$3.99 for the 22 oz bottle which itself suggests that this might be a good value beer. Typical numbers for the Lagunitas series of bombers. Murky, honey colored pour with a semi-decent head. The nose and the tastes give up some of the banana notes that one might expect, but you have to concentrate a little to detect them. They are not as strong as many others beers in the style. The murky appearance of the beer is replicated in the mouthfeel which is syrupy and viscous. Not really a huge...
Notes on beers brewed by
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Lagunitas Bavarian-Styled
A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
12 oz stubbie bottle. Good, golden clarity on the pour with an impressive amount of head and some nice sticky lace (just like that you would expect from a West Coast IPA - read on!). Nose and tastes are ALL light grapefruit with a fairly seriously dry finish which puts this beer firmly in the American DIPA/IPA category in terms of its tastes. There is a faint fruit aftertaste and the wheat lingers a little in the background, but it is very faint and without knowing that this was supposed to be...
A Little Sumpin’ Wild
22 oz bottle from Smyrna Beverage Center, Smyrna, GA, USA. $4.69. Pour is a beautiful, tangerine orange body with tremendous clarity, good carbonation and a light and wispy head that offers some great lace. The nose offers a LOT of west coast, medicinal, sinus clearing, grapefruit and citrus based hops. I'm almost instantly annoyed by the beer as soon as it hits my taste buds. For all intents and purposes (in least in terms of its taste) this is an IPA. Not a problem, but in the BA database it...
Wilco Tango Foxtrot
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. (Potentially) excellent value for money as usual from Lagunitas, the usual presentation. Pour is a very nice red-brown with nice clarity in the body. Off-white head that produces some sticky lace; retention not great. The nose has a surprising level of green hop presence. Really quite strong. Tastes are a little mixed where the hops fade from their aroma level but still hang around, and then the malt bill kicks in. It still remains quite "organic"...
A Little Sumpin’ Extra! Ale
22 oz bomber from Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. What I like about Lagunitas is their simple adherence to style and the great value that one usual gets, especially in the bomber size. Pour is a bright, golden, clear body with a high, bubbly head. The head leaves some superb, sticky lace which is exactly what I am looking for in a big 'ol American DIPA. For me the sticky nature of the lace is a VERY important feature of an American DIPA. Nose gives plenty of sinus clearing, sweetened grapefuit,...
2009 Correction Ale
With a few exceptions you can pretty much rely on Lagunitas to put together a solid, good value beer and this is NOT one of those exceptions. 22 oz bomber all but a drop goes into the Youngs, imperial pint glass. Color is pretty striking and indeed, just plain pretty. A deep, golden orange with great clarity. Head is a touch disappointing though, as is the retention and lace. It gives the beer a bit of "thin" look. In relaity the mouthfeel is a notch below "good". Big C hops with a touch of...
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
22 oz bomber from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. VERY strange. I did not do any research on this before I opened it so I didn't not know what Lagunitas had put together for the latest Zappa release. The pour was essentially dark brown with some murkiness and not much head or lace. I get some thin film of froth on the surface. This beer is incredibly sweet (even for me and my sweet tooth). EXTREMELY malty. It was difficult to get a handle on the style (without checking it out first) and I...
Lagunitas IPA
12oz single. I've been drinking this for a few years now, time for a review. Classic, light chill-hazed orange body with a small head but better lace than the head would suggest. Nose and tastes have that very distinctive Lagunitas hop sweetness that can be a little overwhelming. Very floral. Sweetness lingers and there is a bit of an odd floral note in there too. It's a very distinctive beer which requires a certain hankering for me before I reach for one. Floral fits the bill for the...
We’re Only In It For The Money
Purchased from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 22oz bomber. 4th in the Zappa series from Lagunitas. Poured into the Ommegang chalice the beer has a classic dark orange/golden Tripel hue, and initially a good head. This fades quickly though and leaves not much lace at all. Not ALL that surprising given the ABV. A little white pepper and lemon grass in the nose. A little spice here and in the taste. Mouthfeel is a little slick at first, but gets creamier as you drink more. Good fruity notes,...
Saison Style Ale
On-tap, Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $4+ for the 16oz pour. Nothing special to look at - in fact it has the appearance of a macro lager. In that respect it does not reflect the style very well. I'm looking for a big, fluffy head in my Saison's, some nice lace and some cloudiness in the body. Given the style it preports to be, I was disappointed. Some funk in the nose but not much. Rather than funk being the predominant taste, I get a sweet Belgin fruit blend. It's not unpleasant but it seems...
Lumpy Gravy
22 oz bomber cracked by Dave at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Subsequently in many samples after that. The usual Frank Zappa crazy label. Pour reveals a deep, mahogany, rich brown body with some red highlights. Head is good, plenty of thickish lace. Sticky. Malts are large and smooth with a good bit of residual sweetness. A touch of hop bitterness in the finish but not much to speak of. Smooth and satisfying mouthfeel. Nice brew. Not necessarily what I was expecting from Lagunitas as the...
Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale
Quite why I had never bothered to pick this up in Atlanta is totally beyond me, but I suspect that the lack of 22oz bombers (only sixers) of it had something to do with it. Finally got around to trying in on tap at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Superb looking beer. Deep, dark crimson color and perfectly formed head. Looks VERY inviting. This beer has ALL of the attributes of an American Strong Ale. Great malt presence, delicious hop profile and the two marry together just about perfectly....
Hop Stoopid
Draught, The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Wow. Even by West Coast standards this seemed like a BIG hoppy beast. Pour is a typical cloudy orange with a nice head and some good, sticky lace. After that...well, very little to report except in your face, piney, resinous, mouth coating hops. It's fine but after a while this gets a little wearing. I found that one pint was just about all I wanted. Alcohol is there but is in balance. Also, the finish really was quite "puckeringly" dry and not...
Kill Ugly Radio
$2.99, 22oz bomber from Green's on Ponce. Suprisingly light colored pour. Not a problem, but the beer looks as though it lacks a bit of body. A lot of carbonation, wispy head and not much retention. Light hops in the nose, not huge. Floral in nature. Grapefruit and citrus (lemon) flavors are the first ones to hit the palate. Not a great deal else. After the beer warms there is a significant amount of hop bitterness that kicks in. This beer improves with a bit of warmth. Thirst quencher...
Lagunitas Sirius Ale
This has been in GA for a little while now, but I didn't get around to picking any up - to be honest the thought of another, bland and uninteresting Cream Ale hardly set my pulse racing. Anyway, I was discussing the likelihood that ths beer was not particularly interesting with brickstoredave, when he said, "actually its pretty good". Dave and I don't always agree on such matters so I was still a bit sceptical as he offered up a draft sample. I was pleasantly suprised. Offered up as a macro...
Lagunitas PILS (Czech Style Pilsner)
Six Pack from Tobacco & Rum Package in Vinings, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12oz stubbie, love the simplicity and color of the label. Looks classy. Superb example of the style. Looks great with a beautiful color, great carbonation a fantastic head with good retention and some nice lace. Just about as good as this style can look. Bags of peppery hops in the nose, and replicated in the short, but sharp finish. Just about all you can ask for in a traditional Pils. Clean, refreshing, thirst quenching, and a...
12th Anniversary Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale
It's big, it's bold and it's good. An Arrogant Bastard clone, this is a super beer. 22oz bomber, Bullock's, Marietta, GA, USA. Pour is a good looking copper colored pour with a nice head. Lace is a little scant. It's BIG hops all around including the nose and the taste, but the malts have the backbone to support the whole thing. Nice bitterness bites in the end. Very smooth, and although the alcohol is obvious it's very do-able and the whole thing comes together well. Perhaps a touch more edgy...
Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale
22 oz bomber from Smyrna World Of Beverage, Atlanta, GA, USA. SWoB nips in ahead of Green's on this one. This is indeed a BIG red, no doubt. Good clarity with the orangey/amber pour with some good head and some very nice, sticky lacing. Looks inviting. Plenty of citrus hops in the nose and this is replicated in a BIG way in the initial taste. On first taste this seems like a big, West Coast hopped, resious, citrus and floral DIPA, but the finish cuts in quickly to remind you of the malt...
Cappuccino Stout
22oz bomber, Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Thinnish looking pour, but nice lacing. A little spotty head left. Body is a ruddy, red brown. Not much coffee in either the aroma or the taste, but there is some coffee-like residual bitterness in the finish. Body is pretty thin, but this doesn't detract from the experience too much. Definitely over-carbonated for the style, but again this doesn't seeem to matter too much. A stout? Well, I guess so, but the lack of body leaves me with a little doubt....
Lagunitas #10 (aka #9)
Lagunitas just made it to GA a few weeks ago, but this was NOT one that made it from California just yet. Received as part of Blue Max BIF (48) from BigLove. 22 oz bomber. In terms of the style this is not a typical Saison and it is appropriate that it was poured into the Duvel tulip because this is somewhat reminiscent of that great beer, and it drinks much more like a spicy Belgian Pale or Wit than a Saison. Fantastic clarity and color. A deep golden body (really beautiful), a big head, some...
Lagunitas Imperial Stout
22 oz Bomber with the distinctive Lagunitas label. Dark brown rather than black pour and plenty of red highlights. Small head with not much lacing. A lot of sweetness in the nose. OK, on to the crucial stuff. This beer is going to sit badly with some people because of the style that this is being categorized as. If you open this, drink it and score it as a RIS, you are going to be disappointed and critical. However, if you take it for what it is (rather than the somewhat arbitrary category...
Freak Out Ale
Lagunitas arrived in GA for the first time this week, and although I've had a few of their offerings before, I was happy to snag this new one at Green's, Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA for $2.99 for the 22oz bomber. Homage being paid to Frank Zappa & The Mothers. Poured into a pint glass. Very, very light orange pour. Smallish head with a little lacing. Nose has a little hop character but not much. Taste is an interesting combination of grapefruit hops and some sweetness in the middle. The...
Maximus
Additional Notes 03/18/23 (pictured) I'm pretty sure that this Maximus Colossal is the same beer as Maximus, just updated with a different hop bill than the original, and being bumped up to 9% from the original 8.2. Golden orange body with lovely lace. This is a real, old-school, mid 00s, West Coast DIPA with all of the onion, pine and bitter American hop flavors sitting on the msturdy malt backbone. It's the kind of beer (still) that I think of as quintessentially American IPA, with all of...
Hairy Eyeball Ale
Subsequently (just arrived in GA Feb 2 2007) 12 oz bottle at Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $5.00. A litle more ethanol in the finish than I remember from the past. It drinks less smooth than Brown Shugga (for example) desite the BS being a higher ABV. Very attractive, dark amber/copper pour with a lovely ivory colored, tight head. Great looking beer. Aroma's are malty and significant alcohol, but tempered by the sugary sweetness that comes through strong. A "warm" aroma - very inviting. This is...
Censored (aka The Kronik)
Bottle first, then subsequently on draught at Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA - $5.00. Beautiful pour, clear as a bell with a deep orange/copper hue that is typical of a big-hopped IPA, except this isn't! Some lovely malt sweetness in the nose and perfect balance in the initial tastes complement what your palate is anticipating from the aroma. Lots of hops present, but they are nicely tempered by a rich brown sugar, molasses syrup. Mouthfeel is full, aftertaste is mild grapefruit hops but they...
Olde GnarlyWine
Yep, this is one hell of a beer! The pour is a beautiful, full, solid amber affair with a lovely, dense, slightly off-white head. The head is formed by an excpetional array of bubbles that rise to the surface like small pieces of gold dust - it's a tremendous sight to see! This is an amazingly well balanced brew with the malt, hops and alcohol content perfectly complimenting one another. The taste is all honey to me, with a perfectly warm, rounded mouthfeel. It's georgous. Are you going to...
Brown Shugga’
Golden brown pour with some cloudiness, very little head, no retention or any significant lacing. Yes, the sugar is very evident all around, through the sweet aroma, the clinging taste, the aftertaste and the slick mouthfeel. The high ABV is also noticeable, but this beer does pull it off - just. Wave after wave of warming alcohol, but the drinkability is high (at least for the first glass). I couldn't drink a lot of this, I don't know many that could, but nontheless a good sipper. Some dry...