Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy

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

Bomber. Pours dark amber-brown with ruby tinges and a moderate beige head. Aroma is floral hops, brown sugar, bread, hazelnut, and slightly roasted malt. Flavor is semi-sweet malt, biscuits, pine, light citrus, toffee, hazelnut, a hint of roasted malt, and some background earthiness. Not what I expected at all, but I like it. It’s not the hop-heavy brew you’d expect from a west-coast American Strong Ale, but it’s quite complex and interesting on the malt bill, sort of reminiscent of a good doppelbock, yet with enough hops and earthiness to keep from being cloying.

dark brown and clear, no head, mild malt nose, slightly bitter on initial swig, then it milds out to a buttery toffee malt flavor, malt dominated flavor, tastes subtly roasty, a lil’ bit warming, a good ale but no stand out.

A vigorous pour produces a four-finger thick, tan colored head. The beer is a concentrated, reddish amber color and shows a brilliantly clear, cranberry red color when held up to the light. The aroma is not as hoppy as I was expecting; the hop character is certainly present, but it is not as screamingly omnipresent as I had thought. Instead the dominant hop character is well supported by a chewy malt backbone. Aromas of cinnamon dusted bergamot, a berry like fruit note, soft pine, woody malt, fresh bread crust and touches of caramelized malt sugars. Overall this has a subtle aroma for a beer of this strength, but what is here is really nicely balanced and interesting.

Chewy, but still light enough to be almost quaffable. Hop focused, but malty enough to be noticed. The beer starts out smooth and almost creamy, but picks up a bitterness in the middle that is amplified as it moves towards the finish. I like how the hop character contributes a mix of berry and orange flavors together as well as a hit of something that is a bit like cinnamon (interesting and I have noticed this hop induced flavor in Yulesmith at times). It does pick up a touch of sharper pine notes towards the end and also seems to have some darker malt, perhaps even a hint of roast character in the finish (though only just).

Don’t misinterpret my ramblings here, this is certainly a hop dominated brew, it is just not nearly as one sided as I was expecting (why I was expecting that I don’t quite know). This is quite the drinkable brew; almost downright quaffable for a brew of this strength. Not scathingly hoppy like I expected, instead it has a well balanced hoppiness that I am really digging right now.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson AZ

22 oz bomber. Pours a clear coppery cherry amber with a medium beige head. Aroma of roasted malts and cocoa powder. Taste is slightly malty with a dry cocoa finish. Nothing special here.

Bottle, thanks to someone. Clearish brown pour. Aroma is some lightly roasted chocolate malt, and almost unnoticable hops. The flavor is a little bit like cocoa powder and some other sweet chocolate, and toffee. I actually enjoyed it.

Pours dark amber, thin head. Sweet malty aroma. Bright citrusy and a little syrupy, sour tart aftertaste; not too bitter. Creamy (almost lumpy) mouthfeel, can’t find the gravy. Ok beer.

Ugh. I have had this 2x already in bottles and I cant take it anymore. Pours a medium to deep amber with a fizzling off white head. Aroma is very slightly hoppy- soem earth, light citrus, and tea, but has a dried almond and light caramel maltiness with nuts and light dusty chocolate- and hints of solventy phenols. Flavor is sweet, light caramel, nutty, some toffee, hints of chocolate, dried fruits, a bit yeasty, and some slickness in the finish. Kind of a muddy and disorganized beer. I liked kill ugly radio a bit better, and freak out a lot better than this. Definitely a miss from Lagunitas.

22 oz. bottle - pours clear and dark amber; no head; pleasant fruity aromas from the bottle, but more mild from the glass; drinks clean and thin with not much going on flavor wise; pretty disappointing coming from laqunitas