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

ctfixer

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured from a fresh filled growler into a pint glass, right between a pale and medium amber, almost orange. Not a ton of carbonation at this ABV, but a decent one finger off white head prevailed.

S - Definite sweet aroma with complex oak and hop undertones. The sweet malt backbone smell comes through prominent for me and keeps me coming back for another sensory explosion

T - Again, a very complex beer with the malts, oak aging, and high hops balancing very nicely! Sweet on the front, but with enough hop balance that you know you have a great Double IPA, but oh so smooth, no bitterness at the end, amazing.

M - I love the smooth medium bodied mouth feel of this beer. every sip is smooth and at 11% ABV (seriously?) it has no alcohol warming going on. Complex, complex, can you say complex?

O - I will say it again. Complex. This is a fantastic beer folks, right on the edge, but so well balanced you are trying to find something wrong with it, but can not! The growler will not last too long and I will be getting a refill on this one!

Serving type: growler

06-23-2011 04:55:12 | More by ctfixer

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out a fairly clear medium amber color with a nice thin head. It had a faint nose common to IIPAs - very flowery and citrus-like. I was unable to detect any ``oakiness'' in the nose (although I must admit I was so anxious to taste it I didn't try very hard).

First impression of the taste is that of a very nice IPA: loads of hops pungency piled on top of a nice malty backbone. Then that oakiness quickly slices through. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the interruption of my hop high with what is almost a caramel flavor. However, any unpleasantness from that sudden shock of oakiness was short-lived. As the flavor developed across my palate, it kind of grew on me until I appreciated the way it balanced out the hops. I did taste a little booziness on the back of my palate, but the beer has a nice, drying finish that leaves you ready for more.

I enjoyed this beer and I like what they did with it, but I doubt I would purchase it again. I'd probably opt for the ``plain'' unearthly IIPA (that seems like an oxymoron). For me, the barrel aging doesn't really add that much drinkability to this particular style of beer. For an example of a beer whose flavor I feel IS remarkably improved by barrel aging, try a nice, malty brown ale that has been barrel aged (like BBC's ``Big Brown''). To me, it's amazing how barrel aging changes a boring brown ale into a bourbon-flavored milkshake.

Serving type: growler

05-24-2011 21:55:38 | More by deadonhisfeet

dellert2332

Pennsylvania

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

Awesome beer to enjoy on Lake Chatauqua! Purchased a 1/4 Keg for the weekend at the lake and several to take back to PSU! If you are looking to get hammered and play a rough game of pond hockey this is the beer for you. The keg was killed in a few hours and kept me loose for the game. Hoppy, citrus-filled deliciousness in a bottle, growler, or keg.

amen

Serving type: growler

02-02-2011 03:06:37 | More by dellert2332

DrMalt

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

Poured into a Wild Rose pint glass.

Poured a brilliant copper orange with a sturdy white head & a nice lace behind.

Terrific aroma with loads of citrus & resiny notes

Wow what can you say about an 11% DIPA with a ton o' hop bitterness! Actually it didnt invoc the hot profile from the high gravity. Superbly balanced inspite of the high ABV

Mouthfeel was warming from the alcohol & bitterness from the heavily hopped brew.

Drinkability was surprisingly good even with the high ABV. Could drink more of this beer.

Really enjoyed..many times my palette is overwhelmed by these high gravity DIPA's but not on this occasion.

Serving type: growler

07-06-2010 05:27:39 | More by DrMalt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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