Lagunitas Bourbon Brown Shugga

another great lagunitas brew. Great balance of hops and malt. Sweet nose and taste from the sugar. Nice citric, vanilla, and maple notes. Much like the Imperial Red, but at 10% you feel this one.

On cask at SDBC. Excellent bourbon aromas and flavor. More bourbon then most, but not over the top. Wood, vanilla, bourbon, maple. Good stuff. Great night of beers at San Diego Brewing Company.

On tap at San Diego Brewing co. OMFG this is good. Hand pumped. Caramel orange brown in the glass with no head, and lingering lace. Nose is rich sweet. Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and booze. Not overpowering. Taste is beautiful. Rich, smooth, and warmly sweet. Thick in the mouth. Vanilla, clove, brown sugar, and the rich alcohol sweetness of bourbon. I had two pints, but probably should have stopped at one. I don’t believe this one is only 10%abv. It put me on my ass.

Name: Brown Shugga, Bourbon Barrel
Date: June 25, 2009
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brick Store Pub
Appearance: muddy burnt orange, wispy beige head
Aroma: sweet bourbon and caramel aroma, lots of vanilla, raw brown sugar, touch of oak
Flavor: rich bourbon and caramel flavor, touch of sweet vanilla is balanced by a light tartness, plenty of balancing oak adds a big earthyness, touch of brown sugar
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Appearance: Pours an obscured, brown body with a few large bubbles from the pour, but they popped out just as quickly as they came in. Smell: This is one very bourbony nose, singing with earthy, sweet-scented notes of brown sugar, vanilla, coconut creme, oak planks glazed with caramel sauce, and given a teeny tiny pinch of citrus zest. Taste: Plenty of toaster oven-cooked dark caramel squares with a full, resounding sweetness, though there are some encroaching prickly tannic wood qualities. Ah, and there it is -- the warming bourbon, with a big taste of brown sugar to go with the brown sugar already added during the brewing process. Also some vanilla and light coconut. Earthy, citrusy hop character with a fair amount of bitterness remaining. All the while, there’s a strong bourbon presence. Warming, downright intoxicating finish -- like a brown sugar and bourbon cocktail of sorts. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Near still body. Somewhat chewy mouthfeel. Drinkability: Fairly enjoyable brew that went reasonably well for all the sweetness and bourbon present. Recommended if you ever come across it.

This beer was lighter that I expected for the 9.9% ABV. But I did enjoy it. There is a noticeable bit that you will taste after the first sip. I tend to find that barely wines have an acquired taste, but I enjoyed this one from the start.