Lagunitas Maximus

Brewed by Lagunitas Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Petaluma, California USA

Bottle from Aggie Liquor in Davis. This one is a mix between Stone IPA and Green Flash Imperial IPA with a mostly smooth palate. On one end, you have a complex, hoppy flavors of Grapefruit and citrus that hits you immediately, but it’s also rich and smooth to boot. There was a slight aftertaste, which is my only ding on the rating. Still, very good.

Bottle. Orange/amber color, small white head. Creamy, fruity, hoppy aroma, some vanilla, some grapfruit. Quite hoppy, grassy perfume flavor, fruity notes, dry, bitter and with some fruit.

Poured a copper color and the smell of hops exploded out of the bottle. Flavors of citrus, mainly grapefruit dominated the taste. The hops are mostly tasted in the aftertaste which brought down my rating a bit. Better control of the hops would make this a great beer.

A rather boring IIPA. Aroma was decent. Earthy hops with some caramel in the background. Pour was a medium clear gold with a one finger off white head. Taste was very sweet. Sticky caramel malt with a medium mouthfeel and the hops don’t come in until the aftertaste. As it warms the hops come out more but are still in the backseat.

On cask at Redlight. Mmmmm, been waiting for this. Pumps out of the tap a hazy amber with a thin white head. Temperature was a slight chill, really a perfect temp. The aroma was a huge bouquet of grapefruit and pine. The taste is spicy, hoppy with a grapefruit like tang to it from the huge amount of hops. A little thinner body than I expected. Finishes with a dry bitter citrus finish. Because of the cask temp, I made sure to go extra slow drinking this, because it goes down WAYYYY to easy.

Cask @ Redllight. Mmm. Sweet but understated hop aroma. Grapefruit rind and a little candied apricot, maybe some sweaty shirts. Very clean flavor up front, with light bready malts followed by a dose of prickly grapefruit hops. The low carbonation gives this an easy feel without lacking anything. Hoppy finish lingers with plenty of resins. Hints of white pepper and tobacco also in the finish. Deep copper color, poured with a modest had but leaves sheets of symmetrical lace.This one just disappears from the glass.

Wow, what an underrated IPA. Pours a beautiful reddish golden color. filtered. Head is slightly orange with a good consistency. Very tastey head. Great mouth-feel and bang of hops. A very good well rounded IPA. The raging hops calm for a flowery aftertaste. I drank a Two Hearted Ale right after and it seemed to bring out all of the flaws of the Bells. Not even in the same ball park as other Imperials. Thou shalt not drink IPA with less then 7% or more then 9%

Nice fresh DIPA, although it wasn’t as thick as some, which helps the fresh-ness come through. Lots of grapefruit in the whole bottle. Mild and drinkable through all the hops, which gets it another point or two. Balance is very good.