Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

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

Draught at Chef Paul’s Bavarian Lodge in Lisle. Clear dark amber with a thin bubbly off-white head. Supersweet piney soapy aroma. Quite bitter, greapefruit, seems like a double IPA with the strong hops and sweet malt. Full in the mouth, a bit sticky with a strong lingering bitterness.

Bottle. Creamt off-white good mostly lasting head. Orange colour. Moderate malty heavy hoppy aroma. Nice balanced. Powerfull bitter hoppy flavor. Long complex finish. Creamy palate. Wonderfull beer.

Tried at private tasting at Lagunitas Brewery. Excellent taste nice and hoppy and lost of alcohol. Bar area poorly lit so hard to see color (that and they serve it in plastic "solo" cups.

"Sneak Release" Bottle and served in my NB worthy glass, many THANKS Dough77 for this: Pours a deep bronze hue with a frothy head and produced very good lace. The aroma has notes of big caramel and toasted malt, crabapple and pomegranate, resiny hop, some herbal and almonds vapours and a hint of melanoidin. Really smells close to that of a old ale IMO.

The taste starts with a heavy malt profile showing off lots of toasted bread character supported by resiny astringent hops and some acidic fruit. The midsection is sugary and earthy. Finished with a slight hop spice, moderate alcohol kick and cardboardy oxidation. The mouth feel is sharp and warming and fits the flavor profile to a tee.

I really dig this the more I drank it, a complete surprise!! Maybe when it first came out it was closer to a IIPA or ASA but now this beer in front of me is more akin to an olde ale or barley wine. If you can find an Sneak Release bottle I highly recommend it!

Bottled at your crazy new years evening party (man did we eat a lot - wow). Clear amber coloured with a medium sized off-white head. Typical american ale - with lots of hops. Quite nice.

Pours a deep, coppery bronze body under a head which leaves trickles of eggwhite lace. Fruity hop aroma with citrics and apple above hot, vinegary Tobasco. Considerably hopped-up flavor is mostly peppers and pine, although a heavy caramel presence is noted through a chewy sweetness. ABV is numbing yet well-hidden. Sticky mouthfeel ends with a sharp astringence drying up the roof of the mouth. Heavy-duty.

<font size=-4>I couldn’t tell you where I procured this bomber if I tried.</font>

Sampled 8-5-2007. Pours a clear, but pretty dark brown with a good sized crème-ish head. Nose is hopped with an almost cherry edge. Overall it is that sticky, syrupy hopped sweet fragrance that abounds here. Flavor is thick like you would expect the style to be, but not kicking your mouth that hard really. Thick hoppy texture. Pungent and slightly tangy with slight piney hops and a salty aftertaste. Feel has a good liquid body and a good carbonation to it as well. Drinkability is good and I was going to give it a 4.5 because it was going down so smooth, but the salty edge on it just made it a little less pleasant. Overall a good DIPA. Definitely has some solid character, but lacks some balance in some important areas I think. Still worth a shot for sure, though.

Very clear orange-amber beer with a large off-white head. Head lingers and leaves lace to the last sip. Aroma is hoppy, but well balanced with malt and crystal notes, plus significant but soft alcohol notes. Flavor is very hoppy, but again with a good malt backbone to balance it out. Mouthfeel is on the high side of medium. Tail lingers well with a nice hoppy character, but with some faint apple notes.