Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

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

22oz reddish beer. This offering from Lagunitas smelled like sugar and hops. This beer is extremely drinkable... even before I noticed the 9.9%, I knew that this was going down quickly. Most of the flavor is the sweet malt. It reminds me of a double bag from Long Trail, only this one has more hops and more complexity. The finish is nutty and there is no alcohol flavor even as it warms up a little. This was the best Lagunitas that I have had.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a shaker. This beer poured a clear, dark amber color with a thick, foamy beige head that lasted. Some thick lacing was left around the glass. The aroma was very strong. It was made up of huge citrus hop notes and also toffee. The flavor was full of caramel malts and finished with a slightly lasting grapefruit bitterness. The mouthfeel was medium to full-bodied with light carbonation and some slight tounge warming alcohol. It was also a bit oily. I really enjoyed this beer. It had good balance for a big beer, with exceptional aroma and flavor.

A good beer that is dangerously drinkable as it hides its high abv very well. Mild overall. Malt flavor and malt aroma with moderate hops. Well balanced, but the flavors are subtle. Brown in color.

POurs burnt orange and offers a smaller head. It has hits of the hop/citrus on ht enose and then you get a blast of hops and balanced bitterness on the plate. The beer drinks smooth abnd finished in balance as well.

Poured a transparent light brown with orange hues and a foamy, thick slightly off white head. Looks a bit like an Arrogant Bastard rip off. Smells very hoppy, pine, lemon, resin. Taste is very sugary, bitter with same flavors as the aroma with a touch of candy. Mouthfeel is very heavy with a lasting bitterness. A bit of a Bastard rip off. Drinkable, just could have been more origional for me.

Bottle. Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is medium amber. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain, caramel, cookie), moderately to heavily hoppy (resin, grapefruit). Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, watery/syrupy texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Eh. I don’t get much out of this one...generic big hop-and-malt brew.

Bottled. Beer is clear, light brown with a small, white, frothy, quickly and mostly diminishing head.<P>The aroma is malty with light/moderate notes of toasted grain, cookie and caramel; Hoppy with moderate/heavy resin/pine, moderate herbal grapefruit zest; Light yeast note of basement; Light miscellaneous notes of alcohol and vanilla.<P>The flavor is moderately bitter, moderately sweet, lightly acidic with a long, warm, lightly/moderately bitter, moderately sweet finish.<P>The body is medium/full, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively.<P>Quite hoppy, but adequately balanced with the rich desserty malt. Not particularly engaging, though.

A well balanced beer that has sweetness and roastiness in the start and gets a little bit more hoppy with time. Surprisingly strong beer too. Got better as I drank it.