Pintail Pale Ale - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

DoubleJ

California

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at OC Brewhouse, on to the beer:

A little paler than copper, this beer has very good head retention and leaves a lot of lacing around the glass. Nose is pleasant, giving off grapefruit and piney aromas. A clean pale ale, leans towards the hoppy side, though never bitter or rough at any moment. The grapefruit seems sweeter in the taste. Piney and limey as well. Gentle and medium-light in mouthfeel, and very easy to quaff.

Refreshing and appetizing beer from Karl Strauss. This would be ideal for lazy summer days.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2011 06:01:16 | More by DoubleJ

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap into a pint glass at Karl Strauss at Universal City, CA.

A: Amber color, almost orange but with some reddish notes. Offwhite head of about a finger with ok retention.

S: Subtle but has a malty backbone of bread with a light fruit sweetness and a hint of floral.

T: Light and smooth. Good hop profile but with a bit of balance in the form of slightly bready malt. A hint of herbal and floral hop and slightly fruity going down.

O: Very drinkable but nothing too exciting. A solid pale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 17:24:47 | More by BucBasil

beagle75

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft service into a shaker pint glass at Karl Strauss in Costa Mesa.

A: Clear, medium amber color with less than one finger of diminishing white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Citrus and floral hops are pungent anf focused early, but diminish quickly in intensity. Toasted grain is predictably more evident as hops fade, but otherwise the smell is very clean.

T: Begins dry, with aromatic hops that match the smell closely and bright acidity that is strong but welcome. Pale malt emerges in the middle, husky and robust. Bitterness develops gradually, becoming nearly bracing at its peak during the finish.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, wet and balanced featuring an acidic edge, with moderate carbonation.

D: Not only is Pintail one of the best beers Karl Strauss brews, it may also be one of the best APAs brewed in Southern California. One has to consider some other much more poorly-distributed beers--Alpine Hoppy Birthday, Strand 24th Street pale--to find one that is both local and is able to exceed this beer in its masterful approach to the style. While off-flavors are virtually non-existent here, one could potentially criticize the acidity present and the speed at which the hop aromas seem to fade from the smell. That said, even they are small transgressions that should not prevent this beer from rising to the top of the Karl Strauss stable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 06:00:17 | More by beagle75

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ordered a pint of this at the Karl Strauss Restaurant in Carlsbad a few days ago. The following review is base on notes taken at that time.

Served in a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pale amber, crystal clear, and bright; Pintail Pale Ale has a great looking body. A thin, creamy, white cap covers the surface and retains well, partially thanks to a handful of steady bubble streams seen within. Thick lacing early on eventually turns more cobweb-like. All around, quite nice-looking!

Smell: Light caramel, buttered toast, and pine resin come to mind first. As the beer slowly warms, I get key lime followed by grapefruit and orange. Nothing spectacular, but solid for the style.

Taste: More bitter than I'd like, but I guess this is San Diego. Unfortunately, I really can't find a whole lot in terms of flavor profile; I get lots of earth and pine, with mild lemon and buttered bread occasionally peaking through.

Mouthfeel: High carbonation and heavy bitterness make for a palate-wrecking pale ale (obviously nowhere close to palate-wrecking DIPAs, but you catch my drift). Medium-bodied and hop-forward.

Drinkability: With a few less bittering hops, this might be a great pale ale. Unfortunately, the heavy bitterness overpowers any subtleties that may exist in the flavor profile. Too bad. If you're looking for a low ABV hop fix, this may be your beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2011 18:29:25 | More by ThreeWiseMen

crvcac

California

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours with a nice golden amber hue

Smell: smells absolutely wonderful. Clearly dry-hopped, this beer runs a fine line between pale ale and ipa.

Taste: taste very similar to its smell. Again, a very hopped pale ale. Copious amounts of citrus and pine like flavors. Sits very nicely on the palate.

Drink ability: very drinkable. Moderate abv makes for a great session beer. Hop linger on the tongue makes me want more

Overall: solid

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 15:16:06 | More by crvcac

armock

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a copper color with a white head that leaves some lacing behind

S - Is mostly of citrus hops on caramel malt

T - Starts off with grapefruit hops finishes with a touch of caramel malt

M - This beer has a medium body with higher carbonation to it

D - This was a pretty good pale thats easy to drink with its good taste I could probably drink a few of these in a sitting worth picking up sometime to give it a try

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2010 20:57:23 | More by armock

hoptrip619

California

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not sure if there was a reformulation to this recipe because there is no way this beer deserves anything less than a solid A. I sampled Pintail several times last night at a charity event for the San Diego History Center and was very very impressed. Ryan, the KS rep, mentioned it will be available in six-packs here in a few weeks and I definitely plan to pick some up when that become a reality.

A- Poured a clear bright golden orange with a 1/2" white head.

S- Prominent clean floral citrus aroma of grapefruit zest with some fruity notes.

T- Lots of hop flavor of grapfruit, orange, and meyer lemon. Some caramel malt contrasts nicely with the forward hoppiness.

M- Medium bodied and very very easy to drink.

D- This PA is clean, super flavorful, and incredibly easy to drink. This may very well become my go-to beer. I am seriously impressed by the new beers KS has been putting out lately.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2010 20:16:59 | More by hoptrip619

magictrokini

California

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a clear gold with a bubbly white head. Thin lacing. Metallic malt-and-grassy hops combo typical of the style; nothing outstanding. Carbonated mouthfeel, dry finish. Crystal malt bite with slightly piney hops. Smooth, and refreshing, but not a lot of substance.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2009 00:44:53 | More by magictrokini

tonistruth

Nevada

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

on cask @ Churchill's in San Marcos, CA

A- pours a cloudy, unfiltered straw color, with a silky two finger white head and lace, great retent on both

S- fresh citrus and bready

T- dry toasted malts, bready, citrus, leafy, burnt cardboard flavor in background

M- silky, smooth, dry and somewhat sticky after

D- burnt flavor can be harsh and a brew from cask is a love or hate situation, but not to shabby, probably be better off on tap

Serving type: cask

10-01-2007 02:08:38 | More by tonistruth