Imperial Amber Lager
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Lager
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.49 | pDev: 5.73%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
5
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 08, 2011
Added:
Oct 09, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of ehammond1
Reviewed by ehammond1

3.18/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On Tap

Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Carlsbad, CA

Clear orange, bronze, and copper with a thin white head. Not much lacing left down the glass.

Sweet and floral aroma punctuated by a little booze as well as some sweet and bready malts.

Sweet, bready, and boozy flavors combine. This is very similar to the amber lager, but with more alcohol heat and a thicker, more syrupy body.

Thin to medium mouthfeel.

A slightly more boozy version of the typical amber, though many of Karl's beers all taste exactly the same: toasted malt and bread with a bit of caramel sweetness, without much hop presence, and moderate bitterness.
Oct 08, 2011
Photo of GarthDanielson
Reviewed by GarthDanielson from Virginia

3.59/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured on-tap in downtown San Diego at the Columbia Street brewpub. The regular wasn't too hot, let's try adding more booze. The beer was poured into a pint glass, with a more coppery color than the standard. Minimal white, foamy head. The beer has a more full, malty nose, with sweet caramel notes. The increased ABV and hops give it an increased bitterness, which helps give the flavor some body, while also balancing out the sweetness. The sweetness comes through to the finish, with a slightly sour aftertaste. I will give this beer a definitive + over the standard Red.
Jan 08, 2011
Photo of merryjoulton
Reviewed by merryjoulton from Arkansas

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The entry says its retired, but I just refilled a growler at Karl Strauss in downtown San Diego today and I can assure you that this brew is not retired. It is fresh and ready to be served.

Pours a deep copper/amber color with a crisp and tight white head that fades to lacing. Smell is very sharp and floral. Taste is just a hint of malts but mostly composed of a piney hoppiness that odes to the San Diego brews. Mouthfeel and drinkability are fine.
Oct 19, 2010
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

3.59/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A very clear yellow copper color with very little head or lacing. The aroma is a sugary maple nut and oats. Very grainy but sweet. The taste is a strong cereal rice/oat grain with tingly carbonation. It's a bit thin, alcohol is pretty unpronounced but it's fairly drinkable, quite unique. Interesting choice that I would try again in small quantities. Worth trying as a seldom encountered style.
Oct 12, 2008
Photo of Floydster
Reviewed by Floydster from California

3.33/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pint at the Costa Mesa location for around five dollars, brewed in honor of Karl's Birthday, consumed the Sunday after Karlfest, reviewed from notes

A-Bronze color, thin 1/2 inch creamy off white head that went away quickly, not much retention, no lacing
S-Floral and citrus hops, toasted malts, caramel, various fruits, some booze, grass, skunkiness, and red apples
T-Taste is pretty sweet and malty the whole way through, hops are very strong in the aroma but not so much in the flavor, fruit is dominant in the aftertaste while caramel is the main flavor otherwise, needs to be more dry to provide some balance, gets over candy-like when it warms, last few sips has alcohol flavors present are moderately hot
M-Sweet, malty, and warm mouthfeel, medium bodied, lots of carbonation thankfully, can only imagine how syrupy it would have been if not, sweet taste lingers a lot
D-Could drink more than the glass I had, heavyon the stomach, alcohol is in the flavor, seems stronger than the ABV that was listed on the menu, not very smooth, too sweet

Not a huge fan of the Amber Lager itself, but gave this one a try since it was the brewer's specialty offering anyways, one real cool thing about this brew was that all of its profits go to a local education charity fund, probably would skip next time but do not regret trying it, worth trying
Oct 09, 2008
Imperial Amber Lager from Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.49 out of 5 with 5 ratings