Karl Strauss Downtown After Dark Brown Ale

Brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
San Diego, California USA

On tap at the Old Columbia location. Pours brown in color with a medium to thin white head that has little retention. Lacing is fairly decent. Faint chocolate toffee aroma. Mild nutty taste. If I liked this style at all, I’d probably find this to be solid. As it is, I just don’t understand a brown ale.

On tap at brewpub, Carlsbad, Ca: Beer pours dark amber color with a somewhat retaiened beige colored head. Aroma is roasted malt, straightforward, simple and enjoyable. Flavor is very enjoyable malt goodness with just a bit of bops in the finish. Good brown ale.

Lightly roasted caramel malt lends a touch of toffee with a hint of nuts and light smokiness in the wings. My general impression was that this was really a Newcastle-lite!

Draught at Karl Strauss La Jolla. Dark brown color with off white head. Flavor follows the aromas: Nutty, roasty, and earthy with a touch of molasses. Dry, though. Pretty good.

I had this from a keg at my birthday party. Remindes me of blend between Newcastle and Sam Smiths nut brown. I loved this brew and so did all the other guys, a little too heavy for the ladies. Very nutty and carmely in taste, nice off while head.

Draught at Karl Strauss La Jolla: Dark mahogany, nose of roasty notes along with some caramel and diacetyl. The flavor is nutty, mellow, bland, but does exactly what brown ales should, except for the body.

This is another beer tasted in Carlsbad at the Karl Strauss Resturant. The Brown Ale has a modest head and dark brown in color. There is some nuttiness in flavor. The beer is somewhat thin and not noteworthy. The IPA was the best tasted.

Tap - Very malty aroma, light hops and strong malts in the flavor. This is a sweet, easy to drink brew. It seems a bit thin, but overall it’s a good beer.