced--fruity and floral--later. Alcohol is lurking, but indeed there.

Nice hop bite upfront, beneath a creamy and smooth palate and medium-body. Hop character is a bit prickly, spicy, herbal, with a slight resiny stick and underlying citric and pronounced floral presence. Grassy at times. Crisp wheat edge, with some husky tannins as things warm. Some fruity esters in the middle. Bready malts follow, with a hint of caramel in a candy-like sweetness that segues into a peppery alcohol finish that teeters on boozy; warming. Very bready in the finish, with powdery malts, hay, some residual sweetness and hop spiciness. Dry, but not overly.

Interesting brew. Perhaps more of a Wheatwine, maybe? I'll leave that up to Southern Tier. Big, but delicate. Complex, but overall pretty damn well-balanced. Hops are well-played, distinct, but never overwhelm. That 8% is well-hidden too.

This redefines the standard, and often boring, American wheat summer seasonal, but it's certainly not as sessionable. Most definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2008 23:44:38 | More by Todd

jkane101

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1%

05-15-2013 00:42:31 | More by jkane101

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -1%

04-15-2013 05:41:58 | More by Kelp

t0rin0

California

3/5  rDev -25.7%

02-09-2013 22:55:08 | More by t0rin0

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

01-30-2013 16:09:24 | More by DmanGTR

srw

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

07-05-2012 14:47:22 | More by srw

avisong

Virginia

4/5  rDev -1%

05-07-2012 01:18:31 | More by avisong

DrGonzoDDS

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

04-29-2012 16:56:01 | More by DrGonzoDDS

Tyrawlings

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1%

02-19-2012 01:50:14 | More by Tyrawlings

jfcaa193

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1%

02-02-2012 03:20:38 | More by jfcaa193

babybew

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

12-29-2011 20:25:13 | More by babybew

jophish17

Georgia

3/5  rDev -25.7%

12-24-2011 07:37:07 | More by jophish17

GrindFatherBob

New York

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-14-2011 17:41:21 | More by GrindFatherBob

djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1%

12-12-2011 20:42:29 | More by djrn2

rab53

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-09-2011 04:04:54 | More by rab53

THECPJ

Delaware

4/5  rDev -1%

12-05-2011 16:10:44 | More by THECPJ

barnzy78

Illinois

3/5  rDev -25.7%

12-01-2011 03:11:33 | More by barnzy78

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1%

11-27-2011 22:02:30 | More by JAHMUR

brandoman63

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

11-20-2011 03:55:05 | More by brandoman63

victory4me

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +23.8%

11-18-2011 15:10:30 | More by victory4me

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -1%

11-17-2011 21:26:03 | More by tclapper

TippySelenoid

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip.

This beer is a beautiful gold. It's got some pretty active carbonation. The best thing about this beer is the head. I poured it about 3" thick because I was unprepared for its fluffy goodness. The head lasted all the way to the bottom. Stunning and fragrant.

It smells pretty sweet, which is what I would expect of an 8% wheat beer. What I was not ready for was the prevalent hop aromas that assaulted my nose.

It's taste was pretty good. It's was very wheaty without being like a hefeweizen. A very American tasting brew. It had a big sweetness that was offset by a moderate amount of hops. There is also a lot of alcohol on the palate, but it wasn't bad and helped to give the beer a good amount of bite.

It was pretty creamy and smooth with a medium body.

Overall, this is yet another good beer from Southern Tier. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite brewers. My wife and I split the bomber and it was a great afternoon snack on our day off together.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 23:12:12 | More by TippySelenoid

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Southern Tier is a brewery I've come to inherently trust. Everything I've tried from them has been, if not fantastic, then at least excellent. From the smell, UberSun promises to live up to the high expectations I have, as its nose is ripe and full of bright grapefruity hops, as well as subtle and intoxicating hints of toasted grains and brown sugars. Somehow, UberSun *smells* like summer to me, and even before I've taken a sip, I'm reminded of lazy days on the deck at a local pub.

Thankfully, this sensation continues as the beer hits the tongue, and the flavors noted in the nose translate almost directly, with hops dominating, and brown sugars and caramels doing a sexy tango in the background, and perhaps just a hint of whiskey swirling around the edges.

But while these flavors are wonderful--and cranked up, as Imperials are wont to be--and the beer is indeed excellent, I do question what there is to differentiate UberSun from a really good-quality IPA, at least in terms of flavors. Of course, if you like IPAs, then this is a moot question; either will do you just fine. But I do think the "summer wheat beer" category noted on the label will make some people expect this to be far tamer and more subtle, and no doubt the hoppy goodness will come as quite a shock.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 22:05:06 | More by jondeelee

rlee1390

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found a bottle at Sam the Beer Man in Binghamton and I had to try this beer, even though it is most likely 2ish years old. Oh well here's the review.

A-Cloudy orange, some carbonation which I was happy to see.

S-Citrus, wheat and some hops.

T-Citrusy sweet and some wheat, along with some earthy tones. Bitter ending.

M-Medium bodied, smooth

O-I would have loved to have had this beer fresh, with hops at full force. This has the potential to be the perfect summer beer. One note though that recommended serving temp is 40F, and as it warms it does not improve. Drink cool.

Dear Southern Tier, Bring this beer back!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 18:45:09 | More by rlee1390

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

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

Unusual run of excellent American Pale Wheat Ales in the last few days. While they may sit in the same vague style category here on BA, ÜberSun and Oarsman are about as far apart as possible.

ÜberSun pours a gold body tinged with a peach hue. The head is white and creamy.

Wheat crackers and orange marmalade comprise the aroma.

The palate is malty sweetness, grainy cracker, and a citrus infused finish. Interesting, its hoppy, boozy, and...wheaty. Think American Wheat meets American Barleywine but in a refreshing, Summer beer sort of way. That doesn't make any sense, but its the best I've got.

Full body with lower carbonation than most APWAs.

Smooth and creamy, ÜberSun is not as light and drinkable as I was expecting. No doubt it is a big beer. Not my favorite, but it is interesting and a little different. My exploration of Southern Tier continues...

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 23:41:09 | More by BradLikesBrew