Lagunitas Imperial Red

Pours a mostly clear, mahogany color with notable sediment and a creamy, rocky, off-white, fairly large head which sticks around for a while and leaves some nice lace. Nose is moderatel hoppy with pine, grapefruit, and grass and moderately malty with some nutty toffee and cookie. Flavor is similar with lightly toasted sweet breads, light nutty toffee, grapefruit, pine, and light grassy notes; bitterness is solid and balancing with a more than moderate bitterness. Palate is medium to full, silky, lightly sticky, and lively. Finishes fairly long with increasing bitterness with the toffee and bready notes giving way to the dryer notes of pine and grass and lingering grapefruit. Not incredibly complex but solid in every aspect and well put together. Somewhat like a winterwarmer with a nice malt backbone, strong and balancing hops, and a moderately high ABV. Wonderfully drinkable with a nice, mild warmth; it’s hard to find that combination.

Bottle. [Tasting @ Ølbaren, Copenhagen]. Clear medium amber color with a large, frothy, excellent lacing, fully lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, moderate to light heavy hoppy, grass, pine, grape. Flavor is moderate sweet and moderate to light heavy bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. (110308)

A reddish beer with a ok head. Aroma is hoppy with a delicious malt background. The flavour is quite malty with some hoppy sweetness. Ends bitter. A drinkable and wellbrewed beer, but not it doesn’t really stand out...

12 oz bottle. Nice frothy head and a pleasant hop aroma with bits of citrus, pine and toffee. Very sweet malt backbone that really took away from the experience for me. A bit cloying which seems to be the norm for these styles. A rich caramel component that went well with a bit of the biscuit present was about the only component I could get into. Overall, seemed out of sorts and not very well balanced. Really not my cup of tea.

Bottle. Shared with friends. Fades from hops to alcohol. Pretty good, very spicy and astringent.

Red copper colored body with an average head. Very balanced as far as the malt/hops combination goes. Caramel and citrus fruit combination. Fairly hoppy although it is well balanced. My first Lagunitas beer and it’s a good start from this West Coast brewer.

Pours a clear amber/copper with a frothy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is sweet hops, fruit and some citrus. Flavor is sweet toasted malt and a good deal of pacific NW hops. Dry hoppy finish, sticky texture.

Bottle. Pours a clear reddish amber color with a longlasting off-white head. Malty hoppy and slightly piney aroma. Sweetish malty hoppy bitter flavor flavor with some hints of pine needles. Sweetish malty finish with a dry hoppy bitter aftertaste.