Tower 10 IPA | Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
California, United States | website
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Overlord on 03-15-2009
Reviews: 120 | Ratings: 422
4/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Fresh bottle waiting for my flight at John Wayne Airport. Around 3 weeks old.
Classic dry and crisp west coast ipa. Piney, resinous hops with good amount of grapefruit and orange flavor. A bit of lime in there too. Great balance of malt to hops. Nothing unique. We' ve all had this beer before, but this one does it pretty well for a fresh specimen.
★ 351 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Fresh bottle waiting for my flight at John Wayne Airport. Around 3 weeks old.
Classic dry and crisp west coast ipa. Piney, resinous hops with good amount of grapefruit and orange flavor. A bit of lime in there too. Great balance of malt to hops. Nothing unique. We' ve all had this beer before, but this one does it pretty well for a fresh specimen.
★ 351 characters
3.96/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light, a little cloudy with a whitish foam that drops quickly. Aroma not strong but there, mostly piney. Solid WC IPA taste, hoppy (pine, less citrus), dry finish with a little sweet/roasty malt. Good body balance.
★ 214 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Light, a little cloudy with a whitish foam that drops quickly. Aroma not strong but there, mostly piney. Solid WC IPA taste, hoppy (pine, less citrus), dry finish with a little sweet/roasty malt. Good body balance.
★ 214 characters
3.82/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Very impressed with the taste of this beer.. Very well balanced and tasty IPA. Shud be higher than the current score of 83. Poured one inch head with pour lacing and the smells weren't that great.
★ 198 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Very impressed with the taste of this beer.. Very well balanced and tasty IPA. Shud be higher than the current score of 83. Poured one inch head with pour lacing and the smells weren't that great.
★ 198 characters
3.56/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On draft in pint glass..Amber ish in color with creamy foamy head and nice lingering lacing.tart citrus flavors that goes down nicely with the classic tounge sucking finish. Prost❗
★ 183 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On draft in pint glass..Amber ish in color with creamy foamy head and nice lingering lacing.tart citrus flavors that goes down nicely with the classic tounge sucking finish. Prost❗
★ 183 characters
2.97/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. Had a nice 1in head, a good aroma. Golden hazy color. Nice and bitter, it's a good beer but not one of the best. Good to try if your out and it's one of the only IPAs.
★ 213 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. Had a nice 1in head, a good aroma. Golden hazy color. Nice and bitter, it's a good beer but not one of the best. Good to try if your out and it's one of the only IPAs.
★ 213 characters
3/5 rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
(Draft, Bay Area Brew Fest, San Francisco 1/24/15) Nothing really stood out with this beer. Good beer but tough to point out anything exceptional with all the beers we already tasted.
★ 183 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
(Draft, Bay Area Brew Fest, San Francisco 1/24/15) Nothing really stood out with this beer. Good beer but tough to point out anything exceptional with all the beers we already tasted.
★ 183 characters
3.88/5 rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Orangey amber with ample foam and lacing in the Duvel tulip. Interesting aroma of fresh earth and orange blossoms.
Moderately sweet with the browned biscuit taste of a Pale Ale. Fruity flavors of orange peel with some mango. The bitterness creeps up as you sip. Warm and substantial with hints of lemon. Fairly acidic.
A pleasant IPA that delivers plenty of hop flavor but is also highly drinkable. From the 12 oz bottle purchased at Liticker's Liquor in Ocean Beach.
★ 470 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Orangey amber with ample foam and lacing in the Duvel tulip. Interesting aroma of fresh earth and orange blossoms.
Moderately sweet with the browned biscuit taste of a Pale Ale. Fruity flavors of orange peel with some mango. The bitterness creeps up as you sip. Warm and substantial with hints of lemon. Fairly acidic.
A pleasant IPA that delivers plenty of hop flavor but is also highly drinkable. From the 12 oz bottle purchased at Liticker's Liquor in Ocean Beach.
★ 470 characters
3.68/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a light golden-orange color with a big billowy head of fizzy white foam. The head fades rather quickly, leaving a light level of bubbly lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is strong of a floral and pine hop nature with a great showing of a bready smell. Along with these aromas comes some lighter notes of a more citrus hop smell as well as some light earthy hop smells. A hint of a caramel and light fruit aroma are there as well, giving a rather nice and balanced, somewhat drier IPA smell overall.
Taste – The taste begins with a bready and slightly doughy taste mixed with a little bit of a caramel taste as well as some flavors of a light fruit nature. The hop is very light upfront, with it only having a little bit of a grapefruit citrus taste. As the taste moves on, more and more hop comes to the tongue with a surge in the citrus, but also a coming of some pine and herbal hop tastes. The pine ends up surpassing the grapefruit hop at the end, and with a coming of some earthy hop tastes, one is left with a rather pleasant semi-dry, but rather flavorful hopped flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer on the average to slightly thicker and chewier side with a carbonation level that is slightly below average to average. Overall the feel was pretty decent as it was thick enough for the dank hop, with the carbonation all while supporting the malt and sweet nicely.
Overall – A quite easy drinking and semi-drier IPA with a bit of a more piney and dank taste. Overall fairly nice.
★ 1,630 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a light golden-orange color with a big billowy head of fizzy white foam. The head fades rather quickly, leaving a light level of bubbly lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is strong of a floral and pine hop nature with a great showing of a bready smell. Along with these aromas comes some lighter notes of a more citrus hop smell as well as some light earthy hop smells. A hint of a caramel and light fruit aroma are there as well, giving a rather nice and balanced, somewhat drier IPA smell overall.
Taste – The taste begins with a bready and slightly doughy taste mixed with a little bit of a caramel taste as well as some flavors of a light fruit nature. The hop is very light upfront, with it only having a little bit of a grapefruit citrus taste. As the taste moves on, more and more hop comes to the tongue with a surge in the citrus, but also a coming of some pine and herbal hop tastes. The pine ends up surpassing the grapefruit hop at the end, and with a coming of some earthy hop tastes, one is left with a rather pleasant semi-dry, but rather flavorful hopped flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer on the average to slightly thicker and chewier side with a carbonation level that is slightly below average to average. Overall the feel was pretty decent as it was thick enough for the dank hop, with the carbonation all while supporting the malt and sweet nicely.
Overall – A quite easy drinking and semi-drier IPA with a bit of a more piney and dank taste. Overall fairly nice.
★ 1,630 characters
3.39/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
12 ounce bottle poured into a Belgian style tulip glass
A: Looks really good in the glass, nice orange amber color with a white creamy head, clear, nice lacing.
A: not much not the aroma, some slight hop aroma, very little.
T: just like the nose, slight hop flavor, it's more malty than hoppy, some bitterness on the back end, some alcohol, just not impressed with the flavor, kind of dull.
M: besides the appearance, this may the beer's best strength, has a nice medium body mouthfeel.
O: was expecting a little more than this, not a lot of hops, more malty, the bottle says 12/07/14, not sure if this is a best by date or bottled on date, either way, there are far better IPAs out there than this. It's good, it's quality but it's not a beer I would come back to. If I do try it again it has to be on tap to see if there is a difference between the bottled and keg version.
★ 882 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
12 ounce bottle poured into a Belgian style tulip glass
A: Looks really good in the glass, nice orange amber color with a white creamy head, clear, nice lacing.
A: not much not the aroma, some slight hop aroma, very little.
T: just like the nose, slight hop flavor, it's more malty than hoppy, some bitterness on the back end, some alcohol, just not impressed with the flavor, kind of dull.
M: besides the appearance, this may the beer's best strength, has a nice medium body mouthfeel.
O: was expecting a little more than this, not a lot of hops, more malty, the bottle says 12/07/14, not sure if this is a best by date or bottled on date, either way, there are far better IPAs out there than this. It's good, it's quality but it's not a beer I would come back to. If I do try it again it has to be on tap to see if there is a difference between the bottled and keg version.
★ 882 characters
4.29/5 rDev +17.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Deep and somewhat unfiltered like looking apricot to tangerine like orange color. Very fine carbonation, with a bright white and whipped up four finger aggressive and controlled head. Thick island cap lacing and creamy whipped toppings of retention, curling lacing and sheets and rings runnning everywhere. Real nice.
Great bouquet. Strong notes of citrus and tropical warmth, with a hint of heat and slight alcohol hotness. Juicy and even a bit dank and earthy as well, fun mix with a leafy strong very green like character it seems.
Palate comes with a nice juiced tropical body. Big resin and piney bitter hop finish on the aftertaste, with a lingering hints of zesty grapefruit oils. Mid palate doesn't fill with too much flavor, leaving most of the taste on the finish it seems. A bit light but still solid, but leaves malt behind with a grassy piny coating, if slightly wet.
Overall a simple fun sort of mixed up West coast IPA.
★ 997 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Deep and somewhat unfiltered like looking apricot to tangerine like orange color. Very fine carbonation, with a bright white and whipped up four finger aggressive and controlled head. Thick island cap lacing and creamy whipped toppings of retention, curling lacing and sheets and rings runnning everywhere. Real nice.
Great bouquet. Strong notes of citrus and tropical warmth, with a hint of heat and slight alcohol hotness. Juicy and even a bit dank and earthy as well, fun mix with a leafy strong very green like character it seems.
Palate comes with a nice juiced tropical body. Big resin and piney bitter hop finish on the aftertaste, with a lingering hints of zesty grapefruit oils. Mid palate doesn't fill with too much flavor, leaving most of the taste on the finish it seems. A bit light but still solid, but leaves malt behind with a grassy piny coating, if slightly wet.
Overall a simple fun sort of mixed up West coast IPA.
★ 997 characters
4.05/5 rDev +10.7%
Grabbed a pint on tap at the Karl Strauss Carlsbad, to go along with my dinner at the bar. Seemed like a good bet, not being far from my temporary CA home.
The pour is a fine Goldilocks yellow, filtered to perfection. Nose comes through as light fruits, with a underlying threat of bitter hops. That’s my boy.
Tower 10 – I have to say I’m surprised by the overall low rating. A different beast out of the bottle, maybe? Oh, wait, I can’t bloody tell anymore. Bitterness piles on top of bitterness, & I have to give my tongue a little shock for it to register anything else. Mid-palate comes orange zest, torn guts of a grapefruit, sharp lemon. Fruitiness meshes wonderfully with the hard-eyed bitters. And just like that, sixteen ounces has vanished. Hmmmm.
An unexpectedly excellent brew. Bonus points for the good-looking bartender giving me a taste of the wheat, as well (only OK, but it’s the thought that counts, right?). If Karl Strauss had tasters, I’d definitely be back to try more of the menu!
★ 1,023 characters
Grabbed a pint on tap at the Karl Strauss Carlsbad, to go along with my dinner at the bar. Seemed like a good bet, not being far from my temporary CA home.
The pour is a fine Goldilocks yellow, filtered to perfection. Nose comes through as light fruits, with a underlying threat of bitter hops. That’s my boy.
Tower 10 – I have to say I’m surprised by the overall low rating. A different beast out of the bottle, maybe? Oh, wait, I can’t bloody tell anymore. Bitterness piles on top of bitterness, & I have to give my tongue a little shock for it to register anything else. Mid-palate comes orange zest, torn guts of a grapefruit, sharp lemon. Fruitiness meshes wonderfully with the hard-eyed bitters. And just like that, sixteen ounces has vanished. Hmmmm.
An unexpectedly excellent brew. Bonus points for the good-looking bartender giving me a taste of the wheat, as well (only OK, but it’s the thought that counts, right?). If Karl Strauss had tasters, I’d definitely be back to try more of the menu!
★ 1,023 characters
3.54/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured a hazy brassy hue with a one finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.
The smell featured a muddling if pine and citrus and a heft caramel.
The taste was malt driven with a secondary hop presence at the finish.
The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style.
Overall a decent drinkable IPA.
★ 335 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Poured a hazy brassy hue with a one finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.
The smell featured a muddling if pine and citrus and a heft caramel.
The taste was malt driven with a secondary hop presence at the finish.
The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style.
Overall a decent drinkable IPA.
★ 335 characters
4/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Karl strauss temecula. Pours a clear very light copper, more on the yellow end of the spectrum. Nice big head And lacing that sticks around the whole ride through.
Lots of citrus in the aroma, hop forward.
Taste is citrus hops, very nice balance of bitterness in this one. Definitely easy to drink and sessionable. Slight caramel and a bready hint in the back end. Delicious.
Surprised at the relatively low rating on here. Definitely a decent brew. I'll surely be having this one again.
★ 500 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Karl strauss temecula. Pours a clear very light copper, more on the yellow end of the spectrum. Nice big head And lacing that sticks around the whole ride through.
Lots of citrus in the aroma, hop forward.
Taste is citrus hops, very nice balance of bitterness in this one. Definitely easy to drink and sessionable. Slight caramel and a bready hint in the back end. Delicious.
Surprised at the relatively low rating on here. Definitely a decent brew. I'll surely be having this one again.
★ 500 characters
5/5 rDev +36.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Best IPA I have had in a while. One of the few "true IPAs" around these days, other than from Britain. It’s a traditional style IPA, which might explain the low ratings on here. I doubt most hipsters or American beer drinkers would know what a classic IPA is supposed to taste like. You can tell right away from the carbonation and the pale color. This is no "American Style IPA" but rather the classic style IPA. Which surprises the heck out of me coming from San Diego. Glad at least one American brewery had the cajones to go with the classic rather then trendy/modern style. Hat’s off to them for that. I don’t want to speculate too much, but I would bet the brewmaster studied the traditional English IPAs well. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the modern American IPAs, but it is just so rare to find a more traditional one. Nothing like it.
★ 855 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Best IPA I have had in a while. One of the few "true IPAs" around these days, other than from Britain. It’s a traditional style IPA, which might explain the low ratings on here. I doubt most hipsters or American beer drinkers would know what a classic IPA is supposed to taste like. You can tell right away from the carbonation and the pale color. This is no "American Style IPA" but rather the classic style IPA. Which surprises the heck out of me coming from San Diego. Glad at least one American brewery had the cajones to go with the classic rather then trendy/modern style. Hat’s off to them for that. I don’t want to speculate too much, but I would bet the brewmaster studied the traditional English IPAs well. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the modern American IPAs, but it is just so rare to find a more traditional one. Nothing like it.
★ 855 characters
3.98/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours hazy orange with a nice two finger fluffy white head. It keeps popping away leaving a nice small white cap, lots of traces on the class afterwards.
Lots of pine, with a caramel malt backbone. Lime, pineapple, unripe mango, grapefruit and tangerines follow. Nice show of hops, at least in the smell.
Taste starts citrusy, lots of lemon, some sweet tangerines, some peach, some tropical notes, overall a nice fruitiness that pairs well with the mild caramel maltiness. A kick of pine follows, spicy hops that build up a strong bitterness (some bitter citrus peel helps), not overbearing tho. Dry finish, big hoppy aftertaste.
Medium body, somewhat smooth, with medium carbonation. Dry finish and aftertaste, lots of green hoppiness, hides the alcohol nicely.
Not a complete hop bomb, nicely balanced, tasty, easy to drink. Wouldn't mind having some more of this!
★ 866 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours hazy orange with a nice two finger fluffy white head. It keeps popping away leaving a nice small white cap, lots of traces on the class afterwards.
Lots of pine, with a caramel malt backbone. Lime, pineapple, unripe mango, grapefruit and tangerines follow. Nice show of hops, at least in the smell.
Taste starts citrusy, lots of lemon, some sweet tangerines, some peach, some tropical notes, overall a nice fruitiness that pairs well with the mild caramel maltiness. A kick of pine follows, spicy hops that build up a strong bitterness (some bitter citrus peel helps), not overbearing tho. Dry finish, big hoppy aftertaste.
Medium body, somewhat smooth, with medium carbonation. Dry finish and aftertaste, lots of green hoppiness, hides the alcohol nicely.
Not a complete hop bomb, nicely balanced, tasty, easy to drink. Wouldn't mind having some more of this!
★ 866 characters
3.62/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
355ml bottle poured into chalice 20/3/14 (from notes0
A slightly hazy light orange liquid with some sediment here and there, just a few bubbles but a finger of foam hangs around for a few sips leaving a couple rings
S lots of pine and brown sugar, some earthy notes, caramel and citrus I can't place, fairly straight forward, smells like a hoppy BW
T malts come out a little more, still 3 months until its BB date but the hops have faded a fair bit, lots of brown sugar comes out
M medium bodied, leaves a little behind, quite creamy from the bubbles, rind and brown sugar on the finish
O basic IPA that may have faded a little on its way to OZ, curious if its 3 n0r 9 months old with the BB date 3 months away
I'm guessing this ones past its prime, might score higher as a BW
★ 784 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
355ml bottle poured into chalice 20/3/14 (from notes0
A slightly hazy light orange liquid with some sediment here and there, just a few bubbles but a finger of foam hangs around for a few sips leaving a couple rings
S lots of pine and brown sugar, some earthy notes, caramel and citrus I can't place, fairly straight forward, smells like a hoppy BW
T malts come out a little more, still 3 months until its BB date but the hops have faded a fair bit, lots of brown sugar comes out
M medium bodied, leaves a little behind, quite creamy from the bubbles, rind and brown sugar on the finish
O basic IPA that may have faded a little on its way to OZ, curious if its 3 n0r 9 months old with the BB date 3 months away
I'm guessing this ones past its prime, might score higher as a BW
★ 784 characters
3.8/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Cloudy gold with a huge head of foam and excellent lacing. Tons of carbonation. Way too much carbonation.
Smell: Grapefruit, caramel, pineapple, lemon.
Taste: Citrus, caramel, and grassy malts.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy, with a bitter hop aftertaste.
The Verdict: Pretty good. It offers a huge aroma but the flavors are well balanced and muted. My only real complaint is the over carbonation- no matter how perfect the pour, half the glass was foam with each bottle.
★ 492 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Cloudy gold with a huge head of foam and excellent lacing. Tons of carbonation. Way too much carbonation.
Smell: Grapefruit, caramel, pineapple, lemon.
Taste: Citrus, caramel, and grassy malts.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy, with a bitter hop aftertaste.
The Verdict: Pretty good. It offers a huge aroma but the flavors are well balanced and muted. My only real complaint is the over carbonation- no matter how perfect the pour, half the glass was foam with each bottle.
★ 492 characters
3.86/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle; into a tumbler.
Appearance - gold, cloudy; thin, foamy head that leaves decent lacing.
Smell - pineapple and mango, faint juicy fruit.
Taste - not bad, but falls short of the nose, lacking with a strong pineapple and mango presence. A bit too boozy after it sits.
Feel - this goes from an enjoyable, drinkable IPA, to a weird after taste, funky IPA.
Overall - I'm in and out on this one...which means I'm out. Too funky when it's all said and done.
★ 470 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle; into a tumbler.
Appearance - gold, cloudy; thin, foamy head that leaves decent lacing.
Smell - pineapple and mango, faint juicy fruit.
Taste - not bad, but falls short of the nose, lacking with a strong pineapple and mango presence. A bit too boozy after it sits.
Feel - this goes from an enjoyable, drinkable IPA, to a weird after taste, funky IPA.
Overall - I'm in and out on this one...which means I'm out. Too funky when it's all said and done.
★ 470 characters
3.41/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is dark gold with a white head leaving nice lace.
Smell is a little caramel and citrus, didn't open up much.
Taste is earthy and stemmy hops, big bitterness. Some pine. A little nectarine peaks through the alpha acids, the sweetness a bit more prominent after my palate adjusts to the IBUs. Got some nice fresh hop resins as it warmed.
Mouthfeel is very oily, dry, medium bodied.
Drinkability is pretty good, a fiercely bitter IPA. I prefer more hop flavors though.
★ 484 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is dark gold with a white head leaving nice lace.
Smell is a little caramel and citrus, didn't open up much.
Taste is earthy and stemmy hops, big bitterness. Some pine. A little nectarine peaks through the alpha acids, the sweetness a bit more prominent after my palate adjusts to the IBUs. Got some nice fresh hop resins as it warmed.
Mouthfeel is very oily, dry, medium bodied.
Drinkability is pretty good, a fiercely bitter IPA. I prefer more hop flavors though.
★ 484 characters
3.5/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes
Appearance: Nice golden color, good white head
Smell: Very citrusy and sweet, grapefruit and lemony hops
Taste: Grapefruit, hoppy bitterness, biscuity malt, and some earthiness
Mouthfeel: Medium body, full carbonation
Overall: Good but not outstanding. A good standby at Karl Strauss
★ 306 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes
Appearance: Nice golden color, good white head
Smell: Very citrusy and sweet, grapefruit and lemony hops
Taste: Grapefruit, hoppy bitterness, biscuity malt, and some earthiness
Mouthfeel: Medium body, full carbonation
Overall: Good but not outstanding. A good standby at Karl Strauss
★ 306 characters
4.63/5 rDev +26.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Love the sweetness in this beer, peach, pineapple is a strong force in this beer. The smell is sweet. Not very piney, very sweet. Better than expected.
Appearance: a light, clear amber-gold colour with a thin, frothy head. Minimal retention and lacing.
Aroma: definite citrus and pine on the nose.
Just good a good IPA
★ 323 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Love the sweetness in this beer, peach, pineapple is a strong force in this beer. The smell is sweet. Not very piney, very sweet. Better than expected.
Appearance: a light, clear amber-gold colour with a thin, frothy head. Minimal retention and lacing.
Aroma: definite citrus and pine on the nose.
Just good a good IPA
★ 323 characters
3.36/5 rDev -8.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours a light golden colour with a large white head that dissipates a little.
S - Massive citrus including sweet pineapple, lemon, grapefruit. Very sweet.
T - The sweetness aromas seem to disappear and I get more of a mild bitterness, some grapefruit and lemon at the finish.
M - A little over carbonated although light to medium bodied
O - Actually don't mind it but lacks a little in full flavour for an IPA. Aromas upfront though are impressive.
★ 456 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours a light golden colour with a large white head that dissipates a little.
S - Massive citrus including sweet pineapple, lemon, grapefruit. Very sweet.
T - The sweetness aromas seem to disappear and I get more of a mild bitterness, some grapefruit and lemon at the finish.
M - A little over carbonated although light to medium bodied
O - Actually don't mind it but lacks a little in full flavour for an IPA. Aromas upfront though are impressive.
★ 456 characters
3.75/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
330ml brown bottle purchased with two other Karl Strauss beers from Dan Murphy's in Alexandria.
Pours a pleasant light golden colour with a firm and persistent, almost creamy head of vanilla white. Lacing is specked intricately and all about the place. Body is relatively, light, but holds a very nice fine carbonation. Overall, it looks good.
Nose is brash, sharp and direct from the outset: big clean lemon-citrus hops with a leafy undertone to give some breadth. Some sweet sherbet characters give some juicy tones, while there's a slightly flat malt tone that seems to be there only because it was forced to come along by its parents. But no matter, the hops are the life of this beer and they're lively and exciting.
The taste, however, reins in a lot of these big exciting hop characters. Mild entry with a slight peppery bite, before some fleshy malt provides a structure that nothing really seems to want to fill. Wavering to fleeting hop bitterness has a somewhat English flavour to it: some earthy, herbal notes and a tannic flavour. Finish is quite empty and a little flat. It's fine, but it needs more oomph, especially after the nose was so pungent.
Feel is smooth, but is hampered by the lack of really exciting flavour. It doesn't really have anything to do here.
But, overall, this is actually good stuff. If nothing else, I can just breath in the heady aromas. And if the palate is a little flat: well, that just may just make it more approachable, and something I'd be happy to drink more often.
★ 1,518 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
330ml brown bottle purchased with two other Karl Strauss beers from Dan Murphy's in Alexandria.
Pours a pleasant light golden colour with a firm and persistent, almost creamy head of vanilla white. Lacing is specked intricately and all about the place. Body is relatively, light, but holds a very nice fine carbonation. Overall, it looks good.
Nose is brash, sharp and direct from the outset: big clean lemon-citrus hops with a leafy undertone to give some breadth. Some sweet sherbet characters give some juicy tones, while there's a slightly flat malt tone that seems to be there only because it was forced to come along by its parents. But no matter, the hops are the life of this beer and they're lively and exciting.
The taste, however, reins in a lot of these big exciting hop characters. Mild entry with a slight peppery bite, before some fleshy malt provides a structure that nothing really seems to want to fill. Wavering to fleeting hop bitterness has a somewhat English flavour to it: some earthy, herbal notes and a tannic flavour. Finish is quite empty and a little flat. It's fine, but it needs more oomph, especially after the nose was so pungent.
Feel is smooth, but is hampered by the lack of really exciting flavour. It doesn't really have anything to do here.
But, overall, this is actually good stuff. If nothing else, I can just breath in the heady aromas. And if the palate is a little flat: well, that just may just make it more approachable, and something I'd be happy to drink more often.
★ 1,518 characters
3.75/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: decent 355mL brown bottle. Pretty average craft label.
Appearance: a light, clear amber-gold colour with a thin, frothy head. Minimal retention and lacing.
Aroma: definite citrus and pine on the nose. Quite bitter hops - fairly mild aroma for n AIPA though.
Taste: at first I was a bit turned off due to the extremely bitter hops. The more I got into it, however, the better it was. A good blend of light malt, spices and that fair whack of hop bitterness. Not really a discernible flavour, but just bitter - standard AIPA stuff.
Aftertaste: the bitterness drops quite a bit, and is accompanied by a lovely caramel malt flavour.
Mouth feel: when I started drinking, I hadn't let the beer warm enough (it was approx 5 degrees), so it appeared there was to much carbonation. When it got to the correct temperature of approx 10 degrees, the body is light to moderate, and the carbonation is just enough to carry the flavour through.
Overall: this is a pretty good American IPA - plenty of flavour to go with the bittering hops - for a reasonable price of AU$60 a case (2013). After Red Trolley and Pintail Pale, I didn't think Karl Strauss would get one done - but this one does.
★ 1,190 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: decent 355mL brown bottle. Pretty average craft label.
Appearance: a light, clear amber-gold colour with a thin, frothy head. Minimal retention and lacing.
Aroma: definite citrus and pine on the nose. Quite bitter hops - fairly mild aroma for n AIPA though.
Taste: at first I was a bit turned off due to the extremely bitter hops. The more I got into it, however, the better it was. A good blend of light malt, spices and that fair whack of hop bitterness. Not really a discernible flavour, but just bitter - standard AIPA stuff.
Aftertaste: the bitterness drops quite a bit, and is accompanied by a lovely caramel malt flavour.
Mouth feel: when I started drinking, I hadn't let the beer warm enough (it was approx 5 degrees), so it appeared there was to much carbonation. When it got to the correct temperature of approx 10 degrees, the body is light to moderate, and the carbonation is just enough to carry the flavour through.
Overall: this is a pretty good American IPA - plenty of flavour to go with the bittering hops - for a reasonable price of AU$60 a case (2013). After Red Trolley and Pintail Pale, I didn't think Karl Strauss would get one done - but this one does.
★ 1,190 characters
Tower 10 IPA from Karl Strauss Brewing Company
3.66
out of 5
based on 422 ratings.
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Comes out darker than average SRM for an ipa, this has some light brown/auburn notes to it. Thin head 1/4" off white. Aroma was maltier than hoppy.
Taste also showed the malt backbone, just as the SRM and aroma did. Almost forges head first into English IPA territory, but ultimately, its American, they just have the hop variety too traditional and the amount too restrained, while dialing up the crystal malt notes like its the 90s.
Earthy. Would not repeat or bang again.
★ 483 characters