Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale
From Karl Strauss – The 21st Anniversary Ale begins with a strong ale base, loaded with pale two-row, a touch of caramel malts, and enough Vienna malts to support the high alcohol content. The beer was then fermented with the juice from Californian old vine Zinfandel grapes-known for their intense peppery and deep berry flavors. A combination of Chico and Belgian yeast were used to create a muted Belgian character, enhancing the spicy and peppery notes from the old vine Zin grapes. “We wanted to age the beer, but kept the aging to a minimum because we didn’t want the oak to overpower the subtleties of the grapes. We chose American oak known for its deep graham cracker and caramel notes,” says Paul. Finally, a dose of champagne yeast was added to make the beer very effervescent, helping to accentuate the wine-like flavors.
Karl Strauss Brewing – Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale – 22 oz. bottle poured into an oversized wine glass. 10.2% abv.
Appearance: Pours a dark vibrant red with almost no head.
Aroma: Sweet red grapes (grape juice) and dry spicy yeast.
Taste: Sweet and dry sparkling wine and a little bit of hop bitterness/spice in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry and fizzy.
Overall: This beer could have been a real mess or it could have been real boring, and it was neither. Job well done. Also, I didn’t turn all red like I do when I drink wine.
