Starr Hill Northern Lights (-2017)

Starr Hill Northern Lights (-2017)

NOTE: THIS BEER IS RETIRED, you're probably looking for: Starr Hill Northern Lights (Remastered)




A classic American-style India Pale Ale, Northern Lights weighs in at 52 IBUs and 6.5% ABV. Characterized by its full-flavored bitterness and poignant citrus-floral aroma, a perfect blend of barley and hops make this a very balanced IPA. For the craftbrew connoisseur, Northern Lights is a deliciously crafted piece of the heavens.



Malted Barley: Two Row, Caramel, Munich & Wheat

Hop Variety: Cascade, Willamette & Columbus

Yeast: Ale Yeast

Characteristics

Flavor: Intense, high hop aroma, flavor and bitterness

Color: Amber

Style: India Pale Ale

IBUs: 52

ABV: 6.5%
3.3
367 reviews
Crozet, United States

Community reviews

3.5 Bottle from the cafe at the Jamestown archaeological site. Dark amber with an off-white head. Toasty and moderately bitter. Aroma of caramel, toast, and pine. Medium bodied with semi-lively carbonation.
2.5 355ml bottle. Different label. Pours an ambergold. Aroma is basic piney resinous ipa. Flavor is basic ipa, east coast style, meh meh meh.
3.1 12 oz bottle poured into a pint: clear burnished brass color with minimal amount of off white bubbles. The aroma is grapefruity, piny, earthy and dank. It’s bitter, orange, caramel. It’s creamy and effervescent.
3.0 Bottle from Harris Teeter, Hampstead, North Carolina. Brighter amber with a thin head. Strong tasting pale ale with some fruitiness, but its strength dominates.
3.5 New bottle. Unfortunately, I don’t have an old bottle to compare the versions, but I will rate this before looking at my former review. Pours medium-deep gold with an off-white head. Aroma is citrus, sweat, resin, pine, somewhat juicy. Flavor is crisp citrus, pine, light vanilla, hint of floral hops in the ass-end. Good. Now, looking at my old rating, it was an early cask version of the beer, so I can’t really compare and though I have had this since I can’t be sure of my feelings then.
4.7 Brilliant copper with creamy white head. Medium body with moderately high carbonation. Aroma: citrus and pine hops, bready malt. Taste: sweet juicy hops with a bright touch of pine, bready malt, resinous orange zest. Great classic character and nice balance.
3.3 At Dave Matthews concert at Mann. Drinking from can, but still can tell the nose is pine. Taste is some citrus, but some solid bitter hops on the finish. Good
3.5 Light amber color with modest sized taupe head. Light sweet start. Mildly earthy malts and hops in the middle. Malty, hoppy, simple IPA. 4/13
3.4 Draft Third of a Pint at GBBF 2010 (Day 1), Earl’s Court, London Aug 2010 - Amber in colour. Hoppy; fruity citrus hops. Fruity; citrus grapefruit and orange. Malty; solid malt backbone. Fairly bitter but not too extreme. Very drinkable. (2010-08)
3.4 A very malty IPA in comparison to others in the market. The malts give way to a pine flavor with a hint of citrus. The finish is slightly bitter with more notes of pine and a little grass, but the bitterness isn’t overpowering. Overall, it’s an enjoyable IPA that I would have again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to acquire.
3.1 Draft at Irish Pol. Slightly hazy orange amber pour with a top of eggy white foam. Messy lace. Mix of slightly spicy caramel malts and woody hops. Notes of maple syrup, apricot, cinnamon, tangerine, dark honey and toasted wheat. Sort of works but the malts overpower the hide the complexity of the hops.
3.3 The best part of this beer is the name - Northern Lights. Got my attention. Unfortunately, the taste doesn’t come close
3.8 yeasty and fruity fruit punch with a two stage flavor pattern that is simply charming. good little change up to a scratchy hay malt in the finish with a touch of ivy. good pine flavor some caramel fruity sweetness and a bit of yeast to add interest in the body. underappreciated here. alcohol is hidden a bit in the good flavors. doesn’t need to be too bitter it’s crafted.
2.6 bottled - decent amber coloring. Hoppy and piney aroma and flavor. Not that good.
2.9 Light honey pour, foamy head. Bit of caramel, slight staleness but not too bad. Hops could be stronger... it’s fine but maybe too weak.
2.5 Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is dark yellow. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (caramel, malt syrup), moderately hoppy (grapefruit, apricot), with a note of diacetyl. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Very simple, crude, and overly sweet.
3.4 12oz bottle packaged on 02/25/16 - nose is minty resin. This one is 6.2% ABV per the label. Sip adds a juicy hop aroma. Not very bitter. Decent but lacks taste.
2.7 Bottle, pours deep cloudy gold. Piney northwestern aroma, taste follows through with similar traits and then fades quickly. Decent, pretty light overall.
2.9 Bottled. Medium hop character. Didn't pour but it's drinkable. Would be willing to try another.
3.2 Amber color, grapefruit hop aroma and flavor. Not much else. Moderately bitter. Ok overall.
3.2 12 oz. bottle. Citrus aroma with a grapefruit flavor, but a little sweeter. Bitter on the finish.
3.1 Clear amber with low head. Pear and citrus aroma. Taste of mango and also pear and citrus. Moderate mouthfeel and bitterness.
3.3 12 oz. bottle. Pours light hazy and fairly bright red amber. Has a decent aroma with not much to it. Taste is fairly thin, much more sweet than bitter. Notes of citrus and predominately pear. Good and enjoyable, but not great. I prefer a little more full flavor. Might be a good IPA to introduce to a non IPA drinker.
1.6 This beer is awful. Just dreadful. I bought it hoping it would be an IPA that could get me liking IPAs (don’t worry, that mantle was taken up by another beer and it was successful), but this is garbage. Its bitterness is overwhelming, its aroma is forgettable, and if given the choice between drinking it and eating my own toenails, I’d go get the clippers myself.
3.0 Citrus aroma. Pours with above average amount of foam. Hazy copper color. Hoppy flavor but it’s more sweet than bitter. Not too heavy. A decent but not great beer.
3.3 Standard IPA - Pours amber with a foamy, white head. Refreshing hoppy bitterness on a malty backbone. Medium body with vigorous carbonation. Good stuff.
3.3 Poured copper with a nice foamy head. Grassy aroma. Taste is pine and grass. Not a lot of fruit in the flavor profile. Dry, lingering finish. Decent.
3.2 Bottle to shaker glass, pours slightly hazy amber. Quick 1+ finger off white head. Little lacing and some retention. Aroma is citrus and grassy. Taste is more sweet than bitter. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, slick mouth feel. Finishes slightly bitter . Tasting notes of caramel, grass, pine, lemon and herbs. It’s OK, nothing special but OK.
3.5 Pours an amber color with a foamy canvas colored head. Notes of pine, orange citrus, brown sugar, and burnt bread.
2.9 Bottle. Orange, copper, amber in color with a medium size head. Aroma is citrus, spruce. Taste is citrus, spruce, slightly sweet upfront with a bitter finish.