Southern Tier Unearthly Imperial India Pale Ale @ Clark Street Ale House

Appearance: Light orange, translucent, medium foamy head

Smell: bitter, some fruit (orange? peach?)

Taste: very fruity, with an old-cheese aftertaste

Mouthfeel: some lingering lacing, even coating

Drinkability: Well, it depends on how fond of moldy cheese one is. It's plenty smooth, but that aftertaste is a jarring bolt upright. I couldn't handle more than one of these in a row, and I doubt I'll seek another out anytime soon.

Serving type: tap

Grade: D


From the brewer:


"At the Southern Tier Brewing Company, vigorously hopped beer is our standard and inspiration. We continue a commitment to innovation with our most aggressive offering yet. Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewer’s craft; skillfully balancing art and the forces of nature to produce a divine liquid. Delicately pour a taste into a fluted glass. Smell the enchanting aromas of the hops waft forward as your first sip divulges this beer’s fervent soul. To underestimate Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the universe, so please consume wisely. 9.8% abv • 15.6ºL • Imperial India Pale Ale • 22 oz / 1/2 keg / 1/6 keg"


From BeerAdvocate:

BA OVERALL  A- excellent w/ 788 Reviews

THE BROS  N/A no reviews; yet! send 'em beer »

rAvg: 4.16 High: A+ / 5 Low: D / 2.1 pDev: 8.65%

Saison Du Lawnmower - Homebrew, First Keg!

Appearance: Light orange, cloudy, short but full-bodied head

Smell: Slight orange tones, semi-sweet aroma

Taste: Smooth, almost tasteless, but with a subtle bitter and hop aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Extremely slight & smooth, uniform and rapid coating with a top of the mouth "twinge" from the hops 

Drinkability: Extremely smooth: the nice easy-drinking summer beer that I was aiming for. This is the first beer I've made with ingredients other than the typical water, barley, yeast and hops. This beer included coriander, bitter orange peel, and rock candy sugar. The orange peel is definitely present both in aroma and taste. The coriander seems lost, but likely spiced the beer ever so slightly. The sweetness of the rock candy sugar is present initially, but gives way to the bitterness of the hops. The orange is the forward flavor, but does not blend so well with the bitterness aftertaste. I don't recall trying a saison before that included all these characteristics, so I'm not so sure that I didn't screw something up. Nevertheless, it's an interesting beer, and very drinkable. It isn't my favorite homebrew, but it is interesting. And as this was largely an experiment in kegging for the first time, I'd say it's a success. 

Serving type: home keg!

Grade: B-