A little Karl Strauss backstory before launching into a 1st Visit recap. I have been to the Universal location a few times during my time working in and around what is now the Wizarding World of ComcastLand. I never left thinking the beer was anything but slightly above average, angled more to tourists. Not a lot of one-off taps for sure. I have also been to a couple of the different San Diego County outposts and found it fine as well with a skosh more out there tap offerings.
None of that prepared me for the vast list that was available at the new DTLA spot just up the street from the huge Whole Foods on Grand Avenue. There was a long list of beers that I had not heard of before in addition to their core line-up.
I ordered up a sampler tray (then had a plus one). My favorite of the beers tried was the Crabgrass Kolsch which was crisp and clean and simple. The rest of the beers were in the medium-OK realm. The new holiday seasonal 7 Sharks Circling was supposed to have a “bonfire” of smoked notes that I found to be underwhelming. Canadian Necktie Maibock was fine but lacked a certain heft to it. The Golden State of Mind Saison was also just fine. My notes for the last two beers show that things are kept pretty simple. Even the Krema Coffee Stout didn’t have a kick to it. I guess, in general, the beers just needed to be amped up more. Add more coffee and smoke and let it take a place at the big table.
The clear loser was the Under the Stairs barrel-aged sour with Guava. The aroma was quite fruity but once your nose got closer and once it hit the tongue, all butter. One of those beers that probably shouldn’t be on tap.
The service was attentive and the bartenders had the spiel down but that spiel was a lot more in depth as to beer and food pairings then I expected.
If you pick and choose carefully, this could be a really good place to spot new Karl beers and have some lunch.
