Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

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

Pours a clear copper tinted dark amber with a 1 finger fluffy white head that quickly fades to a skim and ring. Aroma is citrus, sweet grain, caramel, nutty toffee, pineapple glaze, ethanol, some odd grainy notes, grass and a little tea. Flavor is sweet caramel, toasted grain, grapefruit, pine, there are some bitter-almost herbal tasting-notes that I can’t identify and don’t fit this beer well, might be rye, some anise and black tea. Finish is moderately bitter grapefruit with a very boozy back ground and some herbal notes. Palate is thick bodied syrupy throughout, slick on the lips and has a light, yet sharp carbonation. This brew just really didn’t do it for me, pretty ho-hum and very generic.

Reviewed 5/31/2009 (Draft at Flying Saucer, Houston, Tx): Pours a clear reddish brown colored body, foamy cream-colored head, very lasting. Sweet hoppy aroma, kind of a weird fruity aroma. Not very strong. Pale somewhat hoppy, sweet taste. A mild pale ale. Sweet fruity taste, almost like strawberry. Creamy mouthfeel.

This beer pours a clear dark copper. It has a one finger tan head and light carbonation. Layers of lacing. A sweet balanced aroma of caramel malt and pine. Flavor is bigger than the aroma would suggest. Big biting rye and very sweet hops. A bit of spice and lots of sweet notes. This could be a double IPA, but a sweet one. The alcohol is well hidden. Sweetness is almost cloying. Still, this is a very tasty beer.

Bottle. Pours a beautiful amber color with a nice off-white head. Aroma of caramel, hint of raisin, and pine. It is very heavy on the bitterness, one of the hoppiest things I have ever consumed. Medium bodied. Finishes a little like brandy, warm as it courses through the digestive system. Very nice.

Pours a nice amber orange with thin white head, minimal lacing. Aroma strong of floral hops, bread, caramel, and a nice slightly toasted malt. Flavor matches well with lots of hop bitterness that eventually gets balanced well. Finishes dry and bitter. Not bad.

Clear amber with thin minimal head. Aroma is intoxicating mix of fruity hop and maple/brown sugar. Body is lighter than one might expect. Not overly sugary or alcoholic. Like a mellow light barley wine melded with an IPA. I am enjoying it.

Not what I was expecting- so maybe its me- but I was hoping for a little more bitterness and less sweetiness- some brown sugar comes through- and has a sweet aftertaste-

Clear dark copper color with a thin head. Aroma of pine and caramel. Lots of pine and spicy hop flavor. Big caramel malt, light biscut. A little more than moderately bitter.