By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist
Southern Tier's unearthly is an Imperial India Pale Ale that checks in at a huge 11% ABV. Southern Tier states that unearthly offers and "an uninhibited infusion of hops."
unearthly poured a semi-hazy, golden-orange color with almost no head.
The aroma has some really ripe fruit, with a huge blast of hops. The body is creamy and smooth, with a decent amount of malt and strong sweetness from fruity esters. The hops start to show through in the middle and become stronger leading to an extremely hoppy finish that thoroughly dries out the palate.
Overall, this is a a very, very good beer. unearthly is a wonderfully balanced, excellent example of what an "Imperial" beer can and should be. The beer is smooth, has plenty of flavor and the alcohol is barely noticeable.
When pairing food with this beer, one needs to think big. The body and flavors in this body are huge so a dish with big, robust flavors is needed. My recommendation is any sort of Indian food with meat included. I would personally lean towards either green curry or spicy vindaloo with chicken.
The label reccomends that unearthly should be served at 42 degrees which is a little colder than most craft brews but is the perfect temperature for this beer. The beer started to become a little harsher as the temperature warmed and the flavors fell apart a little. Nonetheless, this is just a great beer from Southern Tier.
Producer: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 11%
Price: $7.99 (22 oz. Bottle)
Rating: 
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive
)
I love hops and I love Southern Tier brewery.
Posted by: Jason Feulner | June 30, 2009 at 05:39 PM
I can probably get my hands on this one. I might try it with a chunk of well aged gouda or cheddar.
Posted by: Dan | June 30, 2009 at 07:06 PM
im*per*i*al: (adj.) beer style featuring high gravity and strong hops ?
Posted by: Tom Mansell | July 01, 2009 at 12:40 PM