Karl Strauss Off The Rails

Brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Can you say Scotch Ale? If there were any amount of hops in here it isn’t much. Aroma is soft caramel, hints of toffee brown sugar. Appearance is cloudy red with almost no head. Taste is sticky sweet and not in the vinous way, malt malt and more malt but in a simplistic way. Palate is thick and heavy. Not what I was expecting or hoping for. Quite heavy and simple.

on tap-pours amber with a tan head. Aroma is rich light/medium malt-caramel, some resin. Taste is rich light/medium malt-caramel, 2nd resin hops.

ruby color, aroma of caramel, toffee, dark fruits, flavor of earthy hops, caramel, toffee, dark fruits, chocolate, pretty bitter with nice balance

Pint at the brewpub. Pours light, clear red with an off-white head. Aroma is light, barely noticeable hops, sweet underlying malt, and perhaps some graininess. Taste is sweet malt with a touch of roast followed by light bitterness and an off flavor. Mouthfeel is clean. Did not care for this beer.

Poured into a pint glass at Karl Strauss Brewing Company in La Jolla, Calif. Color was red, semi-clear. White even bubble lacing. Long lasting cobweb, washy film on the sides. Smelled caramel and toffee with some dark fruit, maybe cherry? Tasted similar to the nose but can definitely taste the alcohol. Also caramel, toffee, Heath Bar and light chocolate. Medium body. Average carbonation. Smooth, long lasting finish. A pretty good beer overall. It was my first of the outing and I ended up sticking with it throughout the night.

Beer 4 in a flight. Raisin with a caramel sweetness. I don’t know why the description has any mention of bitterness, because it didn’t exist in the beer. Maybe counseling is mandatory before they put it in the small cups.

(22oz bottle) Pours a clear amber body with a tall long lasting beige head. Aroma of caramel, bread, citrus, and chocolate. Flavor of toffee, caramel, chocolate, raisins, and light citrus.

22oz bottle. Rating #22. Dark amber/copper in color, the head is beige with a little lacing. Sweet caramel aroma with a bit of plum, not picking up any hops. Nice hop bite up front that melds with the sweet malts very nicely. Tasty stuff. (2061)

Aromas of roasted malt and dark fruit. Medium amber with a light tan head. Sweet dark fruit flavor follows the aroma with some vanilla and a creamy texture. Definitely some earthy bitterness in here along with a nice alcohol bite to balance the sweetness. Finishes with more plum and raisin dark fruit flavors and a lingering tingle on the tongue. Just had some Red Trolley tonight with dinner and I wouldn’t have guessed this was it’s big brother. Interesting amplification of RT but not as balanced as the original.

22oz bottle, no date. $8.99 at Beverages 4 Less in Santee. Also, my bottle states that this beer is now 8.5%. Clear orange brown with a 1/2 finger beige head, creamy with fair retention. Pleasantly fruity sweet aroma that consists of plenty of caramel malt and almond, very light vanilla, and moderate tropical fruity hops. The flavor follows suit, which, for me is a nice surprise. Usualy it seems beers in this style go for brash and aggressive, but this was pretty easy drinking--no ridiculous hop bitterness or over the top scorched caramel toffee sweetness that I come to expect from this "style." The tropical fruit hops are still there, but more or less just complementing the caramel malts. Definitely sweet, but not too sweet. Semi-dry finish, light alcohol noted, with bitterness peaking at a 3. Low carbonation with a medium full body. Nothing crazy exciting, but still was enjoyable. Reminded me of New Glarus’ Alt beer from a few years back, at least with the sweetness and the almond notes.