Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

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

Rated 5/27/07: Irresistable to turn down a brew called Hairy Eyeball I quickly discovered that this strong ale means business. Bottle states an abv of 9% and I believe it. Aroma is a mild candy sugary scent jumbled with a calm floral arrangement. Dark mahogony color (nice!), thin filmy light tan head and minor lacing. Smooth on the palate with a quick alcohol burn, sweet and sticky it grows on you. Real flowery flavor with lots of highly sweetened malt. Honey, figs, and red grapes create almost a port like quality. Bold and sturdy this makes for a solid sipper, nice change of pace.

Brown Color with Red Hue..Creamy Head. Thick Caramel and Fruit on the Nose. Nice Medium Mouthfeel..Not Quite Creamy, a Little Sticky Sweet...Very Nice Malty Balance.. Some Caramel Notes...Subdued Roasts, Light Fruit and Hop Bitterness Balancing Out the Finish. Nice Solid Beer That Deserves Your Palate’s Attention.

Clear redbrown color, medium off-white head. Aroma of caramel and roasted malt, some hop, bit fruity. Slight sweet and alcoholic taste, caramel malty, cookie. Slight sticky palate. Not overwhelming hoppy, but nicely balanced. I actually like these Lagunatis beers. They are not that straight in your face, but much more balanced, which increases the drinkability of the beers. Very likeable.

the first couple sips taste kinda weird, and frankly not good at all. But, once you have had a few, it tastes quite good. An acquired taste to be sure, but once you have, you’ll be happy about it.

Dark amber, toasty, coffee. Tastes sweet, caramel, malty. Sweet with an alcoholic aftertaste. Pretty good overall and if anything would make you grow hair on your eyeball, it would be this!

Pours out in a clear reddish brown colour with a firm beige foam. Fruity and rather sweet aroma of caramel, flowers, cherries and lychee. Full-bodied with an oily mouthfeel. Toasted malts, flowers, resin, cocoa-powder and grass in the flavour. Bitter finish of grass and garpefruit.

Bottle. Nice red/brown colour. Aroma of well toasted malt, dark fruits and hops. The flavour is quite malty and fruity, caramel and with a nice hoppiness. The finish is dry and bitter.

12oz. bottle - pours clear dark auburn with a small slightly mocha coloured head. Aroma is earthy hops and malt, dark fruit (cherries), caramel and faint alcohol (but nothing obtrusive about it). Lots of fruit and malt in the flavour with the hops taking a back seat. Earthy, grassy notes in the finish along with some light citrus. Really nice, complex beer. Some chocolate to be found in there as well actually. Very good, unique brew. Recommended.