Pintail Pale Ale - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

heygeebee

Australia

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

BB April 2013 (!)

Pours a deep amber, slight head, maybe half a finger. Dies to a film quickly. Sproadic lacing on swirl.

APA on the nose! Firm aromas of citrus, a little fruit salad, honey, and hops.

Taste is a let down after the nose. Hops and pine dominate a one-dimensional palate. Freshness is the issue methinks.

Mouthfeel a little watery. Carbonation good.

Overall, OK but not great example in crowded market.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 08:35:01 | More by heygeebee

TheSixthRing

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a clear, golden amber color with an off-white, 2 finger head. Good retention. Lace coats the glass with reckless abandon. Unbelievable stick.

Smell - Primary tropical and citrus aromas. Pineapple and orange. Prominent caramel malt aroma as well. Fantastic smelling beer.

Taste - After the smell and look, a bit of a let down. Taste is well-balanced, but comes across as almost hollow, especially to start. Malts are light and bready, with touches of caramel. Hops are present, but are more or less a ghostly presence until they eventually break through near the finish. Citrus. Touches on pine. Subtle soapiness.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Well carbonated. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall - So close to being elite, but the flavor just isn't there. The aroma is a tease, for sure. Would I buy this beer again? I don't know that I would.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 04:14:46 | More by TheSixthRing

dansmcd

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a deep golden amber, nice thick and creamy head with excellent retention, sloppy sticky lacing.

S - piney hops, spice and caramel malt.

T - really tasty. Well balanced. Pine, caramel, sweet and bitter. Good example of the style.

M - moderate carbonation, medium body, dry finish.

O - surprisingly good considering the other offerings from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 09:50:06 | More by dansmcd

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev 0%
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

tonistruth

Nevada

3/5  rDev -21.1%
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

rawfish

California

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Arrives to the table with a deep orange amber hue and a small off white cap of froth that leaves an even ring of stick on the glass. Nice clarity with active carbonation.

A little muted but nice caramel malt back bone with even balance of citrus and pine hop aromas. Smells lightly herbaceous and clean.

Clean malt bill, not a hint of any coarse grains and it quickly clears allowing the beer to lean towards the hoppy side of the spectrum with grapefruit citrus , pine and lemon zest. Mildly bitter in the finish, with a brightening acidity.

Prickly carbonation but nothing overblown, deceivingly lighter body then the color lets on, doesn't give a drying feeling but unmistakably clean.

Very clean and on the hoppier side of the spectrum as far as pale ales go. Reminds me quite a bit of fresh SN pale which is also very good. One of Karl Strauss' better beers in the standard lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2012 05:06:00 | More by rawfish

velosuds

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a clear pint glass.

A-Pours an amber-orange with a one and a quarter finger, off-white head with average retention and nice, even lacing.

S-Very fragrant, citrusy hops and caramel malt.

T-A full flavored light ale. Nice blend of bitterness and tropical fruit notes with a balanced malt presence.

M-Very smooth. Good carbonation.

D-This is very drinkable and a decent ale.

O- Good, but not great, at regular prices. However, I would buy this for $5.99 a sixer, whenever available. A good APA.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 06:41:04 | More by velosuds

SmashPants

Australia

2.9/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: decent 355mL brown bottle. Nicely styled label - kind of old-school cute.

Appearance: darker orange amber in colour, with fast but refined carbonation. A limited white head stays for some time. Minor lacing.

Aroma: some citric hops with a light caramel backing. A touch of pine to fill it out. Not outstanding, but a standard pale ale aroma.

Taste: very muted in flavour for a pale ale. There are the usual suspects as there are in the aroma - grapefruit, pine, caramels - but the flavour is quite muted and dull. Quite disappointing actually.

Aftertaste: pretty much the same - muted without much in the way of follow-up aftertaste.

Mouth feel: I think this is half the problem with the muted flavour profile - the light-to-medium body is fine, but the lack of carbonation really seems to dull this beer down. A pity, as this could have been a good beer if it had a bit more backbone.

Overall: this is the second beer I have had from the Karl Strauss Brewery, and the second one that comes up short. A good flavour profile wasted on limited carbonation and no backbone. A pity, really.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 02:25:49 | More by SmashPants

jjh19

California

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: My bottle of Pintail Pale Ale poured a rich golden amber color. Decent head. Had a really clean look.

Smell: A pleasant aroma, hints of citrus (maybe grapefruit?)

Taste: Wow - this ale delivers big on the citrus with the first sip. Pretty cool. I think my favorite thing about the Pintail is the malts I get mid-sip. Creates a nice balance with the vibrant hops.

Mouthfeel: My bottle had a fairly ale-standard medium body. Nothing crazy.

Drinkability: This is a smooth pale ale with an interesting hoppiness. I'd totally recommend this. Can't wait for a hot San Diego day to enjoy a couple more.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 04:00:13 | More by jjh19

crvcac

California

4.4/5  rDev +15.8%
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

hoptrip619

California

4.5/5  rDev +18.4%
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

itfitz

California

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Calling this American Pale Ale "average" does no justice to the wonderful amalgam of caramel maltiness, light and balanced bitterness, an inviting grassy-citrus hop aroma, and a nicely-carbonated feel.

Karl Strauss' Pintail Pale Ale just works -- it goes down smoothly, leaves a pleasant aftertaste, and is the perfect accompaniment to a nice summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 10:57:42 | More by itfitz

Gstarkey

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Probably one of the best pale ales that i have had. Tastes very fresh. Nice hop and malt aroma. Slight fruitiness. Overall a very good beer.

This is a beer you can session all year round but probably fits best around summertime. I like to drink this beer whenever i am cleaning my backyard or when i get back from a long day of surfing. If you can get this beer you need try and you will be glad you did. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 00:24:55 | More by Gstarkey

Beerocrat69

California

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was copper-colored with a nice white head and great lace on the glass. It smelled like grapefruit juice mingled with a little bit of pine. Great aroma! It tasted dry - which is good - with slight notes of caramel. The beer was super hoppy without being very bitter. The mouthfeel was light to medium-bodied. This is definitely a sessionable pale ale. I could drink alot of this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 21:57:46 | More by Beerocrat69