Karl Strauss Endless Summer Gold

On tap at the Costa Mesa, CA location. Poured a lighter to medium golden color with a small sized head. Aromas and tastes of light fruitiness with some citrus. Lighter and thinner aromas and tastes.

Pale golden with a frothy white head. Salty celery and honey aroma. Light bodied. Taste is again light honey with celery. Crisp clean finish. Glad this summer is over.

Sample at the Sorrento Valley location. The beer is a clear yellow-gold color with a thin white head that diminishes quickly. Spotty lacing. Light fruit and malt aroma. Light body with mild malt and hops flavors, along with a fruity undertone. The finish is lightly malty with a short hops aftertaste. Just average overall.

Very clean finish with a light hoppy aroma. Great beer for a day at the beach. Nice balance of sweet and sharp. Surprises me that they make this in a light!

I had this over the weekend in Coronado, CA. Disappointed was I. Tastes very light, not much flavor and only mild hoppyness. You could be drinking a run of the mill light beer and not know the difference. I’d take this one back to the drawing board.

Draft at the downtown brewpub. Very light aroma. Maybe a bit of malt. Maybe. Pale golden color with a finely bubbled white head. Thin to medium bodied. Mild to moderate carbonation. Starts with pale malt sweetness, perhaps with a touch of honey. Bitter accompanies the sweet - I vote for floral hop or very light citrus (or both - the jalapenos in the food are interfering with this). It’s a clean, crisp and refreshing light ale. Fairly dry finish with persisting light bitter. Very good. Not just a lawnmower beer.

On tap at Columbia Street brewery. Light yellow with white head. Very light aroma. Flavor is light corn flakes with crisp hop note. Not too hateful. Might make a solid hot summer day brew.

Drinkable? Yes. Distinctive in any way at all? Not really. No nose. Really, none. Like smelling water. A bit of malty downtake. Golden in the glass. Refreshing I guess, but I just don’t understand why people make beers like this. I suppose there is an audience out there for them, but then again, I would think those people might reach for a Prima Pils or Spaten Pils instead, both of which I would grab on a hot summer day over this one. If anyone can explain to me how this beer is any different than a macro like MGD or Coors or Bud, let me know. It tastes cleaner, sure, but stylistically the same. Like lite beer for beer snobs, but not even as chuggable as bud light.