Lagunitas Brown Shugga

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Petaluma, California USA

i know a lot of people love this beer, but for me its too one dimensional. its all sweetness and alchol burn. molasses and some background yeastiness. all burn at the end. no thanks.

Poured from bottle a reddish-brown with small off-white head. Aroma is toasted hops with some floral notes and a dose of molasses and brown sugar. Flavor starts almost dry with lots of toasted floral hops hitting upfront then edging into the brown sugar and malt sweetness with hardly a trace of alcohol astringency. Palate is slightly bitter upfront with some sweetness throughout and not overly filling. Overall a great balance and taste for a large beer like this one. Mine says 9.5 abv but seems more like the 6 abv IPA I was drinking earlier. I will be drinking more of these through the holidays.

12 oz bottle. bronze and amber color minimal light tan head. aroma is sweet with brown sugar being the most notable smell. caramel notes and juicy west coast hops are hiding in the back. smooth with a full body and a rich palate that is too not sticky. yum. hops provide a nice bitter balance in the middle but the sweet malts retake the finish. alcohol is not noticeable. a better than average winter brew.

Creamy, dark red pour with a creamy, off white head. Aroma is hops, caramel, and brown sugar. Flavor is sweet and malty, some hop bitterness, alcohol decently hidden. Creamy mouthfeel. Could I say "creamy" more in this review"? This beer represents an interesting experiment that worked out.

Bottle, poured into a snifter. Rich red-brown appearance with fizzy centimeter of white head that forms and fades quickly. Bright aroma of hops, cranberries, and, dare I say, brown sugar? Flavor very sweet, malty, not as pronounced as a typical barleywine. Alcohol evident. Is that wheat toast in the air, or this beer? (It might be wheat toast.) A swirl halfway through releases a powerful hops presence underlying this well balanced ale, and some vanilla. Flavors more evident as it warms. Sticks to the tongue a little like a double IPA. A little creamy, likes the outsides of the tongue more than the middle. A great aperitif.

Ah truly gets a sweet release with this here fine, fine product. Yessir. Ah surely does. Poured only a small sample so didnt get much of a head. But, whats there lasts. No lace. Lovely deep red tinged amber color. Dark ripe fruit, malts, caramels, brandies in flavors. Booze in the mouth with good carbonation. Very good mouth. Quite rich. Maybe a bit heavy for a session beer. Nice finish.

Bottle at Funky Buddha. Amberish color with a pretty big head. Aroma is full of candi sugar, molasses, and certainly some citrus notes as well. Flavor is very nice with great notes of caramel, vanilla and some very nice hop notes. This is good stuff.

Pours orange amber into a snifter. Off-white head recedes leaving no lacing. Raisin and pit fruit aromas. Plum and raisin upfront with a chalky vanilla finish. Full and sweet.