To The 9's
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

To The 9'sTo The 9's
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From:
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
9.9%
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 8%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 06, 2013
Added:
Dec 11, 2009
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  2
2009 Holiday Ale
...and what a year it was. 20 years of beer was celebrated, a new bottling line came to life. In honor of '09, we brewed a beer with English Extra-Pale malts and no less than 9 hop varieties to give it 99 IBUs, 9.9% ABV 9 SRM. This Imperial IPA has a woodsy, floral hoppiness with citrus undertones and a spicy, earthy aroma. Full in body and spirit, it's the perfect beer to take leave of the old year in style and welcome the New Year dressed to the nines.

stats
Alcohol by Volume: 9.9%
Color: 9 SRM
Bitterness: 99 IBU


Availability: Limited Release in December 2009 in kegs and 22oz. Bottles.
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by Devinph from California

Feb 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Jan 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by tjfinkle from California

Nov 26, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 17, 2012
Photo of Armand
Reviewed by Armand from California

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had a chance to try this at a tour I had of Karl Strauss. The rep was there and she brought out a bottle for us to try.

A- Clear amber color.

S-Spice and hop were present. Had a slight raisin smell.

T- Pine-like, grassy, an earthy & peppery character, with a lot of spice. Grape almost, and fruity.

M/D - Goes down easier than many of the other standard IPA's I've tasted. It's medium/full-bodied and the 10% ABV

Looking forward to trying this one again. Great little beer, and one that I'm glad they (KS) made.
Serving type: bottle
Jun 28, 2011
Photo of RoyalT
Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance – This is a serious-looking deep brownish-orange in color with a nice tan head that was very thick and lasted well.

Smell – The rich, caramel malts and big, bold hops are nicely balanced.

Taste – The caramel malts step up boldly at the taste. They are burnt sugar meets rich caramel and the stiff, bittering hops just do keep up with the pace.

Mouthfeel – This is a big beer, not quite full-bodied but much bigger than medium, with some nice bitterness mostly offset by the sugars and a very mild carbonation.

Drinkability – This is a big, sipping beer that is true to the style and very bold.
Apr 27, 2011
Photo of Bajasith
Reviewed by Bajasith from California

4.04/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
- Clear copper/amber glow with some bubbles rising to the top, laces very well from a chunky head.
-Smell of big orange/grapefruit hops with hints resinous/sappy pine after a winter rain... wahh!
-Taste is almost like what I described... thick sappy along with a chunk of citrus peel and mild caramel as the alcohol smoothes the bitternes... gets you like a slap in the face yet, no lingering aftertaste.
-Very well brewed 9 hop DIPA from KS... 9.9% abv could be a factor.
Sep 14, 2010
Photo of crvcac
Reviewed by crvcac from California

4.28/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Golden amber with ruby highlights

Aroma: citrus and spice. Hop varietals are definitely characteristic of European hops. Very earthy and opposite of their northwestern counterparts.

Taste: woodsy, spice, grass and earth. Very distinct and difficult to put my finger on one dominant taste.

Body: for 9.9% abv, pretty damn smooth. Earthiness of the hops nicely masks the booziness.

Overall: definitely different, yet surprisingly solid
Aug 18, 2010
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

3.11/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
22oz. bomber shared amongst other fellow BAs on 5/27/10.

A - Poured a clear amber body with lots of carbonation and a thin white head that reduced to a patchy veil but left behind stringy strands of decorative lacing.

S - Initial aroma combines sweet caramel and bready malts with a fairly pronounced alcohol twang. Hop aroma is subtle, although some citrus notes emerged as the liquid warmed up a bit. Overall, the aroma elicits sweet, sugary rock candy.

T - This kind of tastes like how I'd imagine a carmelized hop would taste. It's as if a whole leaf hop nugget was suspended in a sugary, hard candied fruit coating and I am now sucking on it. While there is an ideal amount of bitterness to this puppy, there is unfortunately not a whole lot of discernable hop character or flavor.

M - Syrupy and oily with a very sticky mouthfeel and moderate alcohol warmth on the palate. Finishes quite dry with an assertive hop bite.

D - Misses the mark a bit due to its sweetness. While the bitterness was definitely there, I would have liked to see more of a well-rounded hop character and a less obtrusive alcohol presence. Not sure of the age of this bottle, but I would definitely be interested in sampling this again.
May 28, 2010
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Ffejherb for sharing this bottle at the Brass Rail.

A: The ale is a coppery orange color, effervescent but generating little head. What does bubble up though laces as it recedes. The Coppery color remains clear throughout.

S: The sweet, spicy aromas reminded me of Fruity Pebbles, a melange of sweetness masking a sinister hoppy bitterness.

T: The DIPA has retained its strength admirably since the Christmas season, although the start is much maltier. Caramel and pale breadiness, mildy sweet, start things off before ceding to the hops. Mid-sip, a blast of non-descript bitterness, citrusy but vague, takes control. It is assertive with a strong staying power, leaving a sharp, tingly taste behind. I'd love to have some of the Fruity Pebble fruit flavors come through.

M: The mouthfeel is oily and bitter, plenty of hops to go around with enough spicy heat to keep me interested.

D: Drinking it, I had no idea it weighed in around 10%. A hoppy ale that has enough spice to wring in a holiday season.
May 28, 2010
Photo of armock
Reviewed by armock from New York

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - Poured a light copper color with an off white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of lots of fruity citrus hops

T - Very bitter just a lot of hops upfront then a touch of malt comes out but very unbalanced

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

D - This is a hop bomb with little to no balanced to it so I'm not really enjoying this one fully but if thats your sort of thing check it out glad I only picked up one bottle
May 13, 2010
Photo of mfaulk
Reviewed by mfaulk from California

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
The other reviews have been accurate, so there's not much too add. The alcohol came on hot at first, even for a 9.9%, but you "warm up" to that. Hop presence is strong but well-balanced. It was light work finishing a 22oz bottle. I wish I had bought more while in San Diego...
May 01, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a slightly hazed orange copper, with 2+ big fingers of eggshell white froth. This peters down into thin, yet still creamy, layer that leaves a robust cascade of rich spotty lacing all down the sides of the glass. The aroma is mostly all hops, being floral, piney, and earthy, with a deep balancing tang of fruit and lightly smokey toasted malts. There's a bit of a stiff layer of warmth making it's presence known as well. Just enough to let you know that there's some power going on with this.

The hops stick to the tongue in the taste with an earthy, resinous, and very spicy bite to it. Sweetness from the tropical fruit character and those toasty feeling malts give this a smooth backing balance. Resins and spice really hangs in the finish. Speaking of the spices, I'm picking up a more festive feel to it (much more so than in the aroma), with cinnamon and even a little bit of mint coming through. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a nice firm creaminess to the carbonation up front that then gets a lot softer feeling as you swallow. A smooth oily texture intertwines into the body, allowing this to drink much easier than 10% ABV, with only some gentle warmth showing itself from the alcohol.

This was really good and a pleasant hoppy fix for the winter season. With it's festive spicy profile, I wouldn't surprised if they didn't take a cue from Alesmith's Winter Yulesmith with this. Nothing wrong with that! After having both the Big Barrel and now this, I really like where Karl Strauss is going with these big IPAs.
Apr 13, 2010
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.27/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz brown bomber with a 2009 vintage date on the label.

Clear amber glow shows some bubbles rising to the top, lacing clings to the glass very well from a chunky head that does not want to go away. Big orangey hop nose with hints of mint, pineapple, evergreen and taffy. Exceptionally smooth with a crisp back-end, semi-creamy medium body hold together quite well. Hops are bold and in your face or should I say slapping my taste buds around. Bitterness throws the hammer down and leaves a thick almost oily blanket of pungent flavor. Alcohol shows warmth, fruitiness and a peppery sting. Cinnamon? Yeah, there is some malt within but it takes a while for the taste buds to adjust to the dominant bitterness to find the caramel and bready undertones. Big hoppy finish.

KS does the DIPA style right here ... with each sip I become more fond of it.
Apr 13, 2010
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.02/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear light amber (9 SRM) color with a thick head that leaves some patches of lace

Smell: It's got that west coast floral citrus aroma, for sure; very bright

Taste: Rather sweet, up front, with the pithy citrus struggling, and failing, to overwhelm by mid-palate; after the swallow, the bitterness ultimately prevails, but there is just a smidge too much sugary, pineappley malt in here to merit a higher score

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation and some alcoholic warmth

Drinkability: I really wanted to like this one more but, over time, the sweetness got to me; kudos to Karl Strauss, however, for moving in this direction and I look forward to additional beers in this series
Apr 09, 2010
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours orange with a finger of white head, good retention, nice lace per the style.

S: White grapefruit, cantaloupe rind, green and bitter.

T: Bitter melon, citrus/lots of grapefruit is the hop character. Light notes of herbal pine and cedar. Real light malt, West Coast for sure.

M: Thick with resiny, with a tingly carbonation. Medium/full body.

D: A real nice DIPA. This can hold it's own in San Diego. Nice label to, I like the 9s theme. Not overly expensive is a plus. Granted it costs more than Yulesmith did three years ago, but hey it's 2010, the $9 bomber of DIPA is here to stay, this is only $6.
Mar 14, 2010
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Split this one with my brother in law the other night, we were both more then impressed with the results. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 02/17/2010.

The pour was dark amber, rich looking with a nice copper hue to it. Really nice head of about two inches peaks up from the top of the glass and settles down into a thin, wispy, pillow like layer that proceeds to hang on until the last drop. Sharp hops cut through the air, biting citrus, pine, orange, just a wonderful mix of aromas. Warming brings out a hint o light spice, a touch of thin buttery malts. First sip reveals a medium to full feel with a large body of carbonation behind it. Enormous drying takes place as the grapefruit and pine tear through the tongue and leaves no prisoners, takes me a good few sips to gain my bearing and the biscuit like mid palate then falls forward. Soothing, warming alcohol then comes across, just the right touch of it before a quick hit of light spice and a nice and smooth drying.

Overall a very big ale, this was nothing to mess around with, in fact it whopped up good. I would love to see this come back again next year, a winner for sure.
Feb 19, 2010
Photo of jjh19
Reviewed by jjh19 from California

4.33/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Beautiful amber leaning towards a touch of golden in color. The head was bright and full. I liked that it stuck around for a while too.

Smell: I get a lot of the citrus in the nose.

Taste: To The 9's is labeled as an Imperial IPA. Because of this I was thinking I might be hit over the head with hops. Instead I get a real solid balance. I got some pine upfront but then there's a unique underlying sweetness to the taste. That balance is one of my favorite things about To The 9's.

Mouthfeel: This beer has a nice medium body to it. Not thin, but definitely not heavy. Thus, I'm going with "medium."

Drinkability: Oh yeah. Very drinkable. Each sip is interesting with the way the flavors work through from the hops to the malts. Sign me up for "To The 10's."
Feb 01, 2010
Photo of mjl21
Reviewed by mjl21 from California

3.65/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 ounce bottle poured into a tulip. No bottling date is given. Comes in at 9.9% and 99 IBUs.

A-Pours a crystal clear glowing amber. A hard pour results in a really big two finger off white head. The head has a nice level of retention and rests at a 3/4 finger level. A small amount of bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom.

S-It smells of sugary fresh citrus and orange rind. There is also pine hops coming through. The English extra pale malt is evident. The aroma gets breadier as it warms.

T-It starts out with a blend of sweetness combined with orange citrus and earthy pine flavors. The toasted pale malt gives it a hefty background. The sweetness swings back at the end and results in a beer that I found to be a little too sweet.

M-A full doubled DIPA and the carbonation was adequate.

D-A little too sweet for a WC DIPA. A proper description would be balanced.

Another not great, not bad DIPA. Too balanced for me. I could see a lot of people thoroughly enjoying this one.
Jan 31, 2010
Photo of mikedashg
Reviewed by mikedashg from California

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
From what I've seen of Karl Strauss, I usually just "pass" for bigger and better beers. But this one, it's about time they joined the big beer game in SoCal. KS spearheaded the beer game in SoCal, but definitely didn't catch on to big beer high hops until this one here in 2009, along with their Tower 10 IPA, and Big Barrel Double IPA. A few years too late, but glad they finally decided to join the party.

9.9% ALC, 99 IBUs, 9 SRM, brewed in 2009 = "To the 9's" as in dressed, brewed to the 9's. Kinda of a novelty brew, but it didn't disappoint...

A - Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a very transparent orangy yellow with a nice frothy/fluffy white head. Not too big, not too small. just right. Good amount of lacing on the glass.

S - Big hop profile, still also malty, biscut/cracker like qualities

T - As you'd expect, pretty darn bitter with the hops up front, a bit piney, but also has a nice pale malt malty goodness backing. Not balanced persay, as it should be, but it's nice to actually taste some malt in a double IPA :D. A hint of citrus, apricot caramel goodness too.

M - Moderate to moderately high carbonation, crisp and clean on the tounge.

D - Really good example of style and very drinkable. Nice to see that Karl Strauss finally "Grew a pair" and brewed something out of the "Average" every day normal beer. Way to go guys, way to go.
Jan 12, 2010
To The 9's from Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 28 ratings