Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

On a Lagunitas kick… Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale has a strange ass name but the beer isn’t all to far from normal… pours a dark, dark brown… nearly opaque. Head is solid… creamy brown. Nose is slight… malty. Taste is dark and bitter… almost like a mix between a dark lager and an IPA. Not sure what they were shooting for but this is good… and unique.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

8.7% ABV
56.7 IBU
1.090 O.G.

Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale… Off the bottle:

“We brewed this especially bitter ale in dedication ot all of the world’s would-be astronauts, in rememberance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre on the Brewery Party Grounds and also in joyous celebration of our 20-day suspension that following January. Do the crime. Do the time. Get the bragging rights. Cheers!”

I never quite understand Lagunitas (i.e. I had to look this up)… but I like their beer, so I don’t really care that much. This little bottle packs a punch both in ABV and bitterness and I like it!

9.03% ABV
72.41 IBU
1.092 O.G.

Pours a dark amber/copper color. Small head. Nose is sweet and smells of brown sugar. Taste is bitter and dark. Malt offsetting the hops for sure. Sweet finish that doesn’t linger too long. Overall really solid.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid IPA

Another one from our friends at Lagunitas… Lagunitas Hop Stoopid brings you some happy hoppiness from CA in a somewhat strange looking labeled bottle… 

Coming through a respectable head, this brew is floral and fruity in the nose… so far just like a nice American IPA should be…   This leads right to the hoppy, HOPPY body… when I say hoppy, I mean hoppy… super hoppy… but the 102 IBUs are misleading because the bitterness is there but not overwhelming… so far just like a nice American IPA should be…   the hoppy body leads to a clean sweet finish… not too long or complex, not too short and simple… about all you could ask for in a nice American IPA…

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale

Say “lah-goo-knee-tuss” and say it with a smile!   For the most part, I love these guys… they are just down to earth cool and they are keeping it hip and fresh more than probably most other brewers out there… fresh and funky, Lagunitas is on the bleeding edge of craft brewing and I love it.  This little number has a cool little meaning that goes along with it… check out the high res label here (must tilt head to read… or right click and rotate clockwise). 

The official tasting goes a little something like this:

 Small head, fruity nose.  Passion fruit/tropical medley in there somewhere for sure.   Nice sweet body but with a hoppy bitterness that is almost perfectly balanced with the malts.  I know it says it isn’t a double IPA, but this thing really hits the bill perfect and at 7.2% ABV is a belly warmer to boot. 

A well crafted American IPA that has outstanding balance from start to finish, from the brewery that just keeps bringing us hits.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lagunitas We’re Only In It For The Money

Last taster of the night at Miss Jessi’s was Lagunitas We’re Only In It For The Money (Frank Zappa’s 4th album) .  This was the least popular of the night and consequently the biggest belgian of the night.  It is an aquired taste and if you don’t like the belgian yeasts, then you shouldn’t go for this.  For that genre, though, it wasn’t bad… closer to a Unibroue brew than anything.  A bit too much for the casual drinker.  The color is golden copper with small head. As noted, it has a big belgian nose and body.  The tastes really hits at the middle of the tongue and leaves a bit of a bitter aftertaste. It should be noted that it didn’t pair that well with pizza… but I am sure it would have with some brats and sauerkraut.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

 

Lagunitas Ruben & The Jets

Another beer we had at the famous house of Miss Jessi and another in the Zappa series… Lagunitas Ruben & The Jets.  This one was probably the second favorite of the night next to the Deschutes 19th Anniversary Golden Ale.  Overall, this one came dark and ominous… “looks like a latte” commented Miss Jessi as she downed this bad boy like a pro.  Good malt smell with slight belgian yeast hints lead to a taste of brown sugar and a slight belgian body (no nasty comments, please ).  Overall easy to drink, hits high on the ABV for those special nights, and is pretty darn tasty. 

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Lagunitas Brown Shugga’

This one is relatively hot off the presses… or at least it was last week when I picked it up at Malt & Vine.  Too bad Lagunitas doesn’t send us samples so we could get people excited *before* the general public gets it…   Either way, Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ is a fine, fine beer.  A fun little ditty that surprises the hell out of you when you look very closely on the label and see it is 9.5% ABV.  My mind immediately raced to think of what would happen to my body and mind if I quickly consumed the entire 6 pack and then I had to stop myself as visions of sugar plums began dancing in my head.

Er… anyhow… This is a big brew in a tiny bottle and I am very happy to have bought it.  It is dark with a high head that matches its high ABV.  The most notable is the hops… but there is a definite muted quality to them as the malt and sweet take over and mellow it out.  I liked it better as it warmed up a bit, but this brew can be consumed at any temperature.  About half way through my second bottle, I paired it with some smoked mozzarella and I have to say that it was perfect!  The cheese smooths the brew out a bit and the smokiness compliments the darker undertones of the brew.

A super solid offering from our friends at Lagunitas.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine (Limited Release)

With the wind howling through the trees and down my chimney, the rain lashing down, and a tough week at work just behind me I was definitely feeling in need of a decent wintery brew when I took a little stroll through my cellar and laid my sticky fingers on a 22oz bottle of Lagunitas Gnarly Wine. Just the right choice for a late Friday night , right? According to the label,

“The first sip is for thirst, the second one for pleasure. The third sip is for knowing, and the fourth for pure madness.”

and although I didn’t make it as far as the “madness”, I definitely got to the third stage.

A fabulously slick combination of flavours, Lagunitas’ brewers have cooked up a rich, smooth and satisfyingly sweet ale just the right amount of hops to add a little bitter kick that puts in an appearance halfway down the glass. With a deep vein of alcohol you certianly know you’ve enjoyed a thoroughly respectable pint when you’ve finished it, but not so completely over the top that you couldn’t manage two or three without falling over, I’d recommend this one highly.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

I have been on a kick lately with the stout or porter and coffee mix.  So, when I noticed Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout at Fred Meyer, I absolutely had to buy it.  I am generally a big fan of Lagunitas and had high hopes here. 

Lighter than expected, this stout was nearly translucent.  It was also more bitter than expected, but not in a terrible way.  There were only gentle hints of coffee, though you could definitely tell it was in there.  I poured a glass of Kona Brewing Company – Pipeline Porter and tasted them side by side and you could definitely get more coffee out of the Kona.  The roasted malts were very strong, even so much so that I had to have a little chocolate to go along with it to mellow it out a bit.  That was a really wise choice, though, as they both complimented each other.

At the end of the day, Lagunitas has done an ok job here.  It doesn’t hold a candle to the Pipeline porter in color, texture, or taste, but it isn’t a bad showing.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Lagunitas Sirius

I know this is a spring/summer beer, but I hadn’t made it to it yet and I like Lagunitas, so deal with it.  Lagunitas Sirius, while having no official page on their site is a seasonal variety that comes to us from our friends in California. 

Sirius has a copper pour with a creamy white 1 inch head.  The first hit is from the hoppy nose with definite fruit undertones… very nice.  The bitterness of the hops hits hard at first but immiediately mellows out and leaves you with a creamy middle and end.  The finish isn’t too abrupt or mellow, though, as this fine brew leaves my tastes buds with a fine memory of its hoppy, bitter goodness.  7.0 ABV.

Good review over at men.style.com.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win