Juice and Desist
Kros Strain Brewing

 

 

 

 

16 oz can into North Coast tulip.
So, in an ambient way, not realizing how late in the year it was, I still picked it up after seeing it was canned on 3.17.21.
Whoops.

Has a very dark amber color, nearly streaks of tan, with a tall creamy head of 3 fingers that leaves tons of lace as it recedes.

Aroma of kiwi, mango, fresh clean water, strawberries, oranges, and grapefruit peel. A hint of Kviek yeast.

Flavor is its entire grain bill - just a huge malty smack to start, followed by diesel, a bit of orange juice, and a bit of grapefruit juice. Some lemon peel and lemongrass are sampled within as well. It's very soft and unoffensive. Finish of pine resins and soft faint OJ.

Feel is creamy and the 9.4% alcohol is impressively, impressively hidden. In an IPA with mostly pale malt and tons of hot explosive yeast action, that's hard to do. That's where the majority of the points in this category are coming from. I can't stress this enough. Back to the actual feel... again, creamy. It's super smooth like vanilla ice cream. Glides down your throat. Soft to medium carbonation. There is a tiny bit of alcohol heat on the back end.

Overall, closest thing to Nashville IPA I've had yet. It's pretty effing smooth for its ABV. It's not quite as balanced or powerful as Bearded Iris or Southern Grist, but it has that same swagger to it. I treasure NE IPAs as my favorite style and I look at it as :

Actual New England > New York > Nashville/North Carolina/Virginia > Parish (Louisiana) > Beers like this >>>> other crap.

Luckily, having a can of Southern Grist Hoppy Timbs a few inches away, I can say this is in the same zipcode. Very solidly made beer. Better than their regular Fairy Nectar by a county. This still had some issues with oxygen though which leads me to believe there's issues with their packaging department. This is better than the other nearby state imports we get in from MN, ND, and WI. Apart from Lupulin's Strictly Illegal, I'd say Kros Strain has the best chance of winning my heart on the juicy IPA front within our distro as long as they can keep their hard water toned down like this beer has done and their oxygen issues in check.

$4.49 @ Taylor's Pantry
Would pick up a fresh 4 pack if and when it shows up here again, as a personal note.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a hazy honey color with a one finger head; curtains of lacing

Smell: Bright and juicy, with papaya, kiwi, and berry along with an orange aspect

Taste: Juicy, with sweeter tropical tones forward, including papaya, kiwi and berry flavors; a bit of sugar cookie sweetness underneath builds, through the middle, with the orange flavors adding a citrusy element; just a touch of bitterness to offset the sweet and juicy flavors through the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A really nice DIPA that showcases the hops

Thanks, xKURTx, for the opportunity

 

 

 

 

Great new double IPA from these guys. Pours a hazy light orange with a small head and great lacing. Smell is really great with notes of pineapple, mango and ripe cantaloupe with a citrus rind zest. Taste is tropical fruit, substantial malt presence with citrus bite on the tail end. The body is really smooth for 9.4%. This is a tremendous new selection from Kros Strain.

 

 

 

2018-08-23
22oz bottle served in a tulip. There are some numbers on the label that I suspect are a bottled on date: 05 29 18. Barely within my arbitrary 3 month default "best by" date. I think this beer was given to me by @mr-jj.

Pours moderately hazy with a big head that fades slowly and leaves thick, clumpy lacing. Smell is grassy/spicy/floral.

Taste is surprisingly malty, with a solid (but not quite prominent enough) hoppy bitterness. I can't place the vegetable/greens flavor it reminds me of.

Mouthfeel is dry and thick. Overall, not bad.