Lagunitas Freak Out

Formerly brewed at Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Petaluma, California USA

I find it interesting that the Zappa Family Trust approved this as a tribute since the only drugs that Frank Zappa ever used were coffee and cigarettes. (Jimmy Carl Black [the Indian of the group], center of the label, does have a fondness for cheap beer.) Credits for the label which so many seem to like (me, too) should go to Ray Leong who took the photo and Jack Anesh who designed the cover, since that’s what it’s a picture of. Substitute "The Mothers of Invention" for "The Brewers of Lagunitas" and you have the original. The guys on the label are (left to right) Elliot Ingber, FZ, JCB (tIotg), Ray Collins, and Roy Estrada. The back label of the record (no tapes or CDs then) looks better. Now for the beer...

Okay, but kind of a tame tribute even with the sturdy ABV. The body is a clear, rich gold with slowly rising bubbles and a dense head that glues lacing on the sides of the glass. The aroma of caramel and toffee is capped with some gentle citric, pine, and floral hops. Smooth to drink, the balance between the malt and the hops almost make me view this as a strong APA, just missing the IPA mark, until the grapefruit, lemon zest, and resinous pine grow in strength. A light toffee sweetness remains on the tongue along with a moderate hop bitterness. A good sessionable IPA, despite the alcohol level. As Don Preston, a latter day Mother might say, "Bulbous!"

Now I’ll have some black coffee and a couple of cigarettes as a follow-up tribute. Maybe slap the original vinyl on the old record player...

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Bottle from Riversbend, thanks Matt. Pours golden in color with a small white head. Smells of a bit of citrus with also a bit of pine. The smell is a bit more mellow than somre IPA’s but very pleasant. Taste is very smooth, but with a bitterness that just seems to creep up on you. Has some what of a piney feel to it, with a bit of grapefruit overtones. This beer is by no means making me freak out, but it sure is one good beer.

Clear amber, with a small but lasting white head. Wonderful, wonderful hoppy nose--pure pine resin and grapefruit and apricots, lain over a touch of malty sweetness. Soft, pillowy mouthfeel--almost like fresh beer off a cask. The flavor is a complete west coast hop freakout indeed--Intensely bitter, almost sour with grapefruit, touches of grass and pine, with a kind of musty, only slightly sweet body lurking below the hops. One dimensional, but it does that dimension right.

Bottle from River’s Bend. Poured hazy amber with a large white frothy head that lasted with good lacing. Solid pine and citrus aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium smooth bitter flavor with a medium bitter finish of long duration. This is a standout beer for my 1800th.

bottle: Suprised to see this beer clock in at an abover ABV percentage and being an IPA but still have such an mild aroma. Very little hops playing a role in the aroma but ill wait for the flavor to determine the hop character. Gold ale looking like a plain lager with its very short lived head. The flavor is bitter with metallic taste. Again mild dosage of hops that contain grapefruit. Still very subdued and easy going and average of an IPA but hey maybe 40 years ago this ale still would have knocked the hippies on their asses. Like the gimmic concept of celebrating the F Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s album Freak Out! --pyschadelic music is heavy.

Bottle from kramer17801, thanks Jason. Pours out a yellowish orange color with a thick white head. Body is full of carbonation. Smell is hops, grapefruit, grass, and some sweetness? Taste is smooth and balanced, with some sweet flavor from the malts and a little bit of bitterness from the hops. A pretty good IPA actually. Cool looking bottle too.

Nice tasting brew. Poured golden amber with thin head. Aroma is subdued, but perfumy hops. Flavor is bitter hops with nice malt back to balance. Finishes bitter and slightly sweet. Nicely done.

Sweet, piney, citrusy and well balanced brew. Almost a touch of apricot and mango in the hop notes with nice vanilla wafer and toffee notes following on. A nice rich mouthfee that is very creamy.