Review – Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial IPA

Southern Tier Unearthy Imperial IPA
11% abv

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a chilled pint glass.

Appearance
This beer’s color is a cross between a polished copper and a polished brass. It is very shiny and clear and has large, fluffy head that look like clouds. The head leaves behind an interesting pasty lace on the glass.

Aroma
Very bitter and hoppy from the variety of 5 hops used. The smell from the Amarillo is very pungent and stands out even against the Centennial and Chinook.

Taste
This IPA has a very unusual taste. Although I did taste hints of butterscotch from time to time, it was mostly musty with a salty finish. The sourness and tartness from the hop resins were slightly overpowering but I didn’t mind.

Mouthfeel
This beer was very smooth compared to most IPAs and I could even go as far as saying a little flat in terms of carbonation. The tangy notes tickled the back of my throat and the abundance of hops left my mouth feeling sticky.

Overall
I have been on the hunt for some quality Imperial IPAs lately and a friend mentioned that this was one lots of people were talking about. Although it gave me a nice buzz after drinking only 22 ounces, I have had much better. I also picked up some Southern Tier triple-hopped IPA so I can compare the two, as well as several other varieties from this brewery. The price was not terribly horrible at around five bucks but my advice is to spend your hard earned cash on a different Imperial IPA.

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