Lagunitas Sonoma Farmhouse Hop Stoopid

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

Floral, citrus, pine tons of hops in the nose. Sticky malts, oily hop flavor. Hops are all over the place.

Bottle.

Dang, beer has one dank aroma. Huge, leafy, lupuline awesomeness. Really impressive. Unfortunately, the aroma is the highlight. The flavor isn’t bad, but it’s a Lagunitas IIPA. At least it’s not burnt or too sugary, but there’s an overabundance of chewy malt here with some underlying vegetal character that simply doesn’t help matters. It’s got that IIPA stickiness despite only running 8% (how do Green Flash IPA and SN Celebration and Two Hearted get so close in ABV and yet avoid this curse entirely?). Now all of this sounds like I’m complaining, and I guess I am (whiny-ass bastard) --- but it’s really a pretty darn good IIPA. I’m really enjoying it, not the point that I’m going to be buying lots of it in the future, but it’s good stuff and Lagnunitas deserves the props they’ve been getting for this one.

Bottle sent to me by Solan, I’m pretty sure... This is a very good DIPA. The pour is a nice straw color with a huge frothy white head. Big piney hop nose with some floral and spice accents. The mouthfeel is nice, a bit sticky, and great carbonation for me. The taste is plenty of grassy hops with a hint of caramel malt in the background. Good balance and nice finish.

Aroma is spectacular - smells of pepper and fresh hop pellets. Taste is pine, grapefruit, and pehaps a touch of caramel for balance. Not as bitter as I expected, but the flavor is great. Smooth mouthfeel with moderate to low carbonation. Very drinkable, and enjoyable.

Is that centennial hops in there? Well, whatever it is, it is a fantastic hop showcase in a beer. Piney, citrusy, and mellow malt flavor balance out this beer.

Pours a clear, orange color with an moderately full, pillowy, creamy, off-white head which settles to a small, pillowy layer in time and leaves some tight, drippy lace. Nose is full of white grapefruit, very resinous pine, almost sappy, a bit of white pepper, and hints of tropical fruit; very hoppy but one-dimensional. The flavor is similar but with a subtle malt presence of sweet, honeyed, toasted biscuits; hops bring a high bitterness and notes of white grapefruit, light mango, resinous pine, white pepper, and light bitter orange peel. Palate is medium, lively, watery, and sticky. Finishes fairly long with increasing bitterness and dryness and notes of lingering grapefruit, lots of resins, and white pepper. Certainly not lacking for high alpha hops and lots of them. For the bitterness and hop intensity, the beer is actually very drinkable. While I usually like more balance in my IIPA’s, but this was enjoyable. Lagunitas does great work.

Bomber, shared with Alex. Pours clear gold-orange with a nice white head. Heavy lacing also present. Aroma is a pungent blend of fresh citrus, tart green apple, and fragrant soap. Palate is crisp, “light,” and prickly carbonation. Flavors start on a sharp and refreshing citrus, focusing on tangerine, fresh navel orange and grapefruit. This is definitely a hop-centric DIPA, which is nice. Finish has more citrus, but also with soapiness and an interesting herbal character. This is absolutely delicious, and unique for lagunitas. This tastes nothing like Maximus, in a good way. Though a too-lofty comparison, the only beer that I can compare this to is Pliny the Elder. But that does tell you something.

Poured a light copper. thin head that sank to lace on the surface. Overwhelmed by citrus and piney hops. Bright hop flavor. Bold and piney. Malt in the tale end and a lingering bitterness. Smooth.