Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

12 oz. bottle. Pours dark, clear copper with a small, diminishing light tan head. Aroma is thick with molasses, brown sugar, resiny hops, and fruity esters (figs). Some perfumy sweet notes linger on the outside. Flavor is much drier than anticipated from the sappy sweet aroma, but still dominated by a syrupy complex malt character overlain with a fairly tangy citrus hop presence. Medium to medium-full bodied, smooth and warming. Excellent strong ale.

Pours sparkling dark red with an average sized frothy light-brown. Aroma is heavly malty of bread and carmel, moderatly hopy of pine and oranges, moderatly yeasty of plums and prunes. Flavor starts moderatly sweet of carmel and a bit of roast and candi sugar? Finishes more balanced. medium bodied, oily and livley carbonated.

12oz bottle from Kahn’s, Indianapolis. Nice copper pour with lively carbonation and a strong, sugary malt aroma. Upon sipping, however, a strong hop presence emerges, more on the harsh than the floral side. Fairly well balanced, and certainly enjoyable, but not too distinct from many of Lagunitas’ strong ale offerings.

Pours a clear mahogany with a smallish tan head atop and nice lacing. Aroma is fruity sweet, caramel and some toastiness. Flavor is very malty, toasted, melon, cherry, caramel and nice floral bitterness. Full body, sticky texture.

Bottle. Pours mahogany in color with small tan head. The aroma is brown sugar, cola, and some light fruitiness. The flavor is brown sugar, orange, a little bit of bitter chocolate. It finishes fuzzy and slightly bitter with some fruit and char in the aftertaste. Good, but it seems like it’s missing something.