Karl Strauss Parrot In A Palm Tree Holiday Baltic Porter - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Swimsum

California

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a NB globe

Pours out brown and settles into the glass near black in color. When held to the light it is a nice mahogany color with some deep cherry highlights. Head is initially about a finger high and off white in color. Settles to a very thin spotty layer. No lacing is present on the glass but head does stay around for the session.

Slight chocolate upon the first few whiffs. Next I get mostly port and finished with a bit of raisins. Roast in the smell here and there as well.

The roast and raisins that were present in the nose really come out in the taste for me. However, the port never seems to materialize for me even though I got it a lot in the smell. I was really hoping the port would be more present. Oh well. No alcohol taste to this one which is nice. As it warms up, the beer finishes very nicely with some chocolate.

Decent carbonation leading to a bit thinner feel then I was expecting. Still, it goes down very smooth and finishes nicely.

Overall I enjoyed this. I'm going to most likely get another bottle or two and see if perhaps the port will come out with some time. I don't think this would hold up for the whole duration of the horizontal Karl Strauss will do with their holiday beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 00:17:42 | More by Swimsum

jchain

California

5/5  rDev +26.3%

04-29-2013 06:00:33 | More by jchain

Devinph

California

4/5  rDev +1%

02-06-2013 05:29:32 | More by Devinph

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%

10-17-2012 02:53:59 | More by t0rin0

acurtis

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

10-01-2012 23:54:42 | More by acurtis

djrn2

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

10-01-2012 23:53:18 | More by djrn2

whartontallboy

New York

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%

05-26-2012 21:39:54 | More by whartontallboy

Kuemmelbrau

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

04-17-2012 03:32:51 | More by Kuemmelbrau

codynevels

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

02-01-2012 05:42:05 | More by codynevels

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage, served in a snifter. Pours a completely opaque black color with a decent-sized, frothy brown head, good lacing. Aroma is dark and roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruit, wood, and nutty. Flavor is dark and roasted malts, raisins, chocolate, coffee, a bit of spiciness and molasses. Mouthfeel is medium, sweet, warm and finishes fairly bitter. Good beer, warms well, fairly complex.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 03:54:29 | More by mtstatebeer

spamages

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1%

12-25-2011 03:14:35 | More by spamages

nanobrew

California

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

12-23-2011 17:40:11 | More by nanobrew

Oneinchaway

California

4/5  rDev +1%

12-19-2011 07:40:03 | More by Oneinchaway

AshleyMiller

Vermont

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

thanks to crosamich for this extra! poured into my stone snifter
2010 vintage

a - pours the darkest of browns, no light penetrance, and a baby's finger-width head that dissipates to a thin ring around the edge of the glass, minimal lacing

s - lots of port, dark fruits, coffee, dark chocolate and alcohol - very pleasant

t - dark fruits, slight espressor, alcohol present, but without the heat, lingering malt

m - lighter bodied as a baltic porter would suggest with adequate carbonation - quite drinkable

o - i enjoyed this - not too many beers are aged in port barrels and it actually added a good amount of complexity to this beer. i would gladly drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 00:10:34 | More by AshleyMiller

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Los Angeles, CA as part of their Jingle Bell Jubilee.

Pours an almost opaque dark crimson brown with a 1 inch tan head that settles to a thin cap. Random dots of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, dark fruits, and toffee aromas. Taste is of dark malt, dark fruits, and some cocoa powder flavors. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good Baltic porter from Karl Strauss. I am glad I was able to try this one on tap after having a bottle of it a while back.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 19:47:07 | More by UCLABrewN84

mhaugo

California

5/5  rDev +26.3%

12-10-2011 16:51:31 | More by mhaugo

crosamich

Florida

5/5  rDev +26.3%

11-30-2011 23:09:28 | More by crosamich

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%

11-25-2011 20:44:03 | More by Exiled

DoctorB2B

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1%

11-20-2011 18:52:03 | More by DoctorB2B

mactrail

California

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Full of dried fruit, as everyone notes. Figs for sure. Long sweet flavor of roasted malt, but more of raisins than caramel. Nice touch of acidity tempers the fruit, and the hops are mellow but add complexity and sharpen the overall flavor. Smooth, rich, and creamy for a really good mouthfeel. Lovely chestnut color with a fine head and great swirly lacing.

Karl Strauss seems to do really well with these big malty beer, in my opinion. Sorry I didn't get to try this on tap, but I'll pick up a couple more bottles-- Ibis Market on Ft. Stockton in Mission Hills (San Diego) has a bunch of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 05:38:40 | More by mactrail

Cavery

California

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 shared with Klym

Poured into Lost Abbey Tulip

A: Looks like a split fig in a glass; sediments hug the walls giving the appearance of seeds in a black body. A completely darth vader helmet body fills the glass with a bit of off-white natural cream bubbles. The film stayed on the top of the glass for a noticeably long while.

S: A really deep concord grape note up front that blends with kiwi centers for a unique impression. Dark fruits begin to develop, but are then cut off by a deep influence of port wine barrels. The sweetness is turned down, but the creaminess/smoothness turned up. Smells like a fine dark fruit jelly spread.

T: A deep roasty salty taste of toasted pumpkin seeds. There is a squash like sweetness that really has made a fan out of me. Dark fruits in a concord grape punch, with wonderful gobs of vanilla caramels. Really making a fan out of me on this one, smooth and creamy while maintaining a heavy focus on deep dark grape wines with extended invitations to fresh pan fried dates. This is pretty genius.

M: A warm blanket of alcohol and medium sized bubble cushions make for a full-bodied drinking experience. This really bridges the tasting experience to include the roasted flavors at the same intensity as the port notes. Not as much complexity here as the flavor, but a job well done.

O: To date, this is the best thing I've had from Karl Strauss. This is an impressive treatment of port wine barrels with a full-bodied baltic porter. The marriage of flavors here is a beautiful thing. I really can't get over how well the initial flavors of fig/dates/cherry skins transforms into the elegantly smooth red grape notes. The way the barrel aging comes through in the end with the dessert condiments of caramels, vanillas, and carob chips is so fantastic. Karl, this is the best of your barrel work. I'd like to see more of this.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:53:48 | More by Cavery

Klym

California

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours basically black, but maybe closer to a very dark purple or brown, with both of those colors coming out at different angles. Head is pretty basic but dies off not too soon after the pour. The lacing is like a layer of sand against the glass but it dissipates not too long after you tilt the glass.

S: An unusual but very appealing mix of grape, plum, chocolate, caramel, a little fig, and a small woody character. They all blend together really nicely and make me quick to want to drink this.

T: Starts off with a figgyness and goes into grape, plum, and black cherries then transitions into a salty caramel bite that finishes with some nutty chocolate. It's actually quite complex and very good. This is a very solid porter.

M: The sensations in the mouth were very spread out in this beer, with no extra bite on the top of the mouth or back of the throat. The body was on the heavier side of medium and the carbonation was surprisingly full despite the dying head on the beer. Really good mouthfeel.

O: This is probably the best thing I've ever had from Karl Strauss and it surprises me, honestly, that it's from them. Very few flaws in this beer and was a great pleasure both to drink and ponder appropriate descriptions for. I think this is very much worth seeking, trying, and perhaps trying again. I've been somewhat of a critic in the past, but big ups to Karl Strauss for this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:37:22 | More by Klym

Armand

California

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Dark red, almost murky. Well carbonated with good head retendtion.
S: Milky, with some spice, and hops,
T: Spices come through from the smell, and taste. Very impressed with this one. Going to collect a couple for my cellar. Just to age and see what comes of this one.
M: Medium bodied and went down with a lot of good character.
O: Try this one. Really liked it. One of my favorite Karl's out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 22:41:55 | More by Armand

farrago

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Finger and a half of large bubble dominated head, steadily settles down to a consistent surface coating, solidly brown in hue, the lacing is not particularly thick but what’s there has decent stickiness. Mildly murky yellow brown colored liquid, up close more transparent than expected, not to call it transparent per se, orange rust at the glass bottom, a few bubbles laze about here and there. Malted milk balls, coffee ice cream, nuts and pie crust flakes make up a good portion of the nose, the date, black and golden raisin, fig, apricot fruit a consistent presence, some orange zest and juice, gossamer pepperiness, on the whole not as boozy as might be expected and more intelligently integrated rather than showy. Medium-bodied, the carbonation can kick up some dust and keeps things rolling at a fast clip from the tip of your tongue down past your tonsils. Flowers, pine and green apple flavors tease out drier malt and cocoa powder, not that sugary sweet. This not to underestimate the coconut, butterscotch, molasses and candied nuts. Smooths out appreciably through the finish bringing more peach, cherry, raisin and fig to the fore, mix of red and white fruits. The orange citrus a light touch at most. Hard to derive clear hop flavors but its general erectness and drier nature suggests their presence. More vinous than woody, no real char or oak toast. Hard for a beer with this much going on to seem close to subtle but pulls it off. High drinkability given its inherent nature.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 02:47:48 | More by farrago

MrVonzipper

California

4.63/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

-Nice dark brown color with nice almost creamy looking head

-Nice roasted, malty, fig-like characteristics on the nose

-Flavors change a little throughout the beer with notes of dates or figs, roasted malts, sweet port wine notes from the aging process. Slight smokiness. Definitely low on the bitterness and IBUs.

-rich and smooth mouth feel with a hint of alcoholic kick from the port wine, nice sweet aftertaste to encourage another sip

Ive had this beer a few times and I think it is definitely the best Karl Stauss beer Ive had and the best Baltic Porter Ive had to date. A dark beer lovers dream. If you like a fairly rich, bold flavored dark beer to break up the monotony of all the IPA hop craze and the extremely rich imperial stouts. This is the perfect solid bodied, full flavored, extremely drinkable dark beer to crack immediately while saving one to age.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 02:57:36 | More by MrVonzipper