Feature Beer Friday! - Southern Tier Hop Sun

Okay folks, in case you missed the news before, Southern Tier Brewing is into the Louisiana market!  So far I've seen 6-packs of the Hop Sun, Live Pale Ale, and the 2XIPA around town, and I believe a few others have found their way to New Orleans, although they might have just been on tap at Avenue Pub. This week and the next two weeks will cover all three of the Southern Tier offerings in an effort (last week's Pliny the Elder review aside) to keep Feature Beer Friday! a little more locally available.  

First up, is the Hop Sun.  This one is Southern Tier's summer seasonal, and it's most certainly summertime in South Louisiana these days.  Judging by the name I think we should expect something a little on the hoppier side for a summer seasonal, and it's labeled as a "Summer Wheat Beer" so I'm expecting something light, but with a little body and a refreshing hop profile.  Let's see what's in store...

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Brenton Day (The Ale Runner.com), and Dustin Davis.

Serving: 12 ounce bottle.

Appearance: We all expected a little wheat haze from this one but it didn't deliver.  Not that it was a bad appearance, just missing that expected aspect.

Aroma: Hoppy, with some pine in there, but mostly citrus.  Brenton picked up some peach notes, and we all gave good scores here.

Taste: I found that the taste had even more citrus than the nose.  Brenton said it had a "nice blend of wheat and hop." Dustin liked the wheat but didn't find the hops to be as strong as expected based on the aroma.  

Mouthfeel: A little thin, nothing special here, but nothing offensive either.  Definitely good to not have an overly bitter aftertaste for a summer seasonal. 

Overall: Easy drinking but hoppy summer beer.  Definitely a pool-lounging sort of brew.


Overall Rating: 64.67
My Rating: 69