Lagunitas Imperial Red

12oz. bottle. Pours a dark amber-red color with thin off-white head that dissipates rather quickly. Heavy aromas of grapefruit, fresh pine, and hops. Flavor is heavy on citrus fruit with hints of hops and strong, but not brutal bitter finish. Mouthfeel is very smooth and velvet-like. Much better then I had anticipated.

Pours a beautiful deep mahogany color with red highlights. Produces a 1" tight and dense beige head. Maintains some thin paisely wisps of foam throughout the glass. Assertive hoppy aromas come through immediately. The nose just fills with rich notes of freshly cut citrus and sun-drenched pine needles with a subtle background of toffee and caramel. Mouthfeel may have been a touch fuller, but was smooth and creamy with just the right amount of carbonation. Flavor profile was almost perfectly balanced. Of course the west coast citrusy-piney hops made a strong showing, but they were admirably supported by a rich,sweet malty, toffee and caramel candy presence. Finish reverts slightly back to the hops with a pleasant moderately bitter and crisp ending. Very easy to enjoy more than 1 or 2. Very nice stuff!!

Tallahassee, Fl. - Market Square Liquors - 12 oz bottle. Medium-dark copper pour, sticky off white head - good lacing. Fresh, piney-sprucey aroma. Flavor has the requisite west coast hop onslaught with some toffee accents, a hint of nuts and a back end of spearmint. Full bodied and flavorful without leaving a bitter aftertaste. Thick and rich mouthfeel. Very enjoyable.

12ozers. I could not keep away from this stuff. Rich and malty, but in no way overdone. A ton of hops provide a great backbone to this meaty monster. Reminded me a bit of Hop Devil or Arrogant Bastard. Excellent.

Tap. Moderate malt notes of toasted, light herbs and flowers for the hops and light dough for the yeast, with cherry and toffee in the background. Head is small, off- white with excellent lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is a clear red brown. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic and bitter then finishes lightly acidic and heavily bitter. Palate is medium, creamy with a carbonation between soft and lively and has a dry finish. Great balance in taste and aroma, and another excellent offering from Lagunitas.

On draft. Some quality stuff, nicely hopped, rather dry and prickly but that’s probably just right for this beer. Sort of a toned down version of Arrogant Bastard.

Fruity floral aroma. Citrusy sweet caramel on the palate. Nicely hopped. A very tasty beer. Very refreshing.

First off, this beer smells fantastic. Its got a very pleasant citrus with orange hints. I’m guessing amarillo aroma or dry hops, but I’ve been wrong before. Very malty and bitter, well balanced in its huge flavors. Its very similar to arrogant bastard, but less estery. This is another winner from Lagunitas as far as I’m concerned.