Karl Strauss Pintail Pale Ale - This line is starting to blur...

Could a special from San Diego get rid of the sour thoughts of our recent brush with Hollandia? There's was only one way to find out - fire up the bbq and get tasting!

Yes the weekend was fading away, my energy reserves were doing the same after a big day with the kids and a mini workout before scrubbing away the previous fried memories on the family BBQ. Time to cook, time for a beer.

Obligatory bbq shot

Time for a Pale Ale that finds itself encroaching on IPA territory. The line is getting blurred in a tasty way here...

The super stein showing off it's head making abilities. 

What am I smelling here?: The usual hops and goodness of an IPA and a hint of citrus

Initial thoughts: Mouthfuls of hoppy and malty caramel and citrus flavors. Light bitterness with a lovely lingering mouth feel. Quite balanced and very easy to chug away on in big gulps. So far Karl has proven to be an excellent house guest.

Overall: It has been a while since I last met a beer that made me long for another straight after the first. I call it the 'disappointment test.' If I am disappointed in the fact that I don't have another of this particular beer on hand when the first is empty, that's my indication of a bloody good brew. (Beers that have done this previously: Pirate Life Lager, Fig Jam, Brooklyn Lager.) While it's creeping towards an IPA (funnily enough it's closer to an IPA than Tui will ever be) it tasty and still rates high in my book. (I'm not one of those reviewers who would dock points because it's closer to one style than the other.)

4.25 out of 5 lemon and herb chicken sticks.