Big Barrel Double IPA - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

hoptrip619

California

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My first experience with Big Barrel IIPA was during SDBW at the Brewer's Guild Festival. At the time, I was in no shape to be taking notes but do remember it being quite enjoyable. During a recent trip to KnB Cellars, I decided to reevaluate this beer by purchasing a bomber. Adam, the manager, spoke very highly of Karl's first entry into the 22oz category so I was excited to see what they had put together.

I cracked this sucker open to cope with Saturday's rain and have to say this IIPA was a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dismal afternoon.

A- Poured a dark golden hue with good carbonation and a frothy/sticky off-white head.

S- BAM! This brew is ripe with vibrant floral and resinous hopiness. The most prominent aromas were ruby red grapefruit zest, some floral tropical notes from the nelson sauvin hops and a slight malt sweetness.

T- If I had a nickle for every time I buckled under a beers hoppiness, I would have 5 nickles. The hop flavors were complex and refreshing with the malts playing just enough of a part to provide an excellent balance. Notes of passionfruit, grapefruit, and pine mingled nicely with a soft malt backbone.

M/D -At 9.0% ABV, this medium-bodied IIPA is deceptively smooth and easy to drink. I swear to Pete, San Diego has a way of making high-octane beers sessionable. I would definitely go back for another one of these and I'm excited to see Karl putting their best foot forward!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 19:51:29 | More by hoptrip619

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a clear light amber gold with a 1 finger head of foam. I see a lot of lacing when I tilt my glass from side to side.

This boasts 90 IBUs and when I take a few whiffs, I can't see myself disagreeing! It has a tropical fruit hop smell...plenty of grapefruit and mangoes, some light pine, and behind them, a good caramel malt sweetness. When I say good, it's not in your face but it is there and that suggest some balance in the taste...me hopes.

Yep, it's in the taste as well. A nice caramel malt sweetness guides you to the very flavourful hoppy goodness of the grapefruit and mangoe and some assertive piney notes. Man, the hopheads should give this one a firm thumbs up when they get a hold of this and those seeking an example of the style that has a good malty backbone should also be pleased. Delicious.

Medium bodied with the carbonation on the lighter side of medium. Oh and, head retention is awesome!

Drinkability? 9%abv and I'm getting minimal warming. Touche. Very tasty and very smooth, this is an excellent Double IPA and a most excellent brew from Karl Strauss(I haven't had one of their brews in many years but it seems that they have kicked up their game a notch or 3 with this brew) that I could enjoy another bottle of at one sitting!. Well done and thanks to Joey for describing this beer so well in his news letter!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 00:41:53 | More by Bitterbill

LongBeachHopHead

California

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted at Green Flash 7th and got a bottle at the tent.

The brewer said that it's limited to 300 cases and is at Bevmo's only at the moment. Hope they make more.
The appearance was a very nice light amber, very clear and a decent retaining head. Was poured very cold.

Smell was lots of citrus and pine, grapefruit hit pretty hard. Fresh hops and not much malt presence. Very clean DIPA.

Taste was surprising. I usually stay away from Karl Strauss in the store but this is being bottled! I've had good beers from KS but only at Festivals. Great floral, citrusy oil on the palate that lingers the bitterness for a while. This could compete with a Pliny or Sculpin in the IPA Quality department.

Mouthfeel was a little thick and coated the tongue with echoing hop flavor and bitterness. Very good beer!

The drinkability is pretty high. For a 9% double I would probably not go back again in the same night but this (fresh) batch was pretty enticing. I liked this offering from Karl Struss and hope they keep making it. It's about time they break out of their stale line up and this would help!

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 12:54:42 | More by LongBeachHopHead

ehammond1

California

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Glowing orange with a thick off-white head and lots of stick left all over the glass. Gorgeous.

Incredibly pungent and tropical aroma. The distinct Nelson hops really shine here. The aromas are of strong, smashed pineapples and grapefruits, along with a strong floral note, and some dank, sticky marijuana. Love it! One of the best aromas I've ever experienced from any DIPA.

Medium to high bitterness, but loads of grapefruit and pineapple flavors balance things out. Again, the Nelson hops shine through tremendously.

Medium to thick body with a dry finish.

An absolutely wonderful DIPA. I need to have this one again (and again and again and again). Honestly, I never expected a DIPA this good to come from Karl Strauss--count me in as very pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2011 15:04:34 | More by ehammond1

SDtastentune

California

5/5  rDev +22%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Orange & clear yellow, Great lacing and a perfect normal small DIPA head. No sediment.

S - WOW! Floral hops! Reminds me of a tropical paradise with a ipa. Sweet apricot, some very balanced alcohol, backed with some sweet grapefruit.

T - Taste is as it smells, floral sweetness nectar of a DIPA. Bitter but very nice, goes down balanced with very apricot/grapefruit taste, taste is rich and plentiful. This has to be a hop heads dream.

M - Smooth, not to fizzy and not under-carbed, just perfect. Great floral/tasty aftertaste!

O - Overall.... um this stuff is supers! Bomb, dank... yea. Too good that I am about to get another grower. Come on now, what more can you ask out of a DIPA? HOP HEADS UP!

Serving type: growler

09-03-2011 02:52:22 | More by SDtastentune

mithrascruor

California

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Karl Strauss Sorrento Valley.

Pours a clear amber/copper color with a nice, fairly dense, white head. The aroma is hoppy, and fully of mildly bitter citrus. The same citrus flavors (predominantly grapefruit and lemon) continue into the taste, again bitter, with some hop spice and a bit of yeast at the finish. The yeast lingers into the aftertaste, but there's also some hop bitterness there too. Medium-bodied and smooth, with light carbonation. A pretty tasty double IPA, and another good new offering from Karl Strauss. Strong ABV-wise, but it isn't present at all in the taste. I'll be getting this again, for sure!

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2010 21:49:28 | More by mithrascruor

localhost

California

3.93/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours fairly clear, amber color, not very much head. Good smell, very fragrant, primarily smells of hops (always a welcome smell). Taste was a lot better than i expected, though i would barely call this a double IPA based on taste. Very well balanced between the hop flavors and overall bitterness. Leaves your mouth a little dry and has a little bit of a funk that lingers (though nothing bad). Drinkability is very good, i could easily have a few of these in a row. The alcohol content is masked quite well. Overall a good beer, nowhere near other DIPAs like Pliny the Elder but still pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 01:00:15 | More by localhost

beagle75

Iowa

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

Cask service via hand-pump into a long-stemmed tulip glass at the Costa Mesa Karl Strauss pub.

A: Clear, medium amber color with orange highlights and one finger of persistent white foam head. Slight lacing remains on the glass.

S: Sweet tropical fruit is foremost, alongside lesser grapefruit citrus notes, in a smell that is luscious but not particularly complex. No alcohol is present in the smell.

T: All that is promised in the smell is delivered here as the taste begins with abundant, sweet tropical fruit. A hint of graininess emerges in the middle but is never featured over the tropical fruit qualities. As the finish approaches the fruit flavors turn vinous and are joined by moderate bitterness. Some booziness is detected as the finish sets in.

M: Medium viscosity is slightly sticky on the palate, but without the syrupy quality suggested by the other senses. Carbonation is light and does not distract from the overall sensory experience.

D: Cask service enhances this already-worthy beer. Its high alcohol content is mid-range for the style, but still extreme enough to limit enjoyment. Hop cultivars featured here may stray from the west-coast norms, with the end result being similar in some respects to Oskar Blues Gubna. This beer may arguably be Karl Strauss' most important contribution to the beer world.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2010 16:20:41 | More by beagle75

armock

New York

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

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

S - Is of a lot of grapefruity hops

T - Follows the nose with grapefruit hops

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

D - Its a good beer overall a little average for a DIPA from San Diego I'd get again its worth a try

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2010 21:11:17 | More by armock

HopHead84

California

4.05/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

6/3/2010

On tap at Churchill's during game 1 of the NBA Finals. The beer is dark golden with a big white head and scattered lacing.

The nose is mostly Nelson hops, with notes of grape, grapefruit rind and flesh, and a little pine. There's a solid caramel malt foundation beneath the hops. Nice aroma.

The flavor is also strongly off Nelson hops, with a moderate bitterness, a little alcohol, and a near balancing caramel malt base. The hop flavor is of grapefruit, grape, orange, and a touch of pine. The finish is dry with lingering bitterness, grape, and grapefruit. A nice Nelson hop Double IPA and a noble effort from a normally lackluster brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2010 02:40:15 | More by HopHead84

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

So A growler of this one shows up on my porch last week and I could not have been happier. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 05/15/2010.

Nice pour, rich amber in color with a nice level of carbonation that could be seen streaming up toward the top of the glass. A smallish head of maybe an inch or so capped the top of the glass and settled down slowly with a light lacing all down the sides.

Deep citrus aroma, pineapple, mango, grapefruit are all represented quite well. Warming brings out some nice mellow and well balanced malt notes sprinkled in throughout now as well. Really again very nicely done. Crisp and biting hops are right up front, piercing the palate with tons of clean and bitter fruit notes. Each sips seems to get better and better as the medium feel really lets the flavor coat the palate and soak in. Final sips are long and drawn out and full of citrus spikes.

Overall this is one of the better doubles out there. You really should give this one a try if you can.

Serving type: growler

05-19-2010 02:05:08 | More by mikesgroove

OlieIPA

California

4.88/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a New Glarus pint glass from a growler.

A: A mix hued of copper and gold, this brew exhibited a massive off-white head. The lacing was pretty foamy as well.

S: Tons of pine and wet forest smell that is followed up by a sweet malt aroma. Amazing! Reminds me so much of Alpine's Nelson. The Nelson Sauvin hops are beautifully displayed in this beer.

T: Nelson Sauvin hop juice, sweet and sugary malt body, and a little hot. One of the better balanced DIPA's out there...with tons of flavor of course.

M: A little oily and creamy in the beginning, but then develops a nice dry finish.

D: Literally had 2/3 of a growler to myself! Yeah, that good!

Overall: I might have to put this over Alpine's Nelson. A must try. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

04-24-2010 23:54:45 | More by OlieIPA

magictrokini

California

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A rare good DIPA from Karl. Poured hazy orange with a frothy white head and good lacing. Very nice orange and grapefruit aroma with equal parts piney goodness. Some caramel malt that fades in the background. Hearty mouthfeel without being sticky. Solid hop bomb of citrus and herbal/resiny hops. Leans on the sour citrus rather than the tropical sweetness. Enough malt to keep in balanced, in terms of DIPA's. Really, really liked this.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2009 22:04:20 | More by magictrokini

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Toronado (San Diego, CA) on 11/10/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a crystal clear copper, topped with a thin layer of brite-white creamy foam. This stays VERY rich when swirled, leaving a nice frothy cascade of lacing back, which quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma here is totally West Coast smelling, with just at TON of floral hops, spice, and pine cones. This mixes in beautifully, with a thick underlying layer of grapefruit juice and bready caramel, which is still able to boldly show itself under all of that crazy hop activity. This just has a fresh and fierce pop to it, that I'm really digging.

The taste pretty much matches the aroma, with a strong and assertive hop presence, including monstrous notes of resins and spice, barely being balanced by a softer feeling backbone of sweet toasted caramel malts and tropical fruit character. Man, this is all about the hops though, with a bitter finish of peppery spice, resinous pine, and citrus rind, that just STICKS in the mouth. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe even a bit fuller, with a big prickly creaminess to it that goes well with the huge hop profile. This is actually going down pretty readily considering the big bitterness and alcohol content here.

This was one of the big surprise beers from our recent San Diego trip, that was one of the more complete West Coast IPAs that we've had from there lately. Just big juicy hop flavors here, with just enough of a sweet backbone to keep this balanced and drinkable. It's great to see bold new beers like this coming out from Karl Strauss.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2009 18:06:53 | More by Kegatron