Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy

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

650 ml. Chestnut with a four-finger head that settles into a lasting creamy ring and leaves a sugary sheet of lace on the glass. Faint, earthy caramel and peat aroma. Delicious caramel malt entry turns to slightly sour molasses, then more earthy with some peat, then a bit English fruity, then some cocoa and toasted nut. At the end some faint woody-herby (and even minty) hops. Medium body is smooth and a little sticky, but the earthy aftertaste provides enough dryness to keep it in check. Very nice; I guess the lower ratings are because this one has earthy peat-malt flavors, rather than being a hop (or roasted barley) bomb. But it’s an extremely smooth, highly drinkable and flavorful ale along the same lines as Old Chub.

A nice aroma. Flavor is solid; it doesn’t come off as overly heavy, but certainly isn’t a light brew. A bit of a coating character comes on late. Good from start to finish.

Color is a beautiful clear mahogany reddish-brown with a fine-bubbled and pale tan head. Aroma is malty with hints of spices. The rich, very malty flavor has a spicy undertone and a noticeable hop component. Finish is smooth with just a little bitterness.

22 oz. brown bottle, no freshness date, but this just hit the shelves of stores in my area, sampled in a imperial pint glass. L: Clear reddish brown with a robust foamy beige head that ever so slowly settled into a thin creaming skim. A good deal of sticky lace is left behind. A steady flow of micro bubbles go from the bottom to the top. S: Rich malty aromas of roasted barley, caramel and brown bread. Light leafy floral herbs and citrus rind, this has the restrain hoppiness of an English Brown Ale while remaining quite fresh smelling. F&T: Smooth malty feel in the mouth, well rounded along with being nicely crisp and dry. Delectable malt tastes of barley grains, caramelized sugar and lightly roasted chocolate malts, along with some green woody nuttiness. Mild flavors of white grapes towards the middle. The hops are slightly subdued, pleasantly citric and leafy, finishing with a lingering spiciness. I thought this was an excellent Brown ale, highly drinkable and refreshing. I wish I knew somewhere nearby I could try this from the tap, or better yet, the cask. This is also an brown ale I think you want to try at a warmer temperature, not cold straight from the refrigerator.

Lagunitas Lumpy Gravy is a dense, crystal clear, coppery red ale topped with a fluffy beige head that has big oily bubbles, good retention and leaves nice lacing. The aroma is a little sweet and pretty spicy. Alcohol is present in the nose, as are green, grassy hops and perhaps curacao or bergamot. The aroma elements are very well blended. It is pretty full bodied, foamy and a bit sharp on the tongue. The finish is a little silty. The flavor is very well blended and balanced. The malt seems light and grainy at first. It then slowly descends to a thick, boozy aftertaste. The hops provide the right amount of leafy, grassy bitterness. There is nothing incredibly stand-out about this, but it’s a good, solid American strong ale that I would drink again.

Draft at Jerry’s. Dark red-amber with good, creamy tan head / Nose of grape soda / Medium body, spritzy, with hops and good, bitter finish / Flavors of burnt sugar, grape soda, chocolate, and raisins / Somewhat unique among strong ales, and for Lagunitas. Very nice in a lighter style.

Love that Zappa album cover on the label! Keep them coming, Lagunitas! Who is next - Captain Beefheart? Jimi Hendrix? Dark amber brew with a light, foamy head. Very fine aroma - floral plus a little yeast. Velvety mouthfeel. Full flavor of chocolatey, smoky malts, and the right amount of hop bitterness. Very nice - it gets 4 points from me!

Had this on tap at Bierra Paradiso in DC! This beer pours a dark clear mahogony with larger mostly small bubble head of darker off white. The aroma is big and malty with notes of brown sugar, maple syrup, and a slight hop tinge. The flavor is fantastic with a full bodied brown ale flavor of brown sugar and molasses with a great dry hopped character. Awesome!