Karl Strauss / Russian River New California IPA

Beer Name: New California IPA
Brewery: Karl Strauss Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA) in collaboration with Russian River Brewing (Santa Rosa, CA)
ABV: 6.5%

How sold: 16 oz. tallboy cans; on draft
Where bought: Craft Shack (San Diego, CA) ****bought online
Price: $4.99 for 16 oz single tallboy can

Date Ordered: August 7, 2019
Date Received: August 12, 2019
Date Drank: August 15, 2019
Enjoy By: October 22, 2019
When brewed? Limited-time beer.
IBU: 60

What's on the Can/Website: "Karl Strauss and Russian River may hail from different parts of California, but we have still managed to enjoy countless beers together over the past 30 years. This most recent time was special. We didn't just drink beer, we BREWED one! A collab of this magnitude between two iconic breweries warrants something different, a modern IPA with a fresh and vibrant flavor profile thanks to a new hop cultivar. Introducing New California IPA, brewed with Pahto hops for a clean bitterness. Strata, Ekuanot, Amarillo, and Idaho 7 hops add notes of citrus, berry, tropical fruit, and pine. Here's to longtime friends and new adventures together."

Hops: Pahto, Strata, Ekuanot, Amarillo, Idaho 7.

Malts: 2-Row Malt, Rye Malt.

Where distributed: Karl Strauss beers are generally exclusive to California. Russian River distributes to select states.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured clear light golden into a pint glass. White head, trace lacing. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): Tropical, mostly lemon and berry, with complementing hoppy notes. 4.25/5

Taste (40%): Follows the nose. Clean IPA experience from start to finish. Back end features more hoppy bitter and lemon/citrus qualities. 4/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, good carbonation. Slight dry tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An awesome to excellent IPA. A very straightforward, clean IPA here that brings a pleasing experience. Nothing epic that really stands out, but still a damn good beer. 4/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.1/5