Lagunitas Imperial Red

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

Bottled. Pours a crystal clear amber/ruby color. Very bitter hoppy aroma right up front. Lots of maltiness as well. Much hoppiness up front. Very bitter and citric. Some spice and sweetness are also present. Nice beefed up amber.

Draught at Hop Leaf, Chicago
Amber color; creamy head. Nice aroma, with toffee and resiny hop. Good body strength, round mouthfeel, malty flavor, with caramel, toffee and a strong hopping, a bit fruity and resiny. Mellow Strong Ale.

Brilliant, clear auburn with a fluffy, off-white head. The aroma is bothy hoppy and malty at the same time. Loads of pine and grapefruit meet chewy grains and caramel malt to proffer a lovely balance. Toasted malts and perfumed floral elements are joined at the intersection by a light nutty character and a mild alcohol presence. The body is smooth and creamy with a very mild carbonation on the tongue. The flavor starts sweet and roasted with a relatively nice malt depth. The sweet malt gives way to intense and pointed hop oils, providing loads of bitterness and a light citrus element. This is probably not the best example of the style, but it’s tasty, drinkable and eminently enjoyable. While it is pretty high in alcohol, I feel like this could hit regular, "session" rotation if it was more regularly available. Malt + Hops = Good. Hooray Beer!

Pours clear bronze with a rich beige head. The aroma has dry caramel malt with pine and green hops. Medium / full body with a good amount of soft carboantion. Flavor starts with some caramel malt along with earthy woody hops and a hint of sweetness. The flavors are all very full and bold. The finish has some malt mustiness along with some spicy and woody hops. It is not the most complex beer, but everything in it is assertive and tasty. Nicely done strong ale.

Pours a clear darker copper with a frothy well-lacing white head. Fresh, green hoppy aroma has a nice caramel malty balance. Starts semi-sweet and toasty turning more dry and slightly over-attenuated with a lightly warming bitter finish. Pretty true to style, balanced and enjoyable.

Medium coppery brown with a large cream-colored head. Citrusy hops hit the nose first followed by a solid malt backbone. A solid red ale with forward hops that fit in nicely.

Big floral hop nose and off white frothy head are wonderful for my senses. The palate starts out with a grapefruit bitterness that comes across the palate rather cleanly. Mostly balanced in the hop department, but maybe a tinge favoring the bittering hops. Long earthy/fruity finish. Overall, a nice enjoyable beer that is easy to drink for 7.6% abv.

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.