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

Trifecta1

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle during finals week to take the edge off.

A: An amazing crystalline golden orange color, pours with a small head. Enticing lacing as the head fizzes away. Looks incredible, world class.

S: Not very hoppy, but full of citrus fruit notes and caramel.

T: Totally off guard. Very sweet caramel flavors with a monstrous oak bite. Citrus flavor stays in the back with mild bitterness and slight alcohol flavors come in last. Was expecting some of the hop flavor to fade due to the aging, but not this much. However, that doesn't mean it's bad, it is actually very tasty, but not the hop bomb one may be looking for.

M- Very sticky, velvety, full bodied, definite sipper.

O: Took me by surprise. Was expecting it to be OK for 6.99, but turned out great. Will definitely be buying one again in the future, but there are other beers to tackle first.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:37:10 | More by Trifecta1

teromous

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: It pours a light brown color with an orange hue, and transparent. The head is very thick, eggshell-white, and leaves good lacing on the glass.

S: Clean hop smell with a little bit of pine and some tangerine scent. It smells very nice like fresh fruit.

T: The oak hits first, then some malty flavor. There is some hop to the taste but not very much! After drinking, more of the oak character comes out. There's some bitterness along with a woody flavor. I appreciate how the alcohol flavor is burried in this beer. Aging worked well in that respect. (re-reviewing had the same tasting notes)

M: The mouthfeel is medium bodied and mellow. No alcohol burn and the hop bitterness is very tame. Easy to drink.

O: This is a re-review. The beer looks and smells much better than it used to, but it is still relatively tame on flavor and bitterness. It's a good beer but it needs more punch. It's still an enjoyable beer to drink, and that's the most important thing.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:29:29 | More by teromous

Andrew61923

Connecticut

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22 oz bomber into my Tree House tulip. Bottled April 8, so this is a little less than a month old.

A: What a gorgeous pour. Clear honey color with a small white head that slowly dissipates to a halo along the glass and a thin film on top. The lacing could be a bit better, but this is really inviting.

S: A big hop presence up front that is mellowed out nicely by the barrel. A really balanced aroma.

T: The taste pretty closely follows the nose. I get a lot of American hops that give way to the barrel on the back of the tongue. A tad sweet, but the higher ABV makes this not a surprise.

M: This is pretty drinkable for the ABV. It may border on syrupy a little bit too much, but it drinks really well. Carbonation is just right.

O: I really enjoyed this beer. It was a pleasure to drink and try to break down the different nuances that make it such a solid brew. I'd recommend drinking this soon if you have it.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:58:30 | More by Andrew61923

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep copper golden orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid two fingers of off white head that recede into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: A dank hoppy aroma with big hints from the barrel aging. Barrel characteristics upfront with big hints of oak and wood as well as a little vanilla. Big earthy hop aroma with lots of dank and spicy pine resin and grass. Herbal and floral hints. Also hints of citrus grapefruit, orange peel, mango, and lemon. Bready malt background with hints of biscuit, sweet caramel, grain, and yeast. Pine and oak stand out the most. A very solid smell .

Taste: Like the smell, a grassy and spicy hop driven taste with a big oak barrel profile. Big notes of oak and wood along with a little vanilla. Big taste of hops leaning to the dank and spicy side. Notes of pine resin and grass as well as some floral notes. Citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and mango. Solid bready malt backing with notes of biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, and grain. The oak notes play off well with the piney hops. A pretty good taste.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the heavier side of medium. Carbonation is moderate. Juicy and fairly oily. Drying finish. Alcohol is masked by the hops.

Overall: A very good aged IPA. The oak adds a good and interesting kick.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 06:46:00 | More by MattyG85

mnphish

Minnesota

4.39/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber served into a snifter. Bottled on 4/2/13.

It pours a dark gold/amber with a decent sized white head. There is some quality lacing and residuals on the glass.

It smells of light pine hops, caramel malts, and oak.

The taste is most definitely the high point. There is a quality hop profile with very light hints of fruit but it's more pine forward than anything. It's balanced impressively with a sweet malt backbone and creamy vanilla oak flavor. Medium bodied for a DIPA, nicely carbonated, but not overwhelming.

I was caught off guard by this one. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:24:01 | More by mnphish

jdp11284

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A tasty barrel-aged imperial IPA. If you like aged beers, this one will not let you down. Well balanced with lots of oak/vanilla/caramel notes. Lovely viscosity that is often not found in the IPA class. At 9.9%, I can't believe the complexity of flavors, nor can I believe that I can coherently type this review after a personal bottle. For $6.95, you can't beat it!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 05:38:38 | More by jdp11284

watsonmd

Georgia

4.94/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Pleasing amber/dark pour. Foamy head, but short lived. Lacing, faint amount lasted throughout the bomber...

S: Hoppy, lives up to IPA style. Oak hints

T: Orange, caramel, toffe, oak, vanilla... yummy!

M: Smooth, velvety, creamy. pleasing

O: Very nice change from the BA stouts I have been liking, but moving back to the IPA I love. A blend of BA and IPA.

Bought an extra to age for a while...

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:53:47 | More by watsonmd

DanH83

New York

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This might be my favorite Oakes imperial. The nose is a little on the softer side, but the rest of this beer is smooth as butter.

It pours a darker amber with a thin, quickly dissipating head. No lacing. Carbonation is smooth and just right. The buttery, caramel flavors are perfect. The hops are balanced with the oak notes just perfectly. The abv make drinking a bomber alone on a work night easy.

This was great, I'll be going back for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:09:06 | More by DanH83

silverking

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It pours a wonderful Cloudy orange/amber color with an off white head. The head falls fast but leaves a consistent, thin coating of foam with very nice lacing. The aroma is very citrusy and woodsy. Vanilla, malt, and alcohol are defenitly present as well. On the palate, citrus fades to malt and vanilla and then to a dark chocolate/coffee bitter finish. I absolutely love that hoppy bitterness. Moderate/low carbonation and a nice medium/heavy mouthfeel. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these up.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 00:15:52 | More by silverking

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bomber poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a hazy dark amber color with a half finger head and some lacing.

S: Citrus hops, sweet malts, bread, vanilla, and oak.

T: Bready, caramel malts along with vanilla, oak, faint hops, and a touch of alcohol.

M: Medium bodied with mild to moderate carbonation.

O: This is a great example of what an Oak Aged IPA can be. The hops are subdued, but that's because of the amazing balance with the rest of the ingredients. They mesh very well together. Super smooth, easy to drink, and extremely tasty. I love it!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 21:38:07 | More by nUgZ

Gobzilla

California

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: poured an orangish amber in color with yellow highlights and a half finger of head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: mostly malty sweetness upfront in the aroma with hints of oakiness, slightly citrusy, bready notes, maybe vanilla but no real hop character though.

T: caramel character was the leading the way on the palate alongside bready malty sweetness, very little citrus notes, some oaky accents, a touch of vanilla but once again almost no hop presence in the flavor either

M: the brew was medium to light in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a sweet, semi oaky, citrusy and crisp finish.

O: I was a little dissapointed on the flavor cause I was expecting more of a hop bite, oh well I guess I have to stick to these west coast hop bombs.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 23:36:36 | More by Gobzilla

Chris_Cali_2o9

5/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber to a sam adams cup

A- Amber body, 1/2" off white head

S- Caramel, vanilla, cream, apricot, orange, holiday spices, pine

T- Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, cola, piney hops, alcohol

M- Creamy... oh so creamy, average carbonation, alcohol heat

O- I just tried Enjoy by IPA, in hopes of blowing my mind. I was awesome, but not mind blowing. I cracked this brew, not expecting too much. As i poured this, the smell instantly caught me off guard, and then i sipped it... Mind = Blown! It smells of a piny orange and vanilla cream ice cream. It tastes the same, but with butterscotch and a nice warming booze. I finally understand what Bourbon BA fans describe when they talk of vanilla, oak, and cream, except there is no bourbon booze to overwhelm the senses, leaving me numb to the hops and malts. On the contrary, the alcohol melds with them, as a supporting actor and leaves a nice warming feeling threw out the body. This is officially, my favorite IIPA, and the only brew k have reviewed to get a 5/5.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 02:14:29 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tieman for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, alcohol, herbal hops, and a slight wood aroma. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick and a mild hop bitterness with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 08:57:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

5/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The perfect beer, if you're not a malt/oak hater. There's plenty of hops here, but they're balanced by the aforementioned ingredients. I couldn't find one thing to dislike about this beer, aside from the fact that it merely comes in a bomber. Sweet, Perfect, NECTAR! Yes, those caps weren't necessary, but were applied anyhow. I like Blue Point, but Southern Tier is the pride of NY!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:39:22 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

tryemdad

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden copper pour into my Long Trail "Plant a Tree" pint glass. Smell of slightly burnt sugar, with deep citrus notes.

Drinks smooth, faint booze. Lot's of vanilla...maybe sugar cookie. Thick and rich....really excellent. Much more mellow than the non-aged Unearthly - which remains one of my favs. I don't remember liking this as much the last time I had it - maybe a year ago. Highly recommend it if available...I'll be picking up more!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 02:21:45 | More by tryemdad

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-slightly hazy orange amber color with a nice white head and good lacing

S-biscuit, orange, caramel, hints of oak

T-malt, caramel, orange peel, slight floral, oak, a bit of alcohol coming through

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy mouthfeel

O-a little too sweet and malty for my taste, but otherwise well done and interesting oak-aged DIPA

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:49:43 | More by MDDMD

Beerenauslese

California

3.53/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Fresh bottle. Poured into a tulip glass.

Body is hazy, orange gold topped by a half inch head of off-white foam. Good retention and lacing.

Smells of sweet biscuity malt, orange peel, vanilla, brown sugar, and a touch of floral shampoo.

Tastes of sweet biscuit malt and a lot of malt sugar. There's some orange peel, toffee, vanilla, and wood tannin in the finish to balance out. This is a very malty DIPA--in the DFH 120 vein. This would be more appealing if there were more fresh citrus hop flavor; seems to me that most of the IBUs are in the bitter dimension and this presents more like a barleywine. The taste comes across more harsh than balanced. Since I have a few bottles, it might lay one or two down in the cellar--maybe some of the harshness will resolve.

Carbonation is light and medium body. Kind of a pasty mouthfeel.

Overall, this is a malty DIPA that seems more like a barleywine. The alcohol is noticeable, but could be more complex and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 02:39:00 | More by Beerenauslese

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was surprised to read that I have not reviewed this beer until today. I like trying all of the great beers by Southern Tier. This one has been in my beer fridge for about two months now.

I poured this beer into by Kane beer glass (larger tulip style for IPA's), and I got about two fingers of foam from this one. Unearthly is orange with a decent amount of haze.

The nose smells like older tangerines. The mix of citrus and oak is an interesting mix. The flavor, however, has quite a bit more oakiness to it. The flavor is very strong on this one. I also get a lot of alcohol presence. There is no surprise to find 9% ABV.

Overall a pretty good beer. It is interesting to oak age an IPA, but it does work for this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 19:22:10 | More by ummswimmin

stephens101

Oklahoma

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy reddish-orange with a lively and fluffy tan head. Eventually a few thin streaks of lace are left.

Has an earthy hop nose with some caramel malts and booze mixed in. Peaches, vanilla and wood work into play later on.

Tastes of more caramel malts and earthy hops with the added complexity of characters including vanilla, apples, peaches, taffy and oak with a boozy ending.

Medium to heavy bodied with a soft middle and dry edges.

Barrel aging doesn't always mean a beer will be better than it's non-aged sibling, but this one gets so many things right on so many levels. Gimme another.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 22:07:27 | More by stephens101

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep copper orange in color with excellent clarity. Poured with a very brief white foam that reducex to a wispy cap. Earthy oak and caramel malt aromas are dominant with ripe citrus and pine hop aromas in the background. Medium bodied with a smooth oily feel. Earthy oak, vanilla, and caramel malt backbone supports the ripe citrus hop flavors up front and through the middle. Finishes with smooth, sweet boozy, vanilla and pine hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 20:14:19 | More by IronLover

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I enjoyed regular Unearthly Hops, so I have been looking forward to the Oak Aged version. Poured into a sampler goblet, the ale was a copper color with a modest white head. The aroma was immediate, giving an impression of fruity hops with a some notes of vanilla. The initial taste was a moderate hop explosion, with notes of peach, mild grapefruit, and a degree of Earthiness. The vanilla smooths one the hops nicely. Sometimes vanilla and hops create a dreamsicle-like taste. In this case, the citric hops are allowed to shine above the vanilla without overwheming. The vanilla adds a pleasant dimension to the malt backbone. Nothing about this beer is overly sweet. Instead, it is actually well measured. The vanilla is smooth in the finish, ironing out the wrinkles in the tongue left by the hops.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 15:44:08 | More by JohnnyHopps

BuckyFresh

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy peachy orange with a creamy off-white one-finger head. Retention is not stupendous, but there are some large bubble clusters that hang around long after the head has subsided. Little carbonation is visible through the haze. Lacing is spotty and even dispersed throughout the glass.

Smell: Very hoppy and a lot of malt in opposition. Almost smells like a woody, hoppy barley wine. Alcohol presence is right up front and stings the nostrils with each inhalation.

Taste: Sweet, boozy, and woody. Some astringency from the oak, but overall very caramel heavy. Some pine/citrus is discernible, but is lost a bit in the sweetness of this one.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, syrupy, and boozy. Finish is sweet, but you do get a little oak bite at the very end.

Overall: A decent beer, but a touch out of balance. I think my IPAs a bit on the sweet side, but this one may have taken it a bit too far.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 13:46:55 | More by BuckyFresh

nimrod979

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Orange/amber color with some blush highlights when held to the lighjt. Creamy one finger off white head. With excellent retention. Beautiful sticky lacing.

Aroma: Huge maple, oak, and vanilla aromas blend well with gentle floral hops and sweet fruity notes floating around.

Taste: Sweet maple, oak, caramel, vanilla flavors. All things associated with a typical oak-aged beer. What I like is how it works well with the hops. Subtle and florl but always taking the backseat to the malts and oaky flavors. Even some bourbon bozziness.

Mouthfeel: medium. soft body. alcohol prevalent in the finish. A sipper. probably wasnt expecting this to be this big

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 01:00:37 | More by nimrod979

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Moderate hop aroma of fresh flowers and ripe citrus slip through quietly. Let this beer open up for a few minutes and you get massive burbon, maple, and oak that come through too. Simply a wonderful beer to bouquet the room.

Unearthly pours a beautifully clear orange-ruby with a slightly off-white bubbly head that just laces perfectly onto the glass.

I am very impressed that the hops hold up to the oak strength in this beer. I can taste them equally as well and not one over-powers the next. Vanilla, lime, whisky, oak, tangerine, and caramel are all working harmoniously to create a unique but solid flavor.

Moderate body and carbonation with a slightly sweeter finish and a gentle warmth of alcohol bring this beer to a nice close. Here's a sipping beer for sure, anywhere, anytime.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 02:20:55 | More by tlazaroff

stampfler07

Georgia

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

A- Pours a golden amber with two fingers of foamy white head

S- Sweet strong malt and fruity tones, almost reminiscent of cranberry or cherry, some hop

T- Sweet malt initially in tandem with medium alcohol, transition to hop begins in the middle and malt mellows to a nutty flavor, noticeable oak on the finish with some mild lingering alcohol warmth

M- Mild alcohol warmth and feel, low carbonation with medium body makes for a smooth drink

O- Pretty solid in all categories, might be worth of aging some more and trying again later to see what happens, definitely worth a try though

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 02:53:05 | More by stampfler07