Lagunitas India Pale Ale

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

Fat nose of fresh west coast hops, amber color, tall tan and sticky head. Light malt body gets quickyl overpowered by a high resolution, bright hop bitterness that stays around forever. The bitterness actually seems to INCREASE after the swallow. Great effect. Smooth, crisp, excellent IPA.

Orange/copper coloured body with a thin white head. Aroma of pacific northwest hops, caster sugar, some malt & some grapefruit. Flat hop flavour showing no bitterness at all. Aftertaste clean with no wheat or hop character. A few months old-but kept in a fridge. This one should hold up! Overall, try a different IPA from the west than this one! I sampled this 12 ounce bottle purchased at Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on 09-October-2004 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with my good friend Jon[R888710].

12oz bottle - Pours amber with a short white head that stays pretty well but doesn’t lace much on the way down.. Aroma is light grapefruit and pine with a fair malt presence as well in the aroma. Flavor is not as hoppy as other west coast IPAs I’ve had. Fairly balanced a nice blend of caramel malts and citrus hops. Palate is smooth and medium bodied. Very drinkable would make a nice session.

Big white foamy head on a hazy orange body. Huge hops attack that leaves a bracingly bitter aftertaste. Nice malts to back it up.

Sampled October, 2004
RatingPours an almost brilliantly clear copper color and is topped by a cream colored head. The aroma is sharply hoppy with a nose that is redolent of pine, the nose is quite nice. Ah, yes this beer has actually been fermented, what a relief, this beer is nothing like the last one I had. This beer is sharp and crisp up front. It leads to a beer that is piney, a bit citrusy, and has a solid bitter bite in the finish. This beer has a solid malt presence as well, it is lightly sweet with notes of caramel and biscuits. The malt definitely is faint behind the solid hoppiness though, but it is there and helps to keep the hops from being overwhelming. As this beer warms up a bit I get notes of apricot, and grapefruit. Overall, this is quite a nice IPA.

March, 2004 Rating
Wow this beer smells like it has not yet been fermented. A sweet wort smell, that is heavy on the crystal malt. A bit of spicy hop notes under the main smell, but not much. Pours a hazy copper color with a prodigious tan head that fades fairly quickly. Again there is a sweet malt flavor, that is reminiscent of sweet wort. The beer ends with a bit of bitterness. I must admit, this is quite a stretch to be labeled as an IPA, a pale ale perhaps but not an IPA. A light hop flavor and not enough bitterness, this is a bit of a disappointment. It is halfway interesting, just not close to what I was expecting. There is way too much residual sweetness and body in this beer, it just makes it too unbalanced. I will tell you one thing, the rest of this 6-pack will be used for making Brats. (6/4/6/3/13/3.2)

Lagunitas event at the Brickskeller. Clear orange appearance; off-white head with great retention and lacing. Some citrus hops, plastic (?) in the aroma. Slightly off. Medium mouthfeel: floral and citrus hops, one-dimensional, but reasonably tasty and balanced. Light, slightly dry finish, with hints of sugar.

Dark Gold Color with White Skin. Caramel Malt Aroma. Sweet Creamy Mouthfeel... Initial Notes of Caramel, Light Citrus and Then Drying Hops....Finishing with a Clean Dry Notation. Nice Balanced IPA

Pours golden yellow with a nice, frothy head that doesn’t wear out its welcome. First taste is slightly viscous palate-wise, and the hops immediately jump upon the taste buds. Hints of orange and grapefruit are followed by a bitter lemon taste. The malt adds a nice sweet aftertaste in the finish. Good brew.