Karl Strauss Altbier
Karl Strauss Brewing Company

On-tap at the Costa Mesa location during Happy Hour, on to the beer:

Brownish mixed with orange....looks like autumn in a glass. Leaves good lacing on the glass. The aroma is yummy....it's like smelling cinnamon raisin toast. As this beer hit my tongue, I found myself in shock with this beer, not expecting much in the first place. It has a good flavorful maltiness with caramel and bread....just what I want in an alt. From there, it got more interesting, and better. Toasty malts emerged, along with nutty flavors and cinnamon. Light brush-up of juicy hops came into play as the beer finished. The carbonation was fine in the beer, but was a little "squishy" when I moved the beer in my mouth, like the feeling of moving soda around in your mouth. Nonetheless, it went down fast without much effort.

Before this beer, I linked Karl Strauss beers to be light and sessionable, but not neccesarily the pinnacle of craft brewing. This altbier though has changed my mind. It is sessionable, but surprisingly complex and delicious.