Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Petaluma, California USA

Pours like a barleywine, dark brown with a minimal head. Lots of caramel malt on the aroma, along with the not-good accompaniment of wet horse. Fortunately, the beer tastes much better that it smells with spice, sharp candy sugar, and bright caramel notes. Good balance and a medium weight. Kind of slick on the finish. With a better aroma, this beer would have been much more enjoyable.

3/28/08: Bottle.
Malty caramel aroma. Red-brown body with an almond colored lace. Flavors of roasted malt and black coffee. Bitter finish.

Dark amber. Smell of hops, citrus, nuts, caramel, toffee, spice and malt. Taste of malt, grapefruit, spice, hops, nuts, toasted grain, caramel and minor chocolate.

Not bad. Pours amber with a quick head. Aroma is musty and hoppy. Flavor is good and sweet, a nice bite and a tiny bit of malty sweetness, very creamy beer.

22oz bottle. This was the 3rd time I’ve had this and I’ve enjoyed it every time. Best was on tap, but this rated sample was from a bottle. I think is overall the bet of the Zappa series. Very nicely balanced but forward hops and malt. Amber pour with great carbonation. The aroma is all that really lets me down at all. Just some light grain, biscuit and an earthy presence. The flavor more than makes up for this somewhat lacking aroma with malt, hints of fresh ground grain, mix of earthy and fruity hops. Just well balanced and enjoyable. Medium body and good carbonation level. I’ll have it again.

22oz bottle purchased in Spokane. Yellowish head of well stacked tiny bubbles on coppery beer. Light caramel aroma mixed with alcohol around the edges. Creamy toffee beer with alcohol toward the end and woody hops at the finish. Some citrus notes mixed in.

The guys at Lagunitas do a fine job of blending some rather disparate flavors. Oats and barley with grapefruit, caramel, and banana, all with a nice alcohol base? Weird--but it works. Of course I had it at my wedding, so that could have prejudiced me in favor of this odd brew.

Ruby pour with good tan head. Good lacing. Aroma lightly malty with a touch of hops-smells a little watered down. Flavor is malty with roasted malts apparent but alcohol is hidden. A good brown ale. Finishes nice with just enough hops to cleanse the palate. Good beer. Would be better with a more aggressive nose.