IPA (India Pale Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pale amber body with a white head. Transparent with bubbles coming up from the bottom.

S- Piney hop aroma comes through along with a little bit of citrus and a hint of malt.

T- Hops come through very nicely along with some malt to balance it out.

M- Very smooth with a somewhat creamy finish. A little different than most IPAs, but refreshing nonetheless.

O- Very good, very drinkable IPA. Alcohol is hidden nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 01:34:21 | More by stephenjmoore

coldriver

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a clear medium amber with rather quickly fading head. Some grassy hops and sweet malt aromas. This seems to be an east coast style IPA, more caramel malt than hops, but a decent balance and good tasting beer. Medium mouthfeel with wet finish. This is a decent IPA but not something I'd probably buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:05:30 | More by coldriver

david18

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Following is a recent review of the draft version of this beer:

For a brewery that makes so many extreme beers and unique/odd recipes, it's nice to see a regular ipa coming from this brewery. What's especially nice is to see an ipa that is very good. Balance of hops and malt are perfect, flavor is great, aroma is very good. A great ipa from a very interesting brewery.

---

I think the cask is even better than the draft with a great amount of hop aroma, character and flavor. Great if you can find it.

Serving type: cask

04-24-2012 19:02:33 | More by david18

matjack85

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I tried this at Cooper's Bar on Belmont in Chicago. 12oz brown bottle for $5.

The beer poured a clear medium gold color with a ½-finger white head that only lasted about 30 seconds before fading away. Lacing was good.

Citrus and pine hop smell.

Big grapefruit hop flavor, but with plenty of malty sweetness for balance.

Medium bodied with a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel, with moderate carbonation.

A decent IPA, but no real WOW factor.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 20:48:59 | More by matjack85

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 355ml bottle with no visible BB date. Purchased from a webshop.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottle-conditioned. A hazy orange-amber colour with low carbonation. Yields a decent head of white foam that lasts for a couple of minutes before subsiding. Aroma of caramel malt and aromatic hops; notes of biscuits, yeast, citrus and a hint of pine.

Tastes of sweet malt with an aromatic hop character and a bitter finish. Notes of caramel malt, citrus, pine and yeast. A dry bitterness upon swallowing, with a faint hint of alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth, spicy and tingly, but lacking in carbonation. Rather astringent. Aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops and caramel malt.

Pretty good, though not the best American IPA I've ever tried. The aromatic hops are rather non-descript, while the malt character is a bit overdone. However, the alcohol is well hidden - it's barely noticeable. Drinkable, but not mind-blowing. Worth sampling.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 01:30:32 | More by jazzyjeff13

spitInTheOcean

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

gold with a slight shade of amber. clear. white moussey head. good retention.

big hop aroma. grass and pine mostly. some grapefruit and floral. no malt aroma.

sweet upfront. this gives way to grassy and piney hop flavors. and a nice bitterness. the bitterness in the end is not too huge, but it does linger. no alcohol flavor. no malt flavor, its sweetness can only be sensed in the beginning.

medium/full mouthfeel. smooth. soft.

overall this is nice. though i do wish i could taste the malts a little.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 02:55:07 | More by spitInTheOcean

enfield249

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a cloudy amber to gold color, thick white head that sticks around.

S - Spicy hop aroma, biscuit, slight candy smell.

T - Surprisingly, a malt forward IPA. I get a big, rich malt/biscuit flavor, followed very quickly buy a mild spicy hop flavor.

M - Medium to full, mostly because of that big malt taste. Not cloying or even overly bitter. Stays with you, but not sticky feeling.

O - Nice drinking IPA, and does not feel like 7.3% while you are drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:53:06 | More by enfield249

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into tulip. reviewing side-by-side with southern tier 2XIPA. DOB 02/20/12.

A: clear. golden orange. head is frothy and white. about one finger out of the glass. retention quickly dies to a rim, but leaves pretty sticky lacing.

S: im definitely finding sort of a cheesy hop component in the nose. that and pine. certainly bitter, but missing a bit of a wow factor.

T: a citrus bitterness only seems to harp for a second. there is a little bit of toffee/caramel flavor as well. finish has a little bit of menthol/minty flavor to it. maybe even slightly metallic?

M: the body actually drinks pretty light. however i guess i will chalk this up as a medium bodied brew. average carbonation.

D: certainly drinkable, but if you have read this far i am unimpressed. there are definitely better beers from southern tier to try than this.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 00:58:46 | More by Jimmys

EJ6759

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on draft poured into a Miller Lite pint glass. Don't understand why pubs do that. Anyhoo, it had a slightly dark gold appearance with a nice head that laces down the glass. Northwest hops dominate that give a slight ting in the back of the throat. Good balance. Nice mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good quality beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 20:20:30 | More by EJ6759

Dools9

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been on an IPA tear lately, here goes nothin...

A: Pours a nice golden copper, very clear, lots of carbonation, with a finger of white head that retains nicely. Plenty of sticky lacing left.

S: I get mostly pine resin, earthy, floral hops. Maybe just a bit of citrus rind.

T: Bitter citrus hops, some piney notes. A touch of caramel malt sweetness. Maybe some fruity notes on the finish.

M: Smooth, medium bodied. Crisp carbonation, sticky oily hop finish on the mouth.

O: A solid IPA here from ST. Balanced, flavorful, and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 03:32:18 | More by Dools9

Shaw

Florida

3.28/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a light golden color with a bright white head that quickly reduces to a thin layer of foam.

Nice aroma of grassy, citrus hops. There's also a bit of biscuit aroma mixed in too.

The flavor is hoppy and bitter, with a sulfurous, vegetable flavor and cereal notes. Tastes more like a home brew than what I would expect a pro IPA to taste like.

The body isn't watery.

Overall I'm not impressed. There are many better examples of the style out there. No point to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 04:25:19 | More by Shaw

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear golden brew with about two fingers of frothy white head. Copious amounts of lacing.

S - Fresh citrus: grapefruit mostly, but hints of tangerine, lemon and pomelo as well. A bit of white pepper and lilies as well.

T - Taste is less hopped than the aroma suggests - mild citrus, biscuits, and a pepperiness akin to rye. Aftertaste is a light floral and a faint biscuit - very slight pithy bitterness.

M - Thin, smooth, refreshing.

D - All around, this one is pretty good. It isn't amazing, bit it is certainly solid. There is nothing unpleasant about it and a lot of good. I wish that the taste had a stronger delivery of hops. I'll probably have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:33:35 | More by mrasskicktastic

Duff27

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Short whore head on a orange body. Good head retention and lacing.

Juicy citrus with a touch of pine.

Citrus at the forefront, astringent bitterness on the tail end. Hops overpower malt backbone. Would guess around 6.5%abv.

Medium mouthfeel, below average carbonation it seems.

I really enjoyed the nose on this one, after that it was pretty unremarkable. Worth a try perhaps but not worth seeking out or buying for that matter.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 01:40:57 | More by Duff27

NForr

Quebec (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Golden, almost copper color, orange highlights. Translucent. Nice lacing. Small one finger head.

Smells of earthy, floral hops. Light malt, lots of citrus - can almost smell the imminent bitterness to come. Some fruit, apple and strawberry. Some sweetness.
...
I taste a fruity, complex malt which ends in a grapefruity bitter punch to the tongue. Medium body. Great beer.

One of, if not my favourite style of beer and the Americans know how to do it right. Just too bad I have to go to Ontario to get this particular one.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 22:10:05 | More by NForr

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a room temp pint glass.

A-copper/orange color that is quite clear. A one finger off-white color head that fades and leaves mega-lacing.

S-pine dominates the earthy aroma. I'd like to pick up more floral and citrus, but this is an East Coast IPA. The aroma mellows as the beer warms.

T-hopped up tang from start to finish. The citrus that I could not smell bites me now.

M-suprisingly light for 7.3 abv. A slight resin stickiness with a bitter finish.

O-a solid IPA that I'll probably review more favorably with more takes.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:41:10 | More by NiceTaps

aranheaney

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a DFH Snifter:

A-Copper hued a finger of head that is gone soon after pouring and leaves decent lace

S-pine, citrus, grapefruit all present

T-good, follows the nose, seems to improve as it warms

M-also good, nicely balanced

O-very solid IPA, another Southern Tier winner...

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:57:51 | More by aranheaney

PacNWDad

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12oz bottle, into a pint glass.

A: Copper, amber color, very clear. Head dissipates quickly, probably due to the high amount of hops oil. Some Brussels lace up the sides.

S: Piney hops resin dominates the aroma. Some earth hay and grass notes as well. A hint of caramel from the malt. Overall, it is quite complex due to the many hops varieties.

T: Initial part of the quaff is hops all the way. Bitterness lingers long in the finish with a hint of roasty sweetness.

M: This is a substantial beer. Medium carbonation. Oily and chewy.

O: Nice hoppy offering. This is an IPA lovers beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 05:44:16 | More by PacNWDad

Sharkophile

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a pint glass. Slightly hazy golden amber color with an off white head with disappointing retention.

S: Smells like tropical fruit, citrus and pine from the hops, with a caramel sweetness as well.

T: Sweetness at first with light caramel and tropical fruit flavors (pineapple & mango). Hoppiness intensifies with citrus (especially orange) and resiny pine flavors. Finish is very nice, a husky residual sweetness combines with the hops to form a pleasent aftertaste that lingers for quite a while.

M: Medium to full body with creamy carbonation. Seems a bit strange for an IPA, but it works in this case.

O: A very solid, flavorful IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 13:08:21 | More by Sharkophile

chinchill

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in an Anchor Steam pint glass.

Pours an orange-amber; about as orange as any beer I've seen lately. The off-white head is modest in dize but has decent retention and leaves some lacing. Has a noticeable amount of suspended sediment than eventually settles to the bottom of the glass.

Aroma: very fruity, with hints of earthy spiciness and caramel

Taste: fruity flavor, mainly but not exclusively citrus, with plenty of earthy spiciness and a moderate, piney hop hit mid-sip that carries intop the finish and beyond. Malt flavor is present but in the background. The bitterness of the sizable hop load is clearly tempered by the mix of 4 types of malts.

Medium-thin body with adequate carbonation.

O: a very enjoyable and unusally complex Amer. IPA. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:13:53 | More by chinchill

gtermi

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer pours a very nice clear copper gold with a thick head that quickly fades. The head leaves a lot of lace on the glass and only has a few bubbles on top of the beer.

S: There is a lot of sweet malt scents. There is also a nice bit of hops. This really is a nice smelling IPA.

T: Now this is a great IPA. I hate when you get an IPA and the malt is dominant, but in this beer, the hops are the powerful part of the beer. There is a little malt on the finish, but it is very nice and enjoyable. I am also getting some fruity flavors, such as an apple.

M: This beer is nothing special when it comes to mouth-feel. It is enjoyable, but like your typical IPA. It has a lot of crispness on the back of the throat and the tonuge. It also leaves a coating feeling all around the mouth.

O: This is a pretty good IPA. There are a lot of qualities of this beer and though there is room to improve, it is a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 07:17:15 | More by gtermi

jbonapar

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from LCBO in Ottawa. 6-pack.

For a "standard beer' this is pours a nice, light golden with a thick creamy head. Smell is sweet, floral and slightly piney. Very very nice warming smell.

Mouthfeel is medium body with a wonderfull matliness that coats your mouth. Taste is very very complex and very very enjoybable for a standard american IPA. Hoppy, piney, spicey with a nice peppercorn finish.

I just love this beer, one of my Go-to Beers along with both Steamwhistle and Propeller Bitter for my weekend beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 23:41:02 | More by jbonapar

HopNelius

New York

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on Tap in a pint glass at a local neighborhood bar. I have had this beer many times though including at the brewery and in bottles.
Appearance-amber color with a good foamy head.
Smell-Great smell, can smell a hoppy, citrus, pine aroma.
Taste-notes of grapfruit followed by pine with a strong hop finish, finishes stronger than it starts.
Mouthfeel- nice and smooth
Overall- It seems so often that people associate an "American IPA" with a West Coast IPA and compare a West Coast IPA with a British IPA. I love all three don't get me wrong, especially West Coast IPA's. I would call this an East Coast IPA, it has a flavor and finish that is more closely related to other East Coast IPA's but is something unique unto itself. This is a great IPA hands down but does not tast similar to every other IPA, I think the difference is in the malt and the finish. This beer has a distinct hop finish to it. Great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 02:15:47 | More by HopNelius

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-golden color with a medium white head with some decent lacing

S-citrus and slight floral scent with hints of bread

T-citrus and pine with a solid hoppy bitterness

F-medium body with moderate carbonation and smooth feel

O-a solid IPA with decent balance

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 23:38:32 | More by MDDMD

budgood1

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours out a hazed copperish colour with a thinnish head reducing to a little lace. toffee malt aroma...some citric hop overtones to balance. malt driven taste...more toffee and some caramel layers strongly intermingled with a dose of grapefruit rind and lemony puckerness. it has a honey on bread sort character to it too. it has the malt profile to stand up to a good dose of hoppiness...bordering on cloyingly sweet. a bit of spicy alcohol wafts in and out on the tongue and belly. full bodied with an oily slick, sticky sweet mouthfeel. back end bitterness valiantly beats back the almost wet cardboard like malt oil slick. lots of residual sweetness abounds. drinkability is ok...definitely a mouthfull.

overall the difference between this IPA and others can be summed as thus: "there is no debt so surely met as wet to dry, and dry to wet." meaning more than the weather...one IPA can be malt meager and dry as hell and incredible with its bitterness...or...it can be malt driven with an incredible residual sweetness with a hop bitterness that can hardly keep up. this is the latter. either way this should be tried.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 01:44:38 | More by budgood1

vfgccp

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – Apricot body. Low retention and lace on a white head.

S – Orange and the sweeter side of grapefruit. Fresh cut grass deep in the nose. Delicious, but a bit light for the style.

T – Honey with a sturdy foundation of bitter thyme-like hops, and undertones of fresh bread. The finish dries out a bit and ends with bitter grapefruit and a touch of sweet booze.

M – Full for the style. Super smooth with a mellow, lingering finish. Carbonation is a touch low.

O – A delicious, well balanced IPA

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 17:07:30 | More by vfgccp