Figured this would be a good one to review since I haven't done any big alcohol ales yet. This is a big boy at 9.87% alc/vol and 72.41 IBUs. My opinion on Lagunitas seems to fluctuate quite a bit, and I'm very excited to dive into this one.
It pours a very pretty reddish orange and I can already tell that the aroma is very strong from sitting about 18 inches away. It's a little hazy and has produced no head whatsoever, both of which are to be expected with this style. Huge citrus hop aroma, which you really don't see on a lot of strong ales. Definitely some pine and bit of spice in there as well. Very sharp, pungent bouquet. Definitely has a lot of characteristics of an IIPA. Getting some alcohol in the nose, but not too noticeable given the actual numbers. Faints hints of sweetness.
Starts out a bit syrupy on the tip of the tongue and becomes rather intense very quickly. Malt flavor here is very sharp. Pretty sweet and toasted at about the midpoint. Not a crazy amount of hop flavor, but what is there is a tad floral, spicy, and citrusy. What really takes the cake is just intense hop bitterness/astringency and alcohol burn. Your mouth will definitely sizzle for a bit after each drink. Aside from the alcohol burn, you don't really see it in the flavor profile. The body is medium and carbonation isn't too crazy.
This is a very interesting beer. Lagunitas jokingly lists it on their website as an "imperial mild" and it doesn't actually say that it's a strong ale anywhere on the label. It definitely doesn't share a lot of the characteristics of a strong ale, such as high esters and balanced hops. Regardless, it's a tasty brew. I always love beers that are offensively bitter, and this is definitely one intense ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment