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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color, with a white foam and some lacing. More than a little lacing, leaves a whole sheet of lace. Smells of grapefruit and tropical hops. Tastes like grapefruit and a small dry oak. Piney, resinous bitterness. Full bodied, well carbonated, fairly dry from the oak. Citrusy, oaky, boozy, what you would expect. A seasoned beer for seasoned beer drinker. I like this beer, and if you like IPAs you will like this too.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 22:24:19 | More by Stinkypuss

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

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

Poured from tap at tap and mallet in Rochester ny. Nice hazy orange color with some head. Nice piney hop and sweet toffes malt aroma...some woody notes. Taste is sweet vanilla toffee malts with good piney hop balance. Its not over hopped which is nice but it actually makes this more of a strong ale. Eithed way its a great brew.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 01:12:29 | More by DrinkSlurm

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap, served in a standard pint glass

A - Pours orangish / blonde in color with a generous 2 finger head. Leaves plenty of lacing on the glass as I take my first sip...

S - A little bit of citrus (grapefruit and orange) but all in all the aroma is very mild for a big IPA

T - A little bit of citrus and a biscuit / grainy taste up front, but a very smooth tasting and almost creamy aftertaste. I was expecting a little bit more hop punch for an imperial IPA, but while this beer lacks that really big hop flavor, it makes up for it by being an extremely balanced and easy to drink double IPA.

M - Medium bodied for a double IPA and it has a creamy texture (I would assume, due to the barrel aging)

O - Overall, this isn't my absolute favorite double IPA, or my favorite Southern Tier brew, but it was different and surprisingly easy to drink, even at a 9.9% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 20:02:17 | More by cnbrown313

Atricapilla

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is a copper orange with very small thin head. Head is a dirty white in color. Very little carbonation. Aroma has slight hints of sweetness and toffee. Hard to notice any trace of hops in the aroma. Taste is burnt caramel with strong oak and an alcohol finish. Has a slightly astringent mouthfeel. Overall very different for an IPA, parts of it seem reminiscent of an old ale.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2012 22:24:39 | More by Atricapilla

PorterLambic

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Arrives a clear, bright red color, not what I expected. Just a faint ring sitting on top.
Smell is sweet, hops, oak and a hint of citrus.
Taste is hops first with oak, light malt and a faint Froot Loops note. Interesting.
Alcohol is quite noticeable but not harsh. Full bodied and smoother than expected. Rich. Medium effervescence, lightly warming. A very good beer and I'm not a fan normally of IPAs. Imperial IPAs on the other hand are very good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 19:38:08 | More by PorterLambic

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

Fabulous beer; the very esscence of an IIPA. Served at a good temperature with a thick, cream-colored, foamy head that slowly settles and lots of coating lace. Color is a clear orange copper amber with some bubble trails. Aroma is a great blend of volatile malt, hop, caramel, toffee, nougat, vanilla, nutmeats. Flavor is similar to nose with great bitter -sweet - carbonic tang that are all forward and yet balanced. Body is full but slight occassional slight clashes between bitter and tang. Good carbonation. Finish is like flavor, tapers slow, almost no alcohol character. Truely great beer!

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2012 22:52:30 | More by drpimento

One2Remeber

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Copper/amber body, crystal clear. Slightly off white head, thin film stays around.

S: Oak with vanilla notes, tropical fruit, sugary sweet malts. Smells like the sea, salty, clean.

T/M: Yummy:) Fluffy vanilla frosting on a graham cracker made of oak. Hint of tropical nature, like coconut. No boozy alcohol presence at all. Warm and inviting mouth feel with a great balance of full frontal flavor with a smooth oak backbone.

O: Not many oak IPAs compare to this beast. One to experience and savor. A must try for any avid IPA fan.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2012 04:54:38 | More by One2Remeber

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Iron Abbey, Horsham, PA

Clear amber liquid with a small, bubbly, white head; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma is almost straight-up oak, probably the most pronounced wood scent I've ever gotten from a beer, with grassy hops also detectable. Taste followed the aroma, lots of oak astringency, grassy and floral hops, lesser hints of citrus and pine, and a bready caramel malt base peeking through from the background. Light-medium body, pretty crisp and drinkable though it might through the unexpecting off a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 11:57:54 | More by Rifugium

barczar

Kentucky

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

Pours a clear copper color with a half inch dense cream head that leaves a thick ring of foam on the glass.

Oak and grapefruit lead the aroma with caramel and bready malt supporting a hint of pine and mint.

Mellow citrus opens the flavor profile and becomes more dominant throughout the sip, with grapefruit pith emerging and overtaking a somewhat light sweet caramel malt backbone. The finish is fairly bitter, with pepper and mint kicking in. The oak contributes a bit more complexity at the finish as it warms, but is overwhelmed by the bitterness.

Body is fairly syrupy, with moderately light carbonation. There is a significant alcohol warmth and a hint of harsh astringency.

Overall, a decent dipa, but not my favorite by far. A bigger malt backbone would help the complexity of flavors shine and ease the bitter dominance.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 01:50:37 | More by barczar

DCon

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ The Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar in St. Louis, MO for $6.50. Tapped from the Stainless Steel Tap Handle w/ a Green Face stating "Oak Aged Unearthly" into a 12oz Pint Glass.

Aroma- Tons of mango, citrus, and fruit hit the nose hard. Then has a strong musty and oak aroma. Nice! Everything VERY strong like I've experienced before.

Appearance- Received with a 1 finger head that dies quickly. Has a reddish/copper colored body and is semi-clear. Leaves good lacing behind.

Flavor- Tons of American hops start this one off and a kettle corn type of taste. This has to be due to the malt flavor. Very nice! Light Bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Light-Medium Carbonation, Smooth, and hops pucker the mouth. Tons of fruit stay on the palate afterwards.

Overall Impression- Just like the unearthly but experienced a big time Kettle Corn taste the whole time. Would definitely recommend this one! I do like the original Unearthly better but still enjoyed the character and appreciate how different these two are. See for yourself!

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 23:16:53 | More by DCon

socon67

New York

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pour is orange and clear with a hearty white foam. Nice lacing and minimal carbonation.

S - Smells of dry hops, oranges, and vanilla. Very well blended and the hops are not too foward.

T - A mild hoppy flavor that has notes of citrus sweet orange and vanilla. Not much flavor of the oak, but mroe of an earthy feel.

M - Rediculously smooth for the ABV, feels medium bodied, and the bitterness is felt by the tongue.

O - I like this for being a more "east coast DIPA" that doesn't feature the piney smell and extreme hoppiness. It has a more subtle base of hops with some secondary flavors ala a tawny port.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 02:26:23 | More by socon67

hoptualBrew

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Hurricane Wings of Fort Myers. Great place by the way!

Pours a copper amber with two fingers off white head. Lots of lacing all over the top of the glass.

Smells of piney hops, booze, and oak.

Oak & pine dominates the palate - but in a really nice way with mild bitterness at the back of the tongue.

Body on this beauty is near perfect. Carbonation is spot on & body is moderately heavy to compliment the oak & pine.

Overall, very delicious IPA! Happy hour special $3 pint.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2011 22:22:31 | More by hoptualBrew

Boto

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ Headkeeper: This one pours a cloudy, orangish color. There was a very small off-whire head on it. Nice nose: lots of piney hops, with a little grapefruit in there also. Very little oak to the nose. The taste is very good. Large malt body, but just a touch of sweetness poking through. Lots of pine and grapefruit hop notes, but not overly bitter. Some oakiness. A pretty damn good beer!

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2011 14:46:50 | More by Boto

billzav

Florida

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

As great as the original Unearthly is, this DIPA takes it to the next level. It pours a deep amber color and the nose has big notes of piny hops and oakiness. Both are reflected in the taste as well, balanced by sweet caramel and a woody bourbon backbone. Oak Aged Unearthly is silky smooth for a beer of its potency, and you’ll want to savor it slowly to truly appreciate this ale.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 12:52:18 | More by billzav

jar2574

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tremendous head. Good lacing & retention. Copper color. Quite dense. A good looking beer.

Hops explode in the scent. Sweet smelling hops mostly, but there are some piney ones as well.

The taste is caramel sweetness, malts, and hops. Delicious. Caramel malts, or something else -perhaps the oak aging - is balancing out the load of hops in here. Hops still come through strong, but only about as strong as the malts. Good balance.

Watch out for the ABV, you won't notice it until it's too late - this goes down easily.

Great effort by Southern Tier. I'd previously had a variety pack of theirs and had been disappointed. The sweetness and the ABV could get to you after a while, but the drinkability here is still high.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2011 19:42:39 | More by jar2574

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a burnt orange with a nice white head and good carbonation.

S: Very good. Light oak, caramel, big citrus hops

T: Taste is lighter on the oak and vanilla as I expected, the citrus ancaramel still dominates this beer pretty malty too. Plenty of booze.

M: Mouthfeel is big and this is where the beer comes alive.

O: Good

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2011 17:21:01 | More by barleywinefiend

alleykatking

Indiana

2.95/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap.

A- Pours a pale yellowish orange color. Two finger white head shows good retention...ends up capping the beer. Web style lacing on the sides of the glass as I drink this one down.

S- Taking a couple sniffs I at first picked up vanilla oak notes. Strong bready caramel malts show up as well long before any hops come through which I thought was weird. Earthy hops do come though next but long after when I thought they should have shown up. Alcohol come through in the very ending making a light burning in the nose itself.

T- Alcohol comes through in the front of the beer to start off with...although with the ABV it didn't surprise me. A light bitterness from hopping coming through next giving a light peppery note as well. The middle of the beer has the oak finally come through with hints of vanilla covering a bready caramel malt base body. Ending shows a little more of the malt in the front before the citrus hops show up in the form of oranges. Alcohol comes back around this time a lot more strong and a little medicinal like.

M- Medium heavy mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Bitter hops, caramel malts, and light oak are left on the palate. Aftertaste is medicinal alcohol, light fruity hops, and syrupy caramel malts. Flavors didn't really blend together very well cause a big stop and go feel while drinking. No off flavors were present but the alcohol did kind of make it a annoyance. Heavy alcohol drying on the palate.

O- This beer didn't really do it for me. The aging of it in oak didn't help the overall flavor. I personally didn't like all the alcohol that crept up while I was drinking it. A syrupy sweet mess for most of the beer. Oh well...it always seem to be a hit or miss with me and Southern Tier.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 00:40:04 | More by alleykatking

flannelman808

California

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pale orange amber hue with an off white head. Head retention is alright and lacing is pretty good.

S: Oak, Vanilla, Caramel, and herbal spice jump out of the glass.

T: Crushed Tea leaf bitterness meets oaky dryness meets ripe fruit and blood orange. A good deal of sweetness but there is plenty of bitterness to leave ones palate dry. This is quite a beer!

M: Long finishing sticky ooey goo

O: Good stuff, lots of flavors meeting up.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 06:56:16 | More by flannelman808

JM03

Ohio

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

On tap at Mad Mex restaurant - Cranberry, Twp. PA

A deep copper color with just a trace of head, but probably because of how it was poured.

Aromas of a lot of the oakiness. A sweetness is present, but i cant put my finger on what it is. Just the faintest bit of hops is detectable.

Taste is more malt forward than hop forward. A bit of citrus that is taken over by the sweetness and oakiness. A bit of alcohol burn at the end.

Overall, not bad. Easy drinking, and I'm sure i'll have it again. Alcohol is pretty well hidden for being 11%.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 15:02:37 | More by JM03

Lerxst

Florida

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

On tap at Kickbacks

A-Pours a semi hazy golden/amber with a one finger creamy white head that has good retention and leaves sticky lace all the way down.

S-Hops are there, but somewhat subdued. I'm getting some pine and citrus. Smells a little sweet. Bready malts are apparent here, perhaps their presence is more so than the hops (a bit of a disappointment). Hints of oak come through as well.

T-A little sweet and syrupy. Seems to follow the nose with the pine and citrus battling with the sweet bready malt backbone for supremacy and it seems the malt wins out in the end. As with the nose the oak is there, but only hints.

M-Medium body, slightly slick and a bit oily.

O-A nice beer, though not anything that rocked my world and made me want another. One was enough.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 17:35:01 | More by Lerxst

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured with a small head of white foam on a perfectly clear, dark-copper colored body. The foam settles quickly and leaves light lace on the glass.

S - Strong floral hops with a but of pepper and citrus in the background. The hops are complimented by sweet toffee malt and lots of oaky vanilla.

T - Sharp, some what sour pine hop flavors up front with lots of soft vanilla and toast from the oak. Some sweet malt peeks out from behind the intense vanilla in the middle, along with a spicy pepper note composed of both hops and alcohol. The beer finishes with more peppery hop flavor and a wave of vanilla and toffee that is balanced by strong, blunt bitterness.

M - A thick body, moderate carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - This beer smells phenomenal, but the flavor just isn't on the same level. The hops and oak work together wonderfully in the noise, but both are harsher in the flavor profile and seem to be muddied by the thick malt. It is a but more drinkable than regular Unearthly, but I still prefer 2xIPA, which is both lighter in color and alcohol which allows the hops to shine in a way that they simply can't here.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2011 21:53:22 | More by nickfl

CampusCrew

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: golden reddish apprearnce with
a little garnet glow

smell: huge hop aroma, lots of pine and oak aged aromas is noticeable

taste: big balanced ipa with loaded pine flavors, not as woody as some.

mouthfeel: medium bodied

drinkability: fantastic oak aged ipa, done right

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 22:17:43 | More by CampusCrew

heysuz

Indiana

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

Intro: 64 oz. growler poured into a tulip glass. Shared with a friend.

Appearance: Poured a moderate two inch off-white head that remained through half the sample. Thin sparse lacing forms on side of glass. Color is deep amber with slight haziness.

Smell: Slight aroma of hops with a sweet note. The overall aroma is somewhat stronger than other brews in this class. The malts and sugars are more pronounced in this beer than some other DIPA's I've tried.

Taste: Good, rich, deep flavor that seems to smooth out some of the sharp hoppiness. It is dry but not as much as HopSlam or Dreadnaught. The malts stay in front of the hops throughout and provide a creamy flavor.

Mouthfeel: It has a creamy feel that coats the tongue but at same time is has a hoppy, resin aftertaste. The alcohol tends to leave your mouth dry.

Overall: At 11% ABV it's a quite drinkable beer. It's in the same league as HopSlam and 90min. IPA although I would prefer HopSlam if I had all three sitting in front of me and I could only drink one. I've had the 2XIPA also but prefer the taste of this. It just seems a little more complex and interesting.

Special notes: We did a side-by-side comparison with the regular Unearthly. Here are the comparison notes:
* Slightly (about 2 shades) darker in color.
* Slightly stronger aroma than the regular Unearthly. Just seemed to expand a little more.
* Slightly smoother than the regular Unearthly. The oak aging tends to knock off some of the sharp hoppiness and bring out the malts and sugars a little more.
* The regular Unearthly seemed drier and doesn't have the same creamy feel.
* Richer and more complex flavor than the regular Unearthly

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 16:27:57 | More by heysuz

bpalfrey10

New York

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Light-ish copper, orangey hue. Thin to no head.
S: Muted orange and a little lemon from what I assume are American hops. Faint alcohol.
T: Some alcohol warmth upfront, then a blast of surprisingly clear orange-citrus flavor. Very good. Stunned that they were able to get such a clear distillation of orange. Also get some of the oak tempering the citrus flavor. Hop bitterness is short lived as I found that the alcohol sort of cleans it up towards the end.
M: Great light carbonation, smooth, mod-high body.
O: Delicious IIPA, and I'm intrigued by the oaking.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 14:43:55 | More by bpalfrey10

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Ray's Place in Kent, OH.

Appearance - A sugary cream-like foam rests on top of this earth-toned beer. The beer itself is earthy brown and caramely tan and yellow. It has quite a solid and impressive lacing to the glass.

Smell - Malts and caramel notes overwhelm my nostrils here. The hops are present but hiding in the shadows.

Taste - Much sweeter than I expected it to be. Quite a heavy bourbon note that masks the hops. The bitters come on the finish. Many floral and earthy notes become more noticeable as I continue drinking.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability - While drinkable, it is a little too sweet in a fruity way. It almost tasted like it had porter-like characteristics to me. Fairly light bodied.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 04:22:33 | More by Jesse13713