Lagunitas India Pale Ale

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Petaluma, California USA

Beer pours copper color with a dense suspension of tiny yeasties throughout (I thought they were bubbles as first). Weak aroma of malt. Flavor was very hoppy with grapefruit, some earthy/herbal notes and peppery flavors. Not really much in the malt department even after it warmed...very faint caramel. I was pretty unimpressed.

bottle - Pours copper with a one finger white head. It has a nice citrus hop aroma. The flavor is, as one would expect, all about the hops. There’s just a little citrus in there and some light malt. I thought it could have used a little more malt balance and a little more character. That’s a ridiculous number of different malts and hops though. It’s medium bodied and leaves the characteristic long, bitter finish of an IPA.

12oz bottle: pours amber brown with decent white head, aroma not all that strong but of hops, flavor pretty srong of citrusy hops and pale malt. pretty good IPA.

A copper pour. Not much of an aroma. Understated up front (watery) with a slight cinnamon hint that builds to a grassy (not overwhelmingly) and hoppier palate and then settles into a oatmeal aftertaste.

Pours a copper color with a decent initial head and a pretty good amount of lacing ends up on the glass. The aroma is quite mild. It consists of citrus fruits with hints of caramel and malt but hardly any hops. Upon further examination I get a small grapefruit hop presence but not enough. Maybe it was my desire for hops that created it. A semi spiced malt characteristic comes out first in the flavor followed by a sour hoppy grapefruit flavor. Caramel mixed in. A slightly sour grapefruit flavor lingers a bit. A wet finish for an IPA. As the beer warms a little it starts to somewhat resemble more of a traditional IPA (at least the one’s I’ve had) with a sour hop flavor. Interesting mix of malts and hops but not necessarily what I look for in an IPA. Decent enough beer but I probably won’t get it again.

have had in bottle and on tap, various occasions. this golden, aromatic, and wonderfully bitter brew meets or exceeds all the requirements for a good west coast ipa, as you can see from many other ratings. I would like to note, however, that the lagunitas ipa lacks a certain individuality, or strength of character. this makes it less memorable than it should be. perhaps because they blend so many types of malts and hops, it leaves a vague impression.

Had it on the ferry from SF to Sausalito. Great IPA. Nice piney aroma. Medium bodied with a nice balanced hoppy character. Very nice overall.

Bottle. Pour was a deep gold. Head was beige with heavy lacing. Aroma was very big with fruit, citrus and some light pine. Taste is pretty hoppy with a decent malt backing. Some light bread flavor mixes in with the hops and malt. Overall, a pretty good balance. A good mix of hops, and a nice malt accompaniment. Finish is nicely bitter. Body is medium with a good bit of carbonation.