Lagunitas Sonoma Farmhouse Hop Stoopid

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

Location:On tap at Capital Ale House, Innsbrook, 5/7/09

Aroma: Citrus fruits and floral hops mostly
Appearance: A nice copper color, and decently thick, off-white head
Flavor: A really nice hop flavor with an appreciable amount sweetness that gives it just a little balance
Palate: Decently full bodied, and a really nice mouthfeel
Overall Impression: I really liked this one a lot, tasted pretty fresh on tap, and drank really nicely, a really good example of a great style of beer.

the smell is HEAVY on the grapefruit and has hints of mango and lemon. this smells... so... good! looks very fizzy, pours with no head and the usual color if a little paler than i expected. surprisingly sweet with a tantalizing hops finish. tastes tropical and fruity. palate is smooth and fizzy, just perfect for lounging around.

My Bottom Line:
The tropical fruit grove in which these resinous hops grow titillates both nose and tastebuds, making you forget there is anything else going on in this wondrous Double IPA. Quite drinkable for its size, this must be simply gorgeous fresh on tap.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam circles the misty light bronze.
-This is one of the most attractive IPA perfumes I’ve ever had the chance to smell. Resinous, citrusy and mango fruitiness, sandy Simcoe-like notes, wooden background, etc. Redolent of 3F Dreadnaught even.
-The flavor profile is not as complex as the aroma, but toasted and honeyed malts do make an appearance, attempting balance.
-Carbonation is smooth and the body is silky, creating optimal drinking conditions (for a strong ale).

Bottles.

Bottle. Fluffy white head rests atop amber-gold. Aroma is piney, grapefruit, and freshly cut grass on a hot day, which also happens to be something with which this beer would go very well. For something at 102 IBUs, allegedly, I expected this beer to be abusively hoppy, but instead it’s pretty well balanced with sweet honey-like malt and the 8% ABV. Pleasant spicy notes bounce around in the flavor as well. Nice and smooth palate, with a fairly low carbonation level, or at least that’s how it seems to me. That’s not necessarily bad. If you’re looking for a nice hop bomb that still has a bit of balance, this is a good one.

Now this is what an impy IPA should be like! This offering from Lagunitas was absoutely outstanding. The Hop Stoopid ranks right up there with the DFH 90 Minute and the double IPA from Stoudts. Absoutely incredibly beer. It all starts out with a copper pour and an off-white head. The head leaves plenty of lacing around the glass as well. The nose is so inviting and enjoyable. I probably looked like an idiot sitting at the bar with my nose stuck in my glass the whole time. The full and rich aroma of hops, grapefruit and pine set this beer up for excellence. The body is smooth and drinkable, too. The flavors are incredibly delicious, with hoppy and spicy notes, along with balanced hints of caramel malt, more grapefruit and pine and a touch of bread. The finish was spicy, dry and extremely hoppy. This is definitely one of the best impy IPAs out there. I will have fun tracking down more of this. At the very least, I’ll find myself back at the Craft Ale House again after the holiday to have more! I’ll kick the keg myself! Damn was this a great beer!

bottle. Pours a clear golden with a nice, fluffy, off-white head. Nose is big on grapefruit and pine. Taste is grapefruit with some malt balance. Mouthfeel is medium with sweetness and a nice bitter finish. Good carbonation.

Throws off a huge head that takes too much time to recede. I spy it’s sheen, tis’ a faint golden copper color. Funny, I smell underarm b.o. with a splash of malty sweetness. I gleefully imbibe and discover what the hype is all about. This is absolutely delicious. Thick malty goodness renders a sweetness to clobber the hopsy razors edge into submission. Flavors are fresh with a honeysuckle sweetness. Turns to heavy cream on the palate. The finish lingers like the scent of a beautiful woman in an elevator. Awesome