Karl Strauss Oktoberfest Beer - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

hopdog

Pennsylvania

2.58/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap inside Disneyland.

Poured a medium to deeper amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel and some toasted malts. Tastes of the same caramel and toasty. Both flavors and aromas on the subtle side and you really had to try to get anything outside of a 'generi' sense.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2008 03:31:29 | More by hopdog

mithrascruor

California

2.28/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a bit of visible carbonation. Thin, off-white, film-like head with decent retention.

Smell: Minimal aroma... a bit of malts, maybe slightly toasted?

Taste: It really tastes like something got burned while they were brewing this: not smoky, but burned caramel and malts. It doesn't obliterate the taste, but makes it less than enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Light- to medium-bodied. A lot of carbonation feel, but not too intense.

Drinkability: Burned flavor = not so great to drink.

I'm hoping that I just got a bad batch of this, but no beer should have that in the flavor. Otherwise, this had the right elements to make it a decent (but my no means great) Oktoberfest beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 04:43:33 | More by mithrascruor

Halcyondays

California

2.88/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours amber with a nice off-white head, good retention, clarity is not good.

S: Solid brewpub fest, Munich malt, a bit of strawberry.

T: Light malt flavour mixed with an interesting berry note. Not as full-flavoured as I like in this style, but not bad.

M: Solid mouthfeel, carbonation is pretty much spot on. Light/medium bodied.

D: An OK fest from the local San Diego producer. Worth a try, but not something I plan on buying next October.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 03:40:09 | More by Halcyondays

opwog

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Now listening to: Calexico - Victor Jara's Hands

A- dark gold/copper color, white head
S- nice malty nose, but not much beyond that
T- Solid as a common US Oktoberfest beer. Toasty malt, some light toffee.
M- Very nice mouthfeel I am sure that this will vary by location and/or serving type, but carbonation and medium/light body were perfect in the glass that I had.
D- Easy drinking. A good brewpub pour.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2008 09:35:13 | More by opwog

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked this up on Vandenberg AFB today..
Poured a dark golden color with a quickly disappearing white head. There isn't much nose here, but I could detect a slightly malty smell
It was smooth and a bit malty. This beer is subtle, with no strong flavors. Its an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2008 21:52:13 | More by barleywinefiend

jwc215

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to jcwattsrugger for bringing this one back for me from California...

Pours copperish orangish amber with an off-white head that becomes patchy.

The smell is of lightly carmelized malt with spicy, biscuity, earthy background.

The taste is of carmelized graininess with balancing spicy, earthy hops. Not quite as malt-accented as typical of style, though hops don't quite stand out either. Overall flavor - decent but mild...

The carbonation is a bit forward, but smooth overall. Lighter side of medium-bodied.

A decent O-fest - easy to drink, but nothing especially noteworthy - nor anything particularly off" - a decent/mediocre/typical American interpretation of an O-fest.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 15:06:44 | More by jwc215

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +23%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown bottle,twist-off cap,served in a nonic glass. Sent to me by my brother-in-law,aka BA deekster

Clear,amber with a generous light tan head that's dense and creamy,with very good retention slowing falling into a pillowy layer. Decent carbinaton with some extra tiny bubbles staggering to the surface.

Very sweet malty aromas,complex,burnt/nutty/toasty with a honey touch, a slight buttery note with flowery/perfumy hop notes. very pleasing aroma.

Clean taste with honeyied carmell,complex maltiness,execellent balance,with a nice,pleasing, bitterness.leaves some fruity tartness lingering.

Medium to light mouthfeel,very smooth. Very good O-fest,has everything that I like and expect from an O-fest. A very sessionable O-fest. Wish this beer was avalible in my area. Would definatly seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2007 02:39:36 | More by jcdiflorio

NCSUdo

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, thanks to IntriqKen.

A: Clear amber/copper. Pretty standard sized head. OK retention, no lacing.

S: Good candyish caramel smell with some malt mixed in.

T: Surprisingly lacking on the taste front. Some maltiness but not in a large quantity at all. A fair amount of bitterness in the finish. Slight caramel.

M/D: Body is a little heavier then I expected, slightly past medium. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of carbonation. Drinkability is a strong point of the brew though.

Pretty standard Oktoberfest in my opinion, but one that is entirely drinkable. Twist off top which took me by surprise a little.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 01:19:24 | More by NCSUdo

Sleestak

California

3.88/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4.5

The only other Karl Strauss beer I've had before was their Red Trolley Ale and thought it was ok. Saw this one on display with all the other fall seasonals at the local BevMo. Looks a nice copper color, but not much of a head even with a hard pour. Smells lightly like toasted caramel, inviting. Some sweet toasty caramel, little bitterness, not very strong on the flavor overall. Too much prickly carbonation imo. I think this is good as a starter Oktoberfest beer for someone just getting into the fall seasonals.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2007 21:01:54 | More by Sleestak

IntriqKen

California

3.98/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a clear golden amber with a massively craggy off white head that slowly melted to some very sticky lacing.

Aromas of toasted amber malts, buttery caramel, and brown sugar.

Taste is not as sweet as it smells. Toasted amber malt, light caramel, light hops to dry the finish. Lots of smooth malt comes through especially as it warms.

Aftertaste seems clean with just a bit of the caramel and hops lingering.

I have a feeling this one grows on you and will enjoy the rest of my sixer.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2007 01:52:41 | More by IntriqKen

tonistruth

Nevada

3.33/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

on tap @ the Firehouse in San Diego, CA

A- orange tinted amber brew with a 1 finger white head, decent retent and little lacing

S- bubble gum, malty and sweet

T- some caramel, malty sweet, nice enough balance, pretty tasty

M- medium body and smooth

D- well done domestic o-fest brew, sessionable, may not be a great brewed o-fest but its tasty and very drinkable, file this in guilty pleasures

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2007 03:25:52 | More by tonistruth

MiScusi

California

3.35/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at T. Phillips in La Verne, CA. Not a whole lot to say about this beer. Looked good on the pour, a nice orangish brown clear color... looks inviting.... standard lager head that dwindles pretty fast. The taste has a bit of a watery character to it, but also some sweet malt flavor to it. There is no real hoppiness in this, or bitterness, it comes across as sweet and watery. Mouthfeel is light and spritzy but not too abrasive... overall not one of the better oktoberfests out there but there isn't anything offensive about it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2007 07:03:46 | More by MiScusi

Phocion

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Found a 6-pack for $5.99, so I figured it was worth a try.

Pours a very light gold color with an inch-high foamy head which quickly disappears into a thin lacing.

Aroma is light roasted malts with a strong maple-syrup like presence. Very sweet and little complexity.

Taste is all malts, and very weak at that. Not unpleasant, but very little flavor and one-dimensional.

Light and crisp mouthfeel, very bubbly. This beer screams average. Not offensive, but nothing stands out either. Decent session beer especially for the price, but there are much better Oktoberfest brews out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2006 19:56:10 | More by Phocion

tonloco

Hawaii

2.1/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Not my style of Oktoberfest.

I really do not like Karl Strauss beers that much

Stargazer IPA is ok, but most of their beers are average at best.

This is a blonde Oktoberfest Lager

Very light in color and too sweet, I bought two cases to sell at my local restaurant (here in San Diego) I wouldnt buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2006 19:11:47 | More by tonloco

scottoale

California

3.23/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In a 12oz. brown bottle with a label picture depicting the celebration of Oktoberfest along with the blue and white vertical checkerboard accents.

It pours a deep gold with a half-inch of off-white head which dissipates in less than a minute. A few streamers of carbonation bubbles, a couple dots of lacing.

The smell is faint and vague, All I can detect is a light, slightly roasted malt with some wheat or blunt straw notes and that's about it. It's not a very sweet smell, kind of chalk like and slightly bitter.

The taste...much like it smells is weak, yet balanced. It starts on a malt note, slight roast, slight nuttiness then a mild hop slowly shuts the door. It actually has a nice taste but seems watered-down to the max. A little more malt sweetening and at least double the existing flavor and the brew would suit it's style just fine. Unfortunetly it doesn't and is way too weak to be enjoyed as an Oktoberfest.

Fine mouthfeel, smooth and creamy and a bit bubbly with a light body and clean finish. Where's the alcohol? Easy to drink as it tastes good, just need to double the ingredients, less the water.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2006 04:13:12 | More by scottoale

jcalabre

California

3.23/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: This pours a dark golden color with a quickly disappearing white head.
Aroma: There isn't much nose here, but I could detect a slightly malty smell
Taste: It was smooth and a bit malty. This beer is subtle, with no strong flavors. Maybe 'benign' is a better word? In other words, it's certainly not world class, but it's not offensive. It's a slightly better than average brew

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2003 02:12:54 | More by jcalabre