When two San Diego breweries team up, you pay attention. Murky Poetry is Karl Strauss’s collaboration with Pure Project, first brewed in 2020 and brought back as a limited re-release for San Diego Beer Week. Two of the city’s most respected names on one can is a pretty good starting point.

The basics

• Brewery: Karl Strauss Brewing Co. x Pure Project Brewing (San Diego, CA)
• Style: Hazy IPA
• ABV: 6.3%
• IBU: 50

What to expect

Murky Poetry pours hazy gold with a soft white head, right in the style’s wheelhouse. The hop bill is Amarillo, Citra, Nectaron, and Krush, and it reads exactly like that sounds: tropical notes of guava and sweet orange up front, juicy and bright.

The mouthfeel is where the Pure Project influence shows. Oats and wheat in the grain bill give it that soft, pillowy texture the best hazy IPAs have, rounding off any rough edges. Bitterness stays in the background at 50 IBU. It is an easy-drinking hazy that does not demand anything from you, which is exactly what the style is for.

Our rating

8.0/10

Rated by Alex (8) and Nick (8), a rare dead heat. That tells you this is a thoroughly enjoyable beer without quite reaching the top shelf. As a limited collaboration it is worth seeking out when it drops, and as a snapshot of the San Diego hazy scene, it is a good one.