Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

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

Bottle. Very high and fluffy but lasting off-white head. Clear cobber body. Distinct hops aroma with a touch of oranges. Flavor is pretty hoppy but also has spices and fruits. Relatively high carbonation and a lovely long lasting hops bitterness aftertaste.

Bottle: Deep rusty copper/amber pour with clarity and a thin off-white head. The aroma has some peppery hop presence, mild citrus and plenty of caramel malt. Your standard ASA aroma. The flavor has that signature ASA sweet maltiness. Decent chewy body which is bread-y, toasty and filled with caramel malt. The hop presence is less pronounced than Lagunitas’ other ASA offerings; or perhaps it’s because this stuff sat for two years. Has some zesty orange citrus flavors and a peppery warming character. The mouth feel is pleasant, creamy and mildly carbonated. The later hop character gives off a spearmint hint. An easy going ASA.

Reddish copper, clear with a thin white head. Citrusy hops. Clean light malt sweetness. A bit of alcohol. Low carbonation, a bit of thickness. Toast i nthe background of sweet alcohol and liberal citrusy hops. Very light very sweet sweetness. Dry tannic finish.

color of iced tea, head is off-white forming a thin layer over the beverage. initially, the beer is very malty with huge bready malts with slight alcohol notes. the hops in this beer are barely perceptible to my nose. bready malts are immediately detected on the tongue with more alcohol and significantly more hops.

Deep Amber with Off White Head. Sweet Syrupy Malts with a Twist of Bitterness and Dark Breads on the Nose. Thin to Medium Bodied...The Syrupy Mouthfeel Helps it Feel Bigger Bodied Then it is. Initial Notes of Sweet Breaded Malts, Rye Notably, Some Subtle Caramel....Then a Wave of Piney and Subtle Citrusy Hops. A Big Beer All Around, but Well Balanced. The Alcohol is a Smooth and Helps Create What to Me Tastes Like a Wonderful Winter Warmer. All Around Solid and Delicious Ale from Lagunitas.

THOUGHTS: Nothing special, but a nice beer. Could just about be called a double IPA. Hides alc. fairly well. nice balance in flavor. Flavor increased as it warmed. I really didn’t see how this wasn’t a double IPA. THOUGHTS: Bottle: Poured a clear, very dark amber with great carbonaton and a small, slightly off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma, which could have been a little stronger was light caramel malt, and moderate grapefruit hops. The e initial flavor was lightly to moderately swee and lightly bitter, while the finish was moderately sweet and havily bitter with a long duration. The dominant flavors were caramel and citrus. It tasted an awful lot like a double IPA with a slight twish but not much of one. Almsot like a little cherry or appple was there too. The medium to full body was dry up front and syrupy in the back with lively carbonation and a metallic, lightly alcoholic finish.

22 oz bomber. Pours a dark brownish red with a medium creamy beige head. Lots of lacing. Citrusy aroma with hints of caramel, bitter hops and alcohol. Taste is bitter hoppy with citrus hints and a caramel malty finish. Very good.

This is the "SNEAK RELEASE" not the "12th Anniversary" edition. Wouldn’t put this in the IPA or IIPA genera; I’d like it in the Strong Ale category. Yes it is a hoppy beer, but the spice profile in the malts give this a big big boost. Not as good as Mendicino’s Eye of the Hawk, but better than Stone’s Arrogant Bastard. A bit chalky on the palate. Nice buzz though. Good, but I wouldn’t rave about it...