Karl Strauss Oktoberfest Beer
Appearance - pours a deep amber, garnet hue with brilliant clarity albeit a quickly receding head that leaves faint lacing on the glass. Smell - malty, bready, some caramel. Crystal malt showing its character in the aroma, very little to no hop presence. Taste - sweet malt, some toastiness, less caramel than the aroma. Don't really detect any specialty malts in the flavor. Some mild hop bite at the end with a bready aftertaste. Mouthful - well carbonated and lively, light bodied and goes down smooth. Overall - very light and uninteresting for an oktoberfest beer. The use of crystal malt lends character with the aroma and appearance, but I found the taste to be somewhat lackluster. Abv is only 5% which seems low for a more fortified festive style?