Lagunitas Imperial Red

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

Bottle pours dark ruby with a minimal head that reduces into a surface haze island and ring. The aroma is serious caramel malt and some fresh smelling hops. The flavor strong malty backbone with cutting hops to balance it out. Very nicely balanced. The palate is pretty rich, but not sticky. I like this pretty well. Alcohol is well hidden. I’ve always liked a strong amber, but this one takes it to another level. Very drinkable, very good.

beautiful red/orange, soft white head fell to a small film. heavy sugar in the nose, herbal hop nose. full bodied malt character but not heavy. fresh alpha bitterness cuts through, lingers, and lasts. yummy.

12 oz bottle. Poured a lovely hazy orange-brown color. Head was thick, creamy, and light tan with good retention and lacing. Great looking beer. The aroma was malt dominated with caramel, toffee, and steeping barley elements. There was also some flowery hops. Slightly sweet on the tongue and medium bodied. Almost a little sticky. The malt backbone is strong with caramel and toffee elements, and is well balanced by ample citrusy hops. Good beer.

Toronado. Glad to get this one, I love ’red ales’ and Lagunitas is a favourite brewery, and this didn’t disappoint. Very very well balanced for such a big beer, in my eyes. Drunk very easy, nice hops (spicey aswell as some pine and citrus), with nice roast notes from the malts.

Dark amber color with a mellow hoppy aroma. We sat on this barrel for sometime, so I think it may have matured from the original product. Usually a more aggressive, fresh taste. Wonderfully balanced. Not too much malt on a 7.6.

Clear amber of color with a white head. An aroma of malt, caramel and hops. A flavor of malt, lots of hops and sweets.

on tap at the blind tiger, 11/14/07. dark ruby copper color, light tan creamy head. aroma is hops, sweaty pine resin. flavor is roasted toffee malt in the background, but predominately hop bitterness. gets very bitter in the finish. not much of a red really.

Bottle. Amber bordering on brown, off-white head that fades quickly to a big-bubbled scum, spotty lacing. Malt-centric both in the nose and the taste - caramel in the nose, caramel and slight biscuit on the tongue. Aroma also shows orange and grapefruit, some nice pine accents. Slight alcohol presence in the finish, long lasting and pleasingly bitter aftertaste. High carbonation but sits thickly on the tongue. Nice, very well-balanced.