Big Barrel Double IPA - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #35 (Dec 2009):

Obligatory chill haze on the orange-amber hue clears as the beer warms up a bit; solid- looking head. Smells of freshly macerated ruby red grapefruit, mint, faint pineapple and mangos. Mouthfeel pings off the palate with a sublime creamy body and smooth carbonation. Hop bitterness may have that initial sting, but the flavors really unfold with each sip; grapefruit rind, arugula and light minty tone. Some tropical fruit in the mix within the warming estery alcoholic profile here. There is enough malt to go around though, which keeps most of the bitterness in check. Stays juicy even while the hops pummel the taste buds.

Hop character is in your face--or ours, rather--fume of alcohol for good measure, and it all makes for a very good Double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 15:39:12 | More by BeerAdvocate

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz brown bomber.

Chunky sea foam head, excellent retention ... Sticks all over the glass. Hazed amber orange color. Big aroma of spearmint, grapefruit, lime zest, and wild flowers from the hops ... Hint of bready caramel malt and esters in the back. Smooth bitty medium body. Hops are here to play, to take over, to show their strength and they do. Alcohol settles in quick, warming and a hint of fruity esters. Bready and yeasty edge within. Hoppy after taste with a fume of alcohol.

This beer has a full on grasp of the style, a great beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2010 04:48:31 | More by Jason

Omer4176

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-18-2013 05:02:35 | More by Omer4176

Shogun730

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-17-2013 22:03:02 | More by Shogun730

Beerswag

California

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

05-03-2013 04:47:53 | More by Beerswag

Yello5

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-01-2013 06:55:49 | More by Yello5

bvermilion

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-21-2013 05:35:53 | More by bvermilion

kingmaker

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

04-19-2013 03:18:08 | More by kingmaker

Zorro

California

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Clear orange colored ale with a puffy off-white colored head.

Smell is strongly of citrus. Abundant grapefruit with strong tea and malt sugar. Smells woody and slightly smoky.

Starts out sweet with a woody citrus flavor. Abundant citrus flavor like the smell. Little bit of butter and burnt sugar with a slight onion flavor. Tasty yet very smooth with not the slightest hint of how strong it is.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall a tasty and easy to drink double IPA. Not the best but it is nice for the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:34:03 | More by Zorro

swetsastonic

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-12-2013 05:49:33 | More by swetsastonic

hopswap1

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

04-09-2013 16:26:13 | More by hopswap1

Buick222

California

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

04-02-2013 17:49:56 | More by Buick222

dertyd

California

3.35/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

poured from a 22oz bomber to a tulip

A:poured a verry nice amber redish orange rusty color with a decent head that last a wile then fades to lace that clings to the glass

S;grape fruits and other tropical fruits higlight this beer with a little bit of grain and sourdough aromas

T:at first taste you get grains with bitter tropical fruits on the back end then it gets realy piney with the after taste

M:kinda wet and sticky with a piney after taste

O:overall a good beer but not great was hoping for a more grapefruity ipa I think lagunitas spoiled me with all there ipas cause not many stand up to them but this is far from
A bad beer it goes down smooth for the alch%

Live life drin beer!!!:-)

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 07:27:44 | More by dertyd

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to robL for the sweet extra. Tasted 12 March 2013.

Pours a clear medium orange, drifting to amber. One finger of whitish head, good retention and impressive lacing. Thick ring of foam, reaching up with rings of lacing. A few stray bubbles are the only visible carbonation.

Smell is juicy, full of apricots, with a bit of citrus peaking through. Definitely malt-forward, without the hop zip I expect from a DIPA. I like balanced IPAs, but this one's leaning more towards barleywine territory, IMO.

Taste is similarly big and fruity. Lots of stone fruit, peaches and apricots, with honey layered on top. Minimal hop bitterness in the back end. And even that quickly gives way to

Mouthfeel is good. Medium-heavy body, fizzy buzzy zippy carbonation, gently zinging on my tongue. Sticky and persistent.

I'm torn about this beer. It doesn't strike me as a DIPA. Tasting it blind, I would definitely peg it as a barleywine. And not even that hoppy of a barleywine. But it's a pretty tasty, malt-forward barleywine. As a DIPA, I'm not sold. But as a beer, I really like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 03:20:15 | More by zeledonia

mactrail

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Attractive sudsy pour in the tall Saxo tulip. Aromas of flowers and overripe fruit.

Quite sweet, but a malty rather than a sugary sweetness. It goes well with the huge fruit flavors. Mango, apricot nectar. Rather tart after some sipping. A textbook example of the Nelson Sauvin flavor, but more bittering hops lurk in the background. However, the bitterness is way less than most big hop beers. It allows the spice and alcohol to give it a livelier taste.

One of the more drinkable DIPAs for my taste. Cheerful and fruity. From the 22 oz bottle bought at Ibis Market in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 04:21:43 | More by mactrail

EyePeeAyBryan

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

03-04-2013 18:03:49 | More by EyePeeAyBryan

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - 3 fingers tightly packed white foam on a deep golden liquid.

S - honeysuckle. Mint. Black pepper. Wild flowers. Grapefruit rind.

T - honeycomb sweetness up front with a hint of grainy cereal. Sweet pineapple fruit character and grapefruit rind in the center. Soft floral ad well. Hints of alcohol on the backend.

M - full bodied creamy texture. High carb with full round bubbles.

O - nice beer. A bit sweet for me but it was still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:11:26 | More by Teleweizen2

csustar001

Ohio

5/5  rDev +22%

02-19-2013 14:37:25 | More by csustar001

apf

Utah

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

02-12-2013 03:13:53 | More by apf

Devinph

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-06-2013 05:31:17 | More by Devinph

AlbertosTacos

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

02-03-2013 07:28:12 | More by AlbertosTacos

BMMillsy

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

01-28-2013 20:51:15 | More by BMMillsy

cheetsmageets

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

01-12-2013 02:31:11 | More by cheetsmageets

TomD

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%

01-04-2013 01:50:26 | More by TomD

shagal

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.4%

01-03-2013 06:29:00 | More by shagal