Lagunitas Sonoma Farmhouse Hop Stoopid

The aroma has a wow factor with pineapple, grapefruit, biscuits, caramel, and an overall fruitiness. The appearance is deep gold with an amber hue. The head is large and fluffy. The flavor is like the aroma. The palate is average for the style. Overall this is a great beer. I love it.

Bottle from Knightly Spirits. This just hit the shelves so I’m drinking it quite fresh. Pours an orange color with a somewhat thick foamy off-white head that settles to a thin layer. Nice lacing. The aroma is a wonderful scent that is really just a whole bunch of fresh hops. Honey flavor, melons, mixes with a pretty good grapefruit and pine hop combo, although not as intense as the aroma, and there’s some sweet maltiness to keep this balanced. Sharp bitter finish. I’m not sure if the hops are really Imperial IPA level but this is still a nice drink, tasty, yet easy drinking and nothing really out of place. Maybe I’ll pick up another bottle or two of this, especially at the Lagunitas $3.99 discount.

Yeah...this beer is pretty special. Tons of hops wielded by somebody in a brewhouse who knows how to use them. The flavor is all hoppiness, but packaged in a very pleasant package. And since hops come in all shapes and sizes, I’ll describe the intense hoppiness in this particular example as "sweaty gym sock" and "candied fruit" which is to say delicious on both counts. I must say I hate candied fruit, probably wouldn’t otherwise describe sweaty socks as appetizing, but in a hoppy beer, these descriptors are high praise (I hate raisins too...but in beer...terrific!). Color is orange, body is clear and brilliant. Head is minimal. Body is somewhat viscous for a non-stout beer. Flavor is very hoppy (of the variety I described above) and delicious. There is some backbone behind the hop...as while this beer comes across as hoppy and bitter, it doesn’t seem one-dimensional by any means. Mouthfeel isn’t tarry, but is definitely not thin either (which is to say, on-target). Really, really good. This beer reminds me quite a bit of Moylan’s Hopsickle, which I also really like. I would highly recommend. A bargain at $5.99 at Blacklick Liquor in Reynoldsburg.

Bottle. Pours a quite clear orange with a small white head. Aroma of grassy hops and some citrus. Flavor is harsh bitter grassy hops initially, with a sweet citrusy and fruity finish. Very tasty. Reminds me of 1-month old Pliny the Elder. Quite enjoyable. 8/4/8/4/15 (3.9/5)

Bottle. Aroma big tropical fruits and lightly spicy hop character, semi-sweet, biscuit malt as well. Flavor again a showcase of the hops, largely the tropical fruit variety. Somewhat resinous, somewhat juicy as far as hop character goes, sort of in between. A tongue-coating, long-lasting bitter finish. Very good.

Nice, exotic fruity, hop juicy double IPA with a very light malt background. The hops are bright and refreshing without ever giving you a sore throat. Very much a hop oriented beer but it still manage to come across as very balanced. Good stuff.

(bottle - 22 oz) Amber color with a thick off-white head. Aroma is lots pine resin, citrus, grapefruit, and some sticky hops and tropical fruit juice. Flavor is incredibly sweet and tropical at the beginning that gives way to a very floral and juicy hop middle. Flavors of mango, pineapple, and grapefruit blend well with the hops and leave a lively and bitter finish on the tongue.

I’m normally underwhelmed by the prospect of trying yet another IPA from Lagunitas, but given the great ratings, I figured I’d give it a whirl - pours a clear light orange, with a fairly sticky lace - a lot of resinous, earthy hop character in the nose, with a potent mix of pineapple, mango, and apricot sweetness - the flavor is of medium sweet tropical fruits, followed by copious amounts of earthy hops, finished off by some lingering honey and herbal qualities - a little too sweet on the back - it’s quite good, not great, but it’s quite an argument for the use of extracts.