Lagunitas Cruising with Ruben and The Jets

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Petaluma, California USA

Frank Zappa is a hero to me. What scared me about a beer line authorized by his trust though is that Frank was pretty adamantly against drinking. This beer however was ok, very unique but something off putting about the mix of fruits and spices. I probably would avoid this one. UPDATE: As I sit here with a second bottle, I struggle to figure what I found so odd the first time around, as this is a run of the mill imperial stout, nothing more, nothing less.

Pour is a black with almost no head at all. Aroma is some chocolate and black licorice. Flavor is roasted and coffee with and overall very thin feel. Some alcohol is at the end with a bit of the pepper. Good but nothing outstanding.

Bomber. Pours hazy dark brown with a slightly lacy tan head. Lightly sweet aroma of mostly chocolate, a bit of brown sugar, with just a little citrus and coffee. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty sweet taste for a Stout that doesn’t claim to be a sweet stout. Also kinda big for a non-impy stout More chocolate in the taste, along with ground pepper, caramel. Dry peppery finish. Interesting, but I turned a corner somewhere and the pepper stopped adding and started detracting.

bottle thaks to swalden28. poured black with a thin tan head. had some decent legs as well. aroma of dark roasts and chocolate. flavor had dark roasts, coffee, hops, and alcohol. medium body with no carb. not bad at all.

22 oz bottle. Pours dark dark dark brown, with no head. Aroma and flavor of chocolate, roasted malts, and slightly peppery. Coffee notes come out in the finish. Alcohol is hidden well and the carbonation is on the light side. This was alright, just nothing to exciting to brag about.

Appearance: Pours a rootbeer or Hershey wrapper brown with a very small head. Before I could get to the first sip, the head faded away to a collection of swirls at the top. Aroma: Faint whiffs of chocolate and licorice. Taste: Bitter, unsweetened coffee, roasted malt and a little bit of licorice and black pepper. Finishes with a bit of alcohol and bitter hops. Mouthfeel: Really thin and carbonated. Overall: Sad but true: This wasn’t as good as the other beers in the Frank Zappa Series. Just don’t dig this one. This shouldn’t be a deterrant for trying other Lagunitas beers. They make many experimental strong ales, and they hit more than they miss.

Liked it. Nice mix of spicy sweet and a little heat. Chewy leather and fruit...ok finish. Long live Zappa.

very fruity, more like a porter than a stout. has got some dark malts and lots of fruits including figs. goes down smooth, works on many levels.