Southern Star Pine Belt Pale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

My friend brought a couple of these back from his recent trip to TX. 16 oz. cans. The color was much darker than I was expecting for a pale ale. In all other regards, this was a standard issue pale ale...not much in the flavor depeartment, not much in the aroma department, went down the gullet very easily and was quickly forgotten.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 8

This one has been on the wishlist for a loooong time. Thank you Suds McDuff for sending me this nectar. Nearly clear bright copper pour with a well-sustained fluffy white head and huge lacing. Nice mix of pine and grapefruity citrus hops aroma with a touch of mango and sweet malts. Nice flavor profile with big hops of front for an APA: some pine, some grapefruit, some sweet mango, then a good malt presence all followed nicely by a light bitter linger that is short-lived. Many IPAs wish they were this good. Absolutely marvelous style representation - HUGE thanks to Suds for this one. It actually exceeded my expectations; I would drink these all of the time if the were available in TN.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Wow... a must have when you can find it. Pours a rich amber with a slightly off-white head of at least two and a half fingers. Good lacing with a pleasant grassy note in aroma and flavor. Great new up-and-coming brewer from the Lone Star state... made a pleasant visit a great experience. Can't wait til they ship to Alabama.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Canned@Monks Café, Wallingatan, Stockholm. Amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is fruits, caramel malts, toffee, grass and some slight notes of herbs. Flavour is fruits, wood, a bit grass and also some rather harsh and dry hayish notes. Also some strange earthy and sugary notes in the finish.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

A couple 16 ounce cans added to the mixed sixer I recently made. Enjoyed both cans during the final college basketball game of the '08-'09 season. Impressed right away and the awesomeness of this beer never let up, this beer is fanfreakingtastic. Hazy, orange/copper pour with a lasting, foamy, off white head and thick web-like lacing. Fresh aroma of cereal and floral hops, along with tea and honey. Beautifully balanced, it's a big and hearty Pale Ale. Bitter-sweet, creamy and oh so drinkable. Fresh pine flavor backed by flowers, honey, toast and cereal. A hint of oranges and grapefruit are evident. This is my kind of Pale Ale, fantastic and "big".

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 9

This was on a close out sale $2.99 for a four pack, not bad at all. The aroma was wonderful the most noticeable scent reminded me of pineapple sherbert, faint hints of grapefruit and pine. The body was a deep amber- copper color with ample carbonation, decent head that left good lace. The flavor was a slight disappointment considering the aroma, it started with the grapefruit bitterness which quickly faded, very, very small malt presence. It was then i reminded myself that this was an APA and not a IPA or a IIPA (which it bears a strong resembalance to in looks and aroma). This is a thick and hearty APA well worth a try especially at .75 for a pint, extra points there buddy, too bad it is going up on the next batch, wish i would have bought more for this price.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Pours from the can into my Tripel Karmeliet glass with a three-finger plus, frothy, light tan colored head. The head is quite creamy textured, leaves some nice lace on the sides of my glass and never entirely dissipates; just about perfect for a pale ale. The beer is a clear, ruddy amber color that shows a lightly hazed, fully red stained, copper color when held up to the light. The aroma is juicy with hop aromas of ruby red grapefruit, tangelo and a bit of lychee. Substantial malt aromas influence the finish with notes of caramelized malt sugars, biscuit aromatics, . While quite hoppy, I really like the substantial malt character in the nose, it makes this beer all that more complex.

Biting hops are noticeable from the first, the bitterness and pine-like hop notes scrub the tongue as the beer slides down my throat and the bitterness lingers on as it clings to my palate. My second sip is balanced a bit more by the malt character that adds more balancing sweetness and a slight viscous heft to the body that helps to balance the hop onslaught. This is a hop focused beer though and the hop notes clearly dominate the flavor profile. Flavors of sweetened grapefruit, lychee, bergamot and tangelo are joined by more aggressive herbal, but secondary, notes of pine, light hemp oil and a touch of menthol. The malt character gets a touch astringent towards the finish (some of the hop notes accentuate this) though mostly has a toasted, bread crust like, interesting malt character to it. Perhaps a touch heavy for a Pale Ale, but it still is fairly quaffable.

This is quite big for a Pale Ale, the alcohol bears this out, but having said that it is still quite tasty. I definitely like the mix of dominant hop notes that are balanced quite well by a noticeable malt presence.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Are f*ckin kidding me, this beer ROCKS!!


... Lots of lacing and the head level is off the chain! ...

.. colour is of late autumn pine cones ...

.... Taste is wonderful! ... of fresh hops and roasted caramel and pine... .....

it was a rock lobster!! ..

... What a wonderful surprise coming from this new Texas brewer!!...

..i will be making a brewery visit later for sure!!! ... can't wait to see more from these guys!!!