Woodie Gold - Karl Strauss Brewing Company

fsimcox

California

2.8/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz brown bottle.

Pours a nice clear golden straw color. White foamy head that dissipates quickly. A little lacing.

Smells of breed and a little hops, perhaps a hint of corn.

Hop notes up front, some metallic hints, finishes dry with a little metallic after taste.

Mouthfeel is good. Has some dry sides to it after the hops blast.

I'd heard some good things about Karl Strauss, but compared to the many German Pils I've had, this one disappointed me.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 20:27:22 | More by fsimcox

jeffjeff1

California

3.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was a pretty good beer.

Appearance- golden color, nice head

Smell- bready

Taste- smooth, bit of hops

Mouthfeel- smooth, light

Drinkability- pretty drinkable, I would drink it again. It's a pretty good summer beer, good for outside working on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2009 20:24:45 | More by jeffjeff1

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at LAX
Poured a solid straw color with decent amount of head. Taste is mostly a good dose of sweet malt with just a bit of hop bitterness there. I see it classified as a German Pils", but I would probably say it's more like a Helles with a little more hop punch. Lots of bready flavors in there. Nothing awesome, but very highly drinkable and somewhat interesting for a good session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2009 04:11:28 | More by barleywinefiend

birdypowder

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Woodie Gold produces a thin white head, maybe a finger width at most that dissipates not quickly, but confidently leaving a thin veneer of white bubbles encasing the top of my beer. Bits of lacing that apparently did not want to be part of the protective layer of foam faithfully following my beer down the glass remain stuck to the sides like shy people at a club avoiding the dance floor.

Grainy and toasted malt aromas greet my nose with some slight hop aromas that I am not yet talented enough to identify.

The color is golden yellow of course but a deeper shade than the macro pilsners like Bud and Coors. The carbonation also seems lighter then the aforementioned heavyweights of pilsner.

Slight malt sweetness greets my tounge with a faint backend bitterness. A very drinkable beer but not one you would tell your friends they have to try. If this beer was a person, you would never be close friends but you would always get along.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2009 21:35:22 | More by birdypowder

yesyouam

New York

3.15/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This is a slightly sparkling light golden lager with a small, soft white head that leaves really good lacing. The aroma is a very light breeze of fruity hops. Perhaps a note of tangerine. The medium light body is more than I expected. It is soft and forgiving on the tongue but it retains the zazzle from the carbonation. There is a little citrus and a little noble hop action going on in here. The taste quickly fades and ends up a tad watery. This is a beer your dad would drink.
(rated Apr 26, 2007)

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2008 16:14:18 | More by yesyouam

magictrokini

California

2.9/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours mostly clear light gold with a bubbly white head. Bready aroma with some metal and grass. No Noble hops to speak of, considering this is a German Pilsner. Sweet with a small hop bitterness with a dry finish. Nice little beer, but not very good for this category.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 17:08:48 | More by magictrokini

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Karl Strauss Beer Cart located in Disneyland.

Poured a medeium golden/yellow color with a small sized white head. Aromas of some grass, grainy, and a little earthy. Tastes of toasted grains, the same light earthiness, and light caramel. Lively body.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2008 00:45:55 | More by hopdog

Newsman

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a six at the Pasadena Whole Foods while visiting Southern California for work. Pours nicely, decent white head, decent lacing, looks very much the classic pilsner. Smells a little better than average, with a hint of florals coming from the above-average hops.

This tastes good. Has that classic pilsner taste, nice bite, with a better-than-average hop characteristic that doesn't overwhelm. Crisp dry finish. Blessedly, they didn't go overboard on the fizz, so mouthfeel was good for the style.

Overall, a really drinkable brew that was greatly appreciated in the midst of a SoCal heat wave. Nothing world-shakingly special, but a very solid session brew. I'd go for this again on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 16:42:38 | More by Newsman

Zorro

California

3.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Good clear golden Pilsener with a short white head. Good rich golden color.

Smell is malty and toasted grainy with a spicy hop aroma. Little bit herbal but the spicy hop tweak is quite nice and not at all expected from a beer from this maker.

The taste starts out malty and toasted grain with a little sweetness and a toasted bread flavor. Little bit of caramel and a trace of spicy hop taste, flavor isn't what the smell promised. Not that much bitterness and the hops actually give more of a lemon taste than anything else.

Mouthfeel is OK.

A notch above Budweiser and beers of that type. This is OK and I could see ordering this again sometime when there was nothing special available. Not worth any great efforts or pain to obtain though.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2008 02:59:28 | More by Zorro

DoubleJ

California

3.45/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(This review is sung to the tune of "Takin' Retards to the Zoo")

Was a boring day, got nothing to do
So I'll open up a bottle of local brew

Moving right onto the beer, moving right on to the beer:

Twist off top, pour it in a glass
Gold colored lager, head is fading fast
Smells imported, but it is not
Stinky grains and grass is all I got

Moving right on to the taste, moving right onto the taste:

Clean and crisp and medium bodied
Honey and hops is what it's embodied
Lightly flavored, and has nice balance
Three or four bottles, that's my allowance

This review is over now, this review is over now..oww.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2008 00:36:39 | More by DoubleJ

Floydster

California

3.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint from Bad Dog Ale House in El Segundo

Pour was a light yellow color, kind of cloudy with 3/4 inch head that stuck around pretty much the whole time

Smell had a little malt and the aroma was mostly coming from grains

Taste was nice and smooth with a little bit of hops, but not much at all

Could drink a good amount, refreshing on a hot summer day

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2007 16:01:03 | More by Floydster

Halcyondays

California

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, with a cool vintage-60's style label,

A: Pours a pale yellow, gold, but with an excellent head, which stays around for the whole glass, and drink.

S: Some pale bread malt, pretty sweet, though nothing too substantial.

T: Sweet bread malt, some flowery, grassy noble hops, a straightforward pils taste.

M: Thin, good carbonation, very light.

D: A good pils, easy to drink and refreshing, definitely a step up from BMC, but not in the same league with the German-made pilsners, or better made craft pilsners.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2007 21:44:14 | More by Halcyondays

AustinBeerLvr

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at several locations in San Diego.

Pours a fairly solid straw color w/a decent amount of head. The taste is mostly a good dose of sweet malt with just a bit of hop bitterness there. I see it classified as a German Pils", but I would probably say it's more like a Helles with a little more hop punch. Lots of bready flavors in there. Nothing awesome, but very highly drinkable and somewhat interesting for a good session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2007 02:57:37 | More by AustinBeerLvr

theopholis

California

4.47/5  rDev +33.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- The body is light, clear gold with a foamy white head. Some head retention. Very little lacing.

Aroma- Very nice balnace between a soft malt sweetness, subdued graininess, and a tiny hint of lemon and floral hops. Also get a very subtle, sweet smelling wood aroma.

Taste- This is one of Karl's better beers. Is has a very nice mix of malt sweetness, a subdued graininess and just enough hop bitterness to let you know it's beer.

Mouthfeel- Mouthfeel is also very nice. Medium to slightly heavy body with just the right level of carbonation. Just sticky enough to coat your mouth and give you an excellent after-taste.

Drinkability- Very nice. Good for day-time drinking or relxing with. I am really impressed.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2007 02:29:07 | More by theopholis

DogFood11

California

2.05/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

Poured the 12oz brown bottle into a pounder glass. Extremely clear bright yellow body with minimal support carbonation. Head is fluffy and falls to an island. Little lace.

Plenty of bready, doughy malts make up the body of this brew. Give me a hop cutter of some kind and it may have worked. Like most Karl Strauss brews this is another solid offering but hardly here to wow anyone. There is a cream soda feel to this in taste and it has a creamy sloppy finish that lingers. Hops are subtly bittering towards the finish only to give way back to the doughed up malts. Ends rather sweet and I would reccomend you drink this as cold as possible.

Notes: Probably better in the blonde category as its nowhere near a double pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2007 00:20:50 | More by DogFood11

goschool

California

3.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

No offense Scottale, but this is not a double pilsner.

I bought a sixer at Von's, because they didn't have Stone and I know that Karl recently passed away. He really did a lot for the craft brewing community. Hear hear Brewmaster!

Appearance: The pour is light gold with a foamy white head.

Smell: Soft malts, doughy malts, lager yeast, and a tiny hint of lemon and floral hops.

Taste: Nobody gives Karl the credit he deserves for his contribution in creating the double IPA, but I think he did quite a bit. He used almost no hops in any of his beers, leaving more for Vinnie Cilurzo to experiment with. There are plenty of grainy and doughy malts, but very little saaz hop flavor or bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with plenty of carbonation. Good for the style.

Drinkability: This should be a good pilsner to ween macro drinkers off swill with. All Karl Strauss beers are useful in that department and I salute them for it. It's easy drinking, but it's so bland, I have no desire to drink more.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2007 07:44:56 | More by goschool

IntriqKen

California

4.15/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden straw color with a half finger of white foam that melts to a ring of thin lacing.
For some reason this was very different and much more enjoyable to me in the bottle.
Aromas are very light and slightly floral...only a touch of lager yeast smells are present so less of a biscuit smell than most American attempts at this style. There is definitely a presence of fruit in both the aroma and the taste. Refreshing.
Mouthfeel is very substantial for this style with lots of tiny, tingly carbonation.
Taste is bright and light. Touch of very pale malt sweetness then a little fruitiness, then some mild citrus hops.
Aftertaste is very clean and fresh.
One of the best.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2006 21:38:31 | More by IntriqKen

aquaderek

California

3.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I bought a six pack of the karl strauss woodie gold at my local vons. Poured into a tasting glass. It has a golden yellow color, the head diminishes to a very thin broken lace. It looks like what you would expect for the style. The nose leads me to believe that this bottle is skunky, but I guess hoppy with slighty cabbage like smell. This beer has a slightly more viscious and heavier body than what I would expect in a pilsner. It has a fuller more complex taste than most american pilsners and a great drinkablility, I could drink a few in a setting.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 01:46:20 | More by aquaderek

MusicmanSD

California

3.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 4

I'll start off by saying this is a really odd beer. It looks like a pilsner, smells faintly like a pilsner, but tastes strangely like a Vienna lager??? Anyways, the appearance is sweet, nice golden pilsner hue, but absolutely no head after about 30 seconds of sitting. The smell is interesting, has a little bit of roasty complexion with spices, which is odd for a pilsner...The taste is alot like a watery Sam Adams Boston Lager, but is very light. Almost feels like a light beer. Which would be good, because it is quite tasty and leaves an interesting aftertaste of slightly roasted malt. The mouthfeel sucks. Watery and a little less carbonation then I would have hoped for, so I'm wondering if this was a dud bottle. The drinkability is average however. I could see myself having a good time with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2006 18:54:31 | More by MusicmanSD

mithrascruor

California

2.45/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a mug.
I had some of this a couple weeks ago from a growler, and thought I'd try it again.

Appearance: Clear, yellow-gold color. White head that laces the glass a bit.

Smell: Smells of mild malts, mild grains, and mild hops. Nothing special.

Taste: Fairly boring taste. A bland amalgam of grains, hops, and malts -- no complexity, and it has a somewhat nasty bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light-bodied, smooth, a bit of carbonation. As with most other elements here, it's average.

Drinkability: Alcohol-wise, it's very drinkable. But the taste is just so annoying, and the beer is really tedious.

I'm not impressed -- taste isn't good and the rest is just average. No reason to get this again. And I probably won't have it again from a growler. As usual, not impressed with Karl Strauss beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2006 04:52:24 | More by mithrascruor

Dukeofearl

California

3.4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle from a sixer brought by a friend to my wife's birthday party in July 2006. He brought it because he liked the label (see attached photo).

Double Pilsner? What is that? Never heard of it. Based on the style guidelines (more malt backbone and intense bitterness), this gets one out of two right. Full rich malt, sweet but not cloying, very very drinkable on a hot day, but I can find absolutely no bitterness. As aonther reviewer mentioned, creamy. Not a bad thing, just not what the description says. Hmm.

I kinda like it, but it is literally 110 degrees at 5:30 PM, so most cold beers will be good. Seriously, I can drink this, but it is more of a one-off for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2006 00:26:02 | More by Dukeofearl

Domingo

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not many reviews for this one...which I though was odd. I must've seen it on tap in nearly every hotel or restaurant I saw in the San Diego gaslamp area.
Comes a light golden color. It looks like a Pils, although maybe a little more amber than a bright yellow. Head's more pronounced than the KS Amber, which is nice.
Smells like a fresh euro macro to me. No skunkiness, but then again nothing really special either. Reminds me of a Heineken straight from the brewery.
Taste is crisp. For a double pils, this was pretty subdued. There's a little hoppy bitterness and some huskiness, but I was expecting something stronger. Again, it reminds me of a euro lager that has no skunkiness. If you like those but hate how it's tough to get a "good" one - this is your brew.
Mouthfeel is a little thicker than you'd expect. I'm used to the more "soda-style" carbonation from the euro pils brews, but this one is thicker and reminds me a little of a british ale in texture.
It could be a decent quencher, but I like the Amber much more. Not a bad brew, but nothing wonderful either.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2006 23:36:41 | More by Domingo

scottoale

California

2.85/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had this one at my folks house last night. Somewhat perplexed, I bought a single 12oz to add and review. The brown bottle has a lable that depicts a San Diego beach scene at sunset with the classic old "Woodie" as the theme of the label. The neck label classifies this brew as a "Coastal-Style Classic Blonde Pilsener"... whatever...the closest style listed I figured would be the American Dbl. Pilsner, so I went with it.

It pours a straw pale gold with a two finger pure white bubbly head that dies quickly. Lacing, well a few dots and a dab, although the carbonation produces a steady flow of bubbles from the bottom.

Smells of light wheat, weak malt and a hint of lemony hops. It smells like a wheat beer to me.

Tastes sweet at first with a watery, fizzy, light malt (more like wheat) to a weak hop (bitter defeated by sweet) dry finish. Notes of lemon peel and sweet-n-low with no sign of alcohol, must be low in ABV (not listed)

Fizzy, creamy like mouthfeel leaves the mouth dry and has very little aftertaste as it just tastes weak. You could probably drink gallons of it, but why bother ?

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2006 03:58:57 | More by scottoale