Karl Strauss Star Of India Pale Ale
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Pretty sure this isn't an IPA. At least, none I've had before. Almost no head.

Pours a reddish/coppery orange color. Okay looking.

Smells ... sweet. Eh? Some sweet citrus, some malt, almost belgian-esque in aroma.

Doesn't taste like much of anything. It actually smells stronger than it tastes. Kind of a bland, mild hop/citrus flavor, but mostly grain-y, sickly malt. Really almost like a watered down tripel with some hops added.

Too watery.

Reminds me of the IPAs of old back in Boston... a rich golden almost amber, slightly hazy ale with a rich head and moderate lacing. An aroma of sweet, citrus hops twisting around a sweet malt aroma. Flavor is malty and clean with a slightly spicy hop note, which are well balanced with a crisp, bitter finish. Nice carbonation, super drinkable.

I wouldn't ever go searching for this, but whenever I'm stuck at LAX this is my go-to beer, and I never need to feel like I'm compromising.

Prost!

Sampled at the Pizza Port Real Ale Fest.

This IPA poured a clear, amber color with slightly off-white foam that was persistent. The smell was slightly fruity with some light malt and a touch of breadiness. The taste was mildly malty with a light sweetness and a faint touch of hops. This has to be one of the least hoppy IPAs around. The mouthfeel was smooth and dry and fairly clean. The body was medium and the carbonation low. This was a very light IPA; not bad, but not very memorable.

On tap at LAX.

Pours a clear golden brew.

Smell is fairly malty with a subdued hop scent
.

Taste is very malty with a nicely moderated hop bite. Very clean flavor that starts malty and ends pleasantly bitter.

Mouthfeel is good but thinner than it should be.

Excellent Drinkability a good session beer.

Part of a 6 beer sampler

This IPA has a nice orange hue. The head was a light white cream. I thought the hop aroma was great. Very complex and floral. The taste was a letdown. Bitter, followed by bitterness. It wasn't really high in IBU, but there wasn't much in the way of hop flavor or malt backbone. I got a really nice woodsy hop burp afterwards, so maybe it's Cascades. Overall not bad, but you can do so much more with an IPA.

It's a decent looking gold, bordering on orange, with a moderate white head. The smell is fairly hoppy but not nose-burning. It has a nice flowery hop flavor but doesn't have much to set it apart. It comes in closer to a highly-hopped pale ale than a true IPA, whether of the US or British variety. Considering the fact that I knocked out a couple of these while with the wife and kids at Disney's California Adventure, things could have been a lot worse.

Karl Strauss Star of India Pale Ale: An English style IPA on tap at LAX. Absolutely clear beer, with a deep copper color. Very little head, with some sticky lace (no doubt due to the pour). Mild hops aroma. The taste was a mild hops kick, with a very traditional IPA flavor, giving way to some sweetness. As it warmed up, you could taste different hops asserting themselves at different points. Nicely complex and flavorful beer.