52. Lagunitas IPA

Our second beer from Lagunitas Brewing Company; we had this on tap at South Park Tavern. Lagunitas IPA has a burnt honey color with a very light head and a delightfully hoppy nose with floral and citrus aromas most evident. There is a very light malt profile to this beer—it begins with a minimal crystal malt flavor before allowing the hops to take over; there is strong bitterness with minimal hop flavor in the middle, and it finishes bitter and clean with the bitterness lingering in the back of the mouth and the throat. Bitterness does makes an early appearance in this beer; Lagunitas IPA transitions quickly into hop bitterness, and it is mostly bitterness and not flavor that comes across in the middle to end of the flavor profile. The body is smooth and medium-light to medium with a nice bite from the carbonation. If you like bitterness, it would make a good session beer for the evening; we’d personally like a bit more flavor to help finish out the hop profile. As it currently stands, Lagunitas IPA is straddling the American and British IPA fence a bit too much, with none of the strengths or advantages of either.

From Lagunita’s website: “This is our unique version of an ancient style. A style as old as the ocean trade routes of the last centuries Great Ships. Not as old as the equator they had to cross twice enroute, nor as old as the 10,000 or so miles of Di-Hydrogen Oxide and Sodium upon which they sailed, but older than the Circulithium-4 Lentloid that binds the Lupulin Quartnate onto your taste buds. Weird. Think about it. Now stop. OK, go again, now stop. Think again, and stop. But we digress. Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat, whatever planet you’re on.”

Think they’re looking to sport that esoteric and eccentric vibe?

(8/21/2009)