21st Anniversary Belgian Strong Ale Aged With Old Vine Zin Grapes
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

21st Anniversary Belgian Strong Ale Aged With Old Vine Zin Grapes21st Anniversary Belgian Strong Ale Aged With Old Vine Zin Grapes
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From:
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
10.4%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 13.23%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
50
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 10, 2020
Added:
Feb 01, 2010
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  4
ow that we are 21, our palate has matured like a fine wine. So we created something unique with old vine Zinfandel grape juice added during fermentation to give this brew a subtle vinous quality. Belgian yeast imparts hints of dried fruit in the nose, while a big dose of Vienna and Caramel malts yields a dry warming finish. Aged a month on American oak to take the edge off, this is one to share with friends.

Malt: Carapils, Carahell, Caramel 80, Caramel 120
Hops: Glacier

Color: 24 SRM
Bitterness: 28 IBU
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by trappistlover:
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Reviewed by trappistlover from Arizona

3.32/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
(22oz bottle). Pours a mahogany color with off-white head and decent lacing. Small carbonation bubbles. Smells wine-y with vanilla and raisins. Definitely getting the alcohol in there. Taste is sweet-almost port-like with some sourness. Hops are barely noticeable. Not quite full bodied, but almost. Thisis a slick, sticky beer with soft carbonation. Finish is quite long as far as wine/raisin/port flavors go. Alcohol is already warming the throat and chest.
Jun 30, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Pours an extremely murky mahogany brown in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising slowly along the edges of the glass and moderate ruby red + chestnut brown + honey + dark golden yellow colored highlights. The beer has a half finger tall soapy sudsy light beige head that quickly reduces to a small to medium sized patch of very thin film covering a little more than 20% of the surface of the beer and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of bready + graham cracker + caramel + dark malts with moderate amounts of dark fruit (red grape + fig) + caramel sweetness. Moderate aromas of oak woodiness and Belgian yeast with a hint of spiciness. Moderate aromas of Zinfandel grapes and a hint of herbal hops.

T: Upfront there is a moderate to strong flavors of bready + graham cracker + caramel + dark malts with moderate amounts of dark fruit (red grape + fig) + caramel sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors Zinfandel grapes, oak woodiness, and Belgian yeast with a hint of spiciness. Finally there are light flavors of herbal hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away quickly leaving moderate lingering Belgian yeast + oak barrel flavors.

M: Medium to full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with a hint of alcohol warming and a touch of dryness in the finish.

O: This beer has held up amazing well - lucky purchase from a local spot where the owner occasionally pulls things from his cellar and hides them like Easter eggs in the shop. Drinks pretty easily but this is a big beer and was a slow sipper for me. Enjoyable and the Zinfandel grapes are still present.
Jun 10, 2020
 
 
Rated: 3.75 by wethorseblanket from California

Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by zestar from California

Nov 02, 2014
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.05/5  rDev -19.3%
Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours a clear honey orange-brown with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, cardboard, and dark fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with brown sugar, dark fruit, and cardboard flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of earth bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is an average beer that is past its prime and showing some oxidation, but it is still fairly decent.

Serving type: bottle.
Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.7 by drewone from California

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.95 by Rado from California

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GRG1313 from California

Aug 24, 2014
Photo of beagle75
Reviewed by beagle75 from Iowa

3.42/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Clear, medium amber color with an incomplete peripheral ring of loose parchment-tinted bubbles. Light lacing remains on the glass.

S: Fermented grain with some residual caramelized sugars present. Fruit is nuanced and difficult to tease apart from the relatively tame Belgian yeast that appears to be of Abbey origin. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with refined aromatic malt and assertive dark fruit that is more estery than vinous. The middle is supple and earthy, with oxidation evident in the form of an additional musty layer that does not seem out of place. Sweetness becomes elevated slightly during the second half of the flavor profile. Dark crystal malt, treacly and a bit roasted, is soft and wholesome in the finish where earth and lesser dark fruit are retained. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium viscosity, soft and slightly syrupy on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: This high gravity ale exhibits a passing resemblance to quadrupel-style Belgian beers, while also integrating grapes effectively into the sensory profile. It demonstrates that a beer brewed with grapes is destined to taste less like wine in the final judgment than a beer aged in a wine barrel. While the characteristics imparted by the grapes are not unwelcome, they may lead one to question whether grapes make for the best adjunct; their taste and smell is rather generic. Still, this beer is inoffensive and easy to consume for its strength, with no sharp edges to fatigue the palate.
Feb 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Photekut from Tennessee

May 19, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 17, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by tjfinkle from California

Apr 10, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Feb 11, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jan 22, 2012
Photo of jmarsh123
Reviewed by jmarsh123 from Indiana

2.84/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 2.5
Pours a murky reddish brown with a wispy white head.

Smells of some sweet malts and vanilla along with some dry white wine. Really wish the grapes were more prominent.

Wood, sweet malts and vanilla again dominate the flavor. As it warms the grape juice flavor comes in more, but it doesn't mix well at all. It's just odd. Alcohol is present as well as it finishes a bit boozy.

Thick and chewy. Outstanding mouthfeel with medium-low carb level.

Disappointed in this one. It wasn't at all what I expected. Too sweet and the grape presence contrasted completely with the other flavors going on.
Nov 20, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by ineva from California

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

4.32/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Rich and grapey, but a medium mouthfeel. Alcohol keeps it from being too sweet. Hot but mellow. Crazy stuff, but it's a good example of why we keep reaching for flavored beers. Nice nose of vanilla and sweet vermouth. Lovely copper color with strong lacing in the snifter. Fruity yet crisp, candy but a clean, refreshing flavor. Long warm aftertaste of butterscotch with just enough yeasty Belgian rough stuff.

I think if the CBS and KBS fanatics tasted this, KS would get more respect. Big barrel-aged flavors without going totally for the booze.
Oct 28, 2011
Photo of rand
Reviewed by rand from California

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From 22 oz bomber to tulip glass

A: Pours a dark ruby-red in color, clear, with a cavernous 1-inch head that recedes fairly quickly. Scant lacing remains after a gentle twirl, surprising for a frothy head.

S: Expecting vinous grape notes up front, the bouquet is surprisingly dominated by sweet bread, wood, and vanilla. Touches of candied and ripened fruit linger, as plenty of alcohol volatiles propel the bouquet.

T: Again, the woody, vanilla tones are noted first. These blend nicely the boozy, bready complexion. Given that wood and vanilla are fairly neutral flavors, plenty of depth and nuance can be perceived. The grapes are there, but just. Dates and figs as well. Cinnamon and orange zest play a part. The boozy character adds plenty of body and flavor, but I would have never guessed this was 10%. Finishes sweet but surprisingly clean.

M: Unexpectedly chewy. I was expecting something a little more diluted in body, given the added grapes (think Victoria or Victor by Allagash), but not here.

Probably the best beer I've had from Karl Strauss so far. Wow, they've really stepped up their game - after moving to San Diego and sampling some of their lesser offerings, I dismissed them for years. Looking forward to more surprises from this brewery.
Aug 16, 2011
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

3.46/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Muddy pumpkin with a slight reddish glow when backlit with the rising sun outside my front window. Three full fingers of golden khaki colored foam were created on the pour and don't look to be in a hurry to depart. More lace than expected (in ragged rings) is a nice touch.

The nose is shockingly weak. Belgian yeast esters and Zinfandel grape juice are nowhere to be found. This big brew smells more like a brown ale than a BSDA or an American strong ale. Here's hoping warming improves things a little. Note: it doesn't.

Better on the palate, but not amazingly so. My relatively high hopes for this anniversary ale were because Big Barrel DIPA was such a pleasant surprise. We aren't talking bad beer here, but the depth and complexity that this style typically delivers has not been achieved.

On a positive note, the 10.4% ABV is hidden remarkably well and the beer should age relatively gracefully for at least another year. With respect to the flavor profile, think Imperial brown ale with slightly more fruitiness (fig jam) and a smattering of Belgian yeastiness. Still not getting the red grape vinousness that was promised.

Mouthfeel, along with appearance, is this offering's finest feature. It's medium-full without being heavy or sticky, and has beautifully buried bubbles that keep things inflated for as long as beer remains in mouth.

Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale Brewed With Zinfandel Grape Juice did not meet my (perhaps unfairly high) expectations. It's still a worthwhile purchase, even now, but there's no need for the brewery to consider year-round or seasonal release for this particular recipe.
Apr 12, 2011
21st Anniversary Belgian Strong Ale Aged With Old Vine Zin Grapes from Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 50 ratings