Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

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

660ml.bottle shared with Quevillon at Volo.Nice amber color with a beige head. Nice taste and aroma of hops. Also in the taste are sweet caramel citrus fruits and malt. The finish leaves you with the great taste of bitter hops that leasve you wanting more.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a nice orange color with a small creamy head. Leaves behind moderate lacing. Initial nose is big with hops. Floral, some sweetness, possibly caramel, some pine. Medium carbonation with a rich mouthfeel. Lots of malt here. A little tangerine, malt, honey, a little pine, and throw in some spice on the palate. The malt is big, but the hops still dominate this one. The alcohol is there, but there is so much going on, it blends in well. Definitely worth trying!

In the bomber bottle. Pours a chunky orange amber with a medium white head. I get the sense that this was a killer of a bitter beer that has now mellowed to something that is rather tame and mild and very drinkable. The finish is stil a long long hop whollop.

a- pours a clear, brown hue with a creamy white head that is mostly diminishing with fair lacing throughout s- aroma of sweet citrus hops and caramel malts t- fairly well-balanced ale that is slightly underwhelming for a DIPA, initial flavor is of citrus and pine hops, followed by caramel/toffee malts, subtle alcohol in the finish m- medium-bodied ale with adequate carbonation d- Balanced and warm DIPA that is smooth drinking, the abv is very well-masked, not the hoppiest DIPA, but a solid entrant in this category

22 ounce bottle shared by cdumler. Thanks! Pours a hazy golden color with a large white head and great lacing. Big strong fruits in the aroma with some toffee notes. Taste is very similar but with fairly assertive citrus hop notes throughout. Well balanced. Medium bodied.

Bottle. The back story behind this bottle is even better than the beer, and for that ill give these guys some serious credit way to party! Mahogany body with an off white head. Sweet sugar, caramel malt, grapefruit, pine lemon and citrus to finish with a spicy dry ending.

22 oz bottle. Another appropriate beer to celebrate the return from RateBeer’s "Shut Down." Pours a big brown ale color with a rocky head. Smell is mostly malts and alcohol, just a backing of hops. Taste carries through some nice malt sweetness. If they were going for "bitter" instead of IIPA-level hops, they’ve hit that, though there a hint of pine and, for some reason, a note of sour milk. Comes across like an imperial brown ale. I found it tasty and nicely strong. My label is different from the picture; its top banner reads "Sneak Release" and the bold "Whatever. We’re Still Here." is missing. I did buy this in 2007, so it must have sat at Family Liquors just waiting for me!

<b>In short: </b>Yet another sweet big American Strong Ale sipper. Nothing special.
<b>How: </b>Bottle 22oz, age unknown but most likely recently purchased, tasting session with Montreal crew
<b>The look: </b>Clear dark-golden body topped by a small off-white head
<b>In long: </b>Nose is floral, sweet with some clementines. Taste is very sweet with caramel, honey and plain sugar, just too sweet for me. The floral hops do a good aromatic job but and not effective enough with the bitterness. Alcohol is not bothersome but is not well hidden either. On of many (too many) generic sweet American Strong ales. I’m puzzled by the good rating on this one, this is the most overblown Undercover Investigation since the “weapons of mass destruction” fiasco.