Beerly Departed - Search The Crypt's Records

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Karl Strauss - Boardwalk Black Rye

Dead Soldier 
Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Boardwalk Black Rye
Karl Strauss 
5985 Santa Fe Street
San Diego, CA
 USA

Est. 1989
www.karlstrauss.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Dark black color on the pour.
Carmel and rye nose; nicely malty. Flashes of hop aromas.
Short stout head with strings of lace.
Smooth flavors of caramel, toffee and rye.
Soft carbonation. Nicely drinkable at 8%ABV.
Medium bodied, full flavored. Rich and complex.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I held on to this one from the 2011 Beer Bloggers Conference, waiting for just the right moment to pop the cap. Karl Strauss Brewing turns 23 this month of February and they teamed up with Untappd to create an anniversary badge commemorating the event. Timing is everything, so this 8% caramely hopped bomber's time had come.

I had not forgotten how great tasting this was, while at last August's BBC11. I was able to sample much of this black beauty during the event. After aging for a few months in the crypt cooler, all the nicely complex flavors of rye, caramel and west coast hops melded together for a wonderfully flavorful way to top off a Friday night. Glad to have squirreled this bottle away for such an auspicious event...happy anniversary Karl Strauss! I patiently wait for the day that Karl Strauss broadens their distribution reach. For now, I will look for their finely crafted ales whenever I get the chance to visit SoCal.

As for you poor souls in the same predicament as myself - - - seek this one out whenever you get the chance!