Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

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

Bottle. Pours a nice dark reddish-amber with slight haze and a thin off-white head. Aroma is sweet citrus, caramel malt, and hints of dark fruit and alcohol. Flavor is heavier on the sweet-dark-fruit-and-alcohol thing, kind of port-like, though still with plenty of citrus and caramel. I like it, though it’s a bit rough in parts.

12-oz. Pours a dark amber with bright caramel highlights. Thick moussy tan head that falls eventually to absolutely nothing--no head or lace. Sour dark fruit nose; sharp, boozy, overripe. Medium, slightly oily body with sharp but intermittent carb. Lots of wood, dark fruit, booze, and leather on the mid-palate. Long leathery finish. Interesting stuff, and I can easily being in the mood one day for this and nothing else...but it’s uneven and a little weird for everyday.

American Brown Ale aroma. Hey, there’s a thought -- "ABA" -- except that a bunch of lawyers would sue you for infringement. Powdery, chocolate, slight chalkdust and west coast hop smell. Medium-dark brown, small head, California potato-masher bottle, lackluster Lagunitas label. Brown ale, this is brown ale. Grassy, lightly sweet, a little roast, a little macaroni or other pasta. Some astringency, medium body and a slightly unpleasant bittereness in the aftertaste make the palate the weak point in this beer. Not too shabby, pretty drinkable. Market Square Liquors.

Draft @ Horse Brass Pub: Dark brown color with a large beige head. Aroma is rich with roasty, malty, and hoppy notes. Flavor is packed with malts, caramel and roastiness before a little floral hop kick in the finish. Creamy feel. Very nice.

Bottle, 12 oz. glad this baby is not a bomber...I’d be toasty. Light nose, some chocolate flavor comes out with a nice roast backbone. Somewhat creamy, nice brew. Glad I got to it while it’s still nippy out at night. Tasty beer, one I should have tried long ago, but kept passing up. Dammed if I’m not kicking myself now. Defiantly worth picking up the single, I’ll have to get a sixer next time.

Bottle, 9%. Roasted aroma, sweet and malty. Seemingly clear dark brown colour. Unstable tan head. The flavour is quite sweet but balanced by a clean roastiness and the alcohol. Sweet liquorice aftertaste. Late dusty note. The alcohol seems to evaporate and flow up into my nose. Quite powerful, perhaps too much so.

12 oz bottle. Clear burgundy brown with a sudsy, off-white edge head. I allowed this to warm while packing a beer shipment but nose is still faint. Wood and grape jelly. Medium body with a light carb tingle. Alcohol well hidden. Taste is caramel and lemon-orange. Dries with juniper. Simple, pleasant.

Deep brownish-red due with rocky head and scattered lacing. Metallic yet mildly fruity. Aroma of jaggery. Chewy palate. Rusty, roasty, rich flavors. Finely hopped with balancing sweetness. Delightful creme brulee throughout. Alcohol is barely detectable except in the head.