Lagunitas Kill Ugly Radio

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

Wow. Heavy hops and waaay big grapefruit aroma. Frothy, off-white head with good lacing. Yellow, clear. This is a very smooth and not very bitter IPA. Texture was quite dry.

Dark golden with big, off-white foamy head / Interesting earthy and weed/pot nose / Medium, sticky body with solid hop finish / Flavors of grapefruit, peach, Thai stick, and hops / Far out and great.

Ya gotta love a beer with Frank Zappa’s picture on the label. Besides that, this was still a very good beer. Pours to a rich orange-red color with thick off-white head that lingers thru the entire glass and leaves excellent lacing. Nose of tart citrusy grapefruit hops hits you immediately upon opening.The mouthfeel is full, tingly and only slightly bitter, leading to a taste that accentuates the grapefruit hop aroma. As the beer warms, the 7.8% abv makes itself slightly known, serving only to add to the flavor. This all leads to a nice, long, slightly dry, slightly bitter finish, with just the right hint of alcohol. Another fine offering from Lagunitas.

I want the finest IPA known to mankind, I want it right here, and I want it right now! What, you say you’re out of Stone IPA? Well, then, do you have Kill Ugly Radio?

Another year, and another Zappa inspired IPA (well this one is a double, but still in the family) from Lagunitas. I let the beer warm up to near room temperature before opening the 22 oz bomber, and I got a lot of head atop the pour. The head eventually settled down a manageable two finger size, and the underlying beer showed through as brilliantly pale, bubbly, and crystal clear. This was a lot closer in looks to a standard IPA than the amber doubles I have gotten accustomed to. The smell was loaded with piney and juicy grapefruit hops from the West Coast, very aggressive, yet very clean. Taste was also along the same line, with minimal and thin malt backbone holding a ton of hops. Many purists would consider this to be too weak for a DIPA, and I would agree with them. But since the label never makes any allusions to a style, I say this should be judged for what it is. And I liked the simple, hop laden taste, that reminded me of somewhat another borderline DIPA. But unlike Stone Ruination, the hops used in this beer were not too bitter and more spicy. There was some sugary malt breaking through near the end of each sip, and I had to The body felt thin and I had to return to the glass immediately to restart the hop delivery. Quite a bargain too at about $3 a bomber, not quite Absolutely Free, but close enough.

Bottle. Pours a faint copper color with a white head. This is what an IPA should look like! Musty hop aroma with lemon and grapefruit notes as well as some tropical fruit notes. Hop forward and pretty bitter. Resinous hop notes; grapefruit, orange, some pine...A true west-coast IPA. Nicely done.

This IPA pours a medium orange gold color from a 22oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is juicy hops, floral and grapefruity. Really nice nose. Medium bodied India Pale Ale. The malts are fruity and sweet. The hops are grapefruity and floral, nice and fresh and juicy. Nicely balanced. Good carbonation. This is NOT a over the top Lagunitas beer, well its not over the top for them… Think Ruination kinda, except the hops are more in the front. The hop bitterness is pervasive, but it does not smack you upside the head. The hops taste really good. Wonder how well this one will age. Some tropical flavors as well. This is most definitely a West Coast IPA. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Bottle. Deep orange on the pour with a big head. Grapefruit citrus and piney hops in the nose. Shockingly smooth for an ipa. Finishes slightly bittr with a slight alcohol burn. VERY nice