Not of this Earth, nor Belgium for that matter.

Two on the docket tonight...

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Location: Lakewood, NY
Name: Un*Earthly
Type: Imperial India Pale Ale
So there it was, positioned on the top shelf, in the corner no less, in the cooler of a local grocery store. A 22oz. bottle of Un*Earthly. It's almost as if the person stocking the cooler didn't want anyone to know they had it in stock. Once I saw it, I knew I had to get one at the behest of no fewer than 2 friends (Thank you Mr. Fischer and Mr. Parker!). I dove in head first. The mug Tessa got me worked wonderfully! It's 20oz. capacity didn't even flinch at the big bottle. The IPA flows from bottle to mug in a cascade of a color that of light maple syrup. The head, albeit thin and modest, was a slight dirty white. The bouquet opens up in a 1-2 punch combination of bold citrus hops and malty booze. No surprise with the booze, the magic word (imperial) brings this behemoth to a whopping 11% ABV. I have to say that this is one of the smoothest feeling beers I've ever had. I actually ingested Un*Earthly at a slightly warmer temperature than usual as the bottle suggests drinking it at 42 degrees. The smooth mouth feel makes this beer incredibly easy to drink and the high alcohol content is barely noticeable. The flavor is out of this world! Yup, I went there...puns are hard to pass up. A complex cadre of pineapple-y yet slightly piney- hops is joined by a support cast of buttery caramel finished off with a nice alcohol finish. This IPA is a big brew! Enjoy in moderation but enjoy when you can!

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co.
Location: Denver, CO
Name: Belgica
Type: Belgian-Style India Pale Ale
Though simple, I really dug the label of this bottle. Call me superficial but I liked it. This was another gift from Tessa and I have a sneaking suspicion that she has a pretty good understanding of what I like to drink! Belgica looks like a hazy summer morning, the color of the sun pouring through fog. The head was a stark white which was fairly thin and lost fairly quick. The bouquet was amazing, incredibly diverse. First you get a thick sweet and malty scent which yields to a tart and yeasty aroma finally finishing with a dose of familiar floral and citrus-y hops. The mouth feel was smooth and clean. The flavor profile was pretty amazing. I picked up very slight hints of banana and a large portion of spice. Coriander and ginger came through easily. The hops leave behind a moderately floral finish back by a hint of bitterness. This potent (7.2% ABV) IPA is easy to drink which makes it easy to enjoy. I've had a few Great Divide brews in the past and like those, I would strongly recommend Belgica to anyone interested in a robust flavor profile.