Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Tower X toasts to local radio.

“Karl’s alignment with 91X centers around independence, the arts, and a mutual admiration for craft beer,” explains Andrew Wilde, Marketing and Creative Director at Karl Strauss Brewing Company. “91X and Karl go way back — from the wild days of Beach to Brewery, all the way through to Arts & Amps and Collabapalooza,” Just now, he’s discussing the origin behind the brewery’s latest offering, Tower X West Coast IPA. (The Tower X logo is modeled after the ubiquitous 91X stickers seen around town since the ’80s.)

The two long-standing San Diego institutions had been discussing a collaboration since early in the pandemic. When the brewery’s latest West Coast IPA was finally ready, it seemed like a good match for the local alternative radio station, Wilde continues, “(We) had simultaneously been developing a West Coast IPA for the better part of the past year, and when discussing what this beer meant to the Karl portfolio and how much the brand and liquid reflected the lifestyle and energy in San Diego and beyond, we knew this was going to be the perfect partnership opportunity for 91X. Tower X spent nearly a year in research and development as we sought to refine the recipe. We use a lot of the classic ‘C’ hops (Citra, Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial) found in West Coast Style IPAs, but lend a contemporary spin by adding in some new-wave hops as well.” Those “new-wave hops,” Simcoe and Sultana, boost the pine flavor of the IPA while also adding notes of stone fruit, pineapple, and citrus.

X marks the spot for new Karl Strauss IPA.

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Tower X recalls one of Karl Strauss’s most popular beers, Tower 10 IPA, which is named after Lifeguard Tower 10 in Mission Beach — near to where plans were originally laid out to establish the brewery. And the ale is not simply a re-branding of the brewery’s flagship IPA. It starts off with a heavy dose of the hoppy flavor and aroma recognizable from Tower 10 and the other local West Coast IPAs that helped define the local beer scene decades ago, but boasts a lingering sweetness — due, in part, to a simpler malt profile. Another difference is that, at 7.3% ABV, Tower X packs more of a punch than its predecessor.

The addition of Simcoe and Sultana further separate Tower X by adding complexity and reducing bitterness. Wilde explains, “Tower X is a wholly different beer updated for the modern era. You still have the hallmarks of a classic West Coast-style IPA, i.e. pine, resin, grapefruit. However, Tower X has hints of tropical fruits, and finishes incredibly clean and crisp.” Fans of Karl Strauss IPAs will find a lot to like in Tower X, which is a good alternative to more hazy and fruity IPAs, and easier to drink than its heavy hitters like Aurora Hoppyalis and Frank the Dank without dipping into session territory.

Tower X West Coast IPA was released on March 2 and is available in cans and on taps throughout California and Arizona.