Karl Strauss Blackball Belgian IPA
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.
Thanks to WordPress’ scheduled posts feature, I was able to take a few days off and drag the family down to the Magic Kingdom in Florida and still keep the site running along smoothly. We had a blast, but the beer selection was certainly lacking outside of a tasty Oktoberfest at Epcot. I couldn’t wait to get home from the airport last night to finally have full flavored brew.
The picture does not do this beer justice.The one beer I was really looking forward to first was the latest addition from Karl Strauss Brewing to their Coastal Reserve Series. This 8.5% ABV Belgian IPA is just about as perfect as you can get when marrying a West Cost IPA with a little Belgian influence. The brewery started off with a double IPA that was fermented with Belgian yeast and then dry-hopped the beer with a blend of Cascade and New Zealand hops. Throw in a little coriander and Curacao and you have yourself one hell of a tasty beer.
Appearance
Golden amber in color with a large, frothy white head that faded to a decent, sticky lace.
Aroma
Ripe, juicy tropical fruits and light pine dominate the nose as hints of a peppery Belgian yeast and light herbal notes round out the end.
Taste
Oh, wow! Blackball Belgian IPA is smooth and well balanced between the fruity hoppiness of a West Cost IPA and the lightly funky and peppery presence of Belgian yeast. The addition of the coriander and Curacao don’t really stand out on their own, but provide more of another layer of depth to an already tasty brew. The hops are tropical and fruity with a lingering bitterness that hangs around for a good long while with the Belgian yeast in the finish. The higher ABV is masked pretty well, but you’ll certainly feel it creep in as you enjoy the beer.
Overall
I’ve had the outrageous luck to have sampled several of this brewery’s beers and I think I might have just found my favorite one. It’s a refreshing, layered and balanced mash-up of all things West Coast IPA with a Belgian yeast influence. I absolutely loved this beer.
Rating: 4.5/5