Lagunitas Freak Out

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

Lightly hazed, pale orange hue, 1/2 " head, pure white, looks nice. Soft, but spiked aroma, pine and tropical fruity. Melon and citrus. Nice. Ah! Tasty! Sparkling, alert and lively hops, sticky, oily, spanking bitterness. Creamy mouthfeel. The tongue gets smacked with every sip, then mellows, and it’s all good. A whole bomber of this? Ain’t I lucky! An interesting interplay, easy going in the mouth, but hits the palate with bitter hops anew with each sip. Bam, yum, fruity, delicious, fierce, and freaky. Very good.

Bottle at Chris_O’s 19th April 2008 tasting. Cloudy yellow with a strong fruit & citrus aroma. Fruity and hoppy on the tongue but with a honeyed malt balance. Soft and tingly in the mouth, this is nice stuff. And yes, a great label.

With this bottle came a story, a tale by the cashier regaling the drug induced festivities that are rumored to break out at the Lagunitas brewery. I can see how brewers might be disposed to wild parties, but I doubt the charges of police drug investigations. Still, I think I might have gotten a taste for Lagunitas antics with their Freak Out. Fluffy, bubby and lumpy white-tan head with a hazy, even dirty orange body. The aroma is very dry and sterile, with a clear and pronounced hop profile. A second whiff - enter cotton candy and strawberry, both pleasant and desperately needed sweeteners. I also get a touch of lemon drop candy, sweet and sour, but mostly sweet. The flavor also includes cotton candy, strawberry and lemon, but attenuated, with the hops element getting a touch too metallic, particularly in the aftertaste. Otherwise I really enjoy the interplay and balance of the sugar and hops. Lively in flavor, good to drink, and a terrific backstory, if exaggerated.

22 oz. bottle - thanks to fyrecrakker05 for the bottle; pours cloudy orange with big white head and lots of lacing; aromas of vanilla, cookies and sour hops; thin body and very crisp and clean aftertaste, not to think and malty, but slight syrupy quality to it; time has made this a little one dimensional, but good at that one

A Mes rate: bottle at Chris_O’s Ha Ha Ha Ha Gimme the Cheese Tasting.
Lovely blonde colour with a thin but stable white head and excellent condition. Very similar to the K.U.R. in a lot of ways. Hops are on their way out but this is still good stuff. Good malt gives it a slightly honeyed note and the delicate sweetness offsets the hops really well. Quite soft for a U.S. IPA. Nice dry and floral finish. Considering Harry was worried about how this would be holding up it’s still in fine form. Thanks as always mate.

Final note, possibly the best beer bottle label of all time. Well, if you are a FZ freak like me!

Bottle @ Chris_o.
Pours lightly hazy golden with a small, creamy white film head. Aroma is lightly hoppy, quite citric and floral. Some biscuity caramel behind it. Fine mouthfeel, lovely creaminess. Flavour is quite dry, lightly hopped. Mostly fruity and floral hops, but also a touch of pine. Quite understated for an American IPA, which I like.

22 oz. bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a mostly lasting off white head. The aroma is mildly malty, with citrus and floral hops taking over. The flavor has a caramel malt presence, some toast, but mainly leans to the side of citrus and floral hops. Very crisp, decently balanced brew.

Bomber that has been in the cellar for a while shared with my girlfriend Cyn and friends Matt and Shannon. Pours orange with a tan head. Nose is big and hoppy and nice. Taste is sweet and hoppy and resinny. Overall a pretty nice IPA