Lagunitas Brown Shugga

An aborted batch of their Old Gnarleywine ended up tasting nearly as good as that they were hoping for, so they bottled it. God bless capitalism.
OG 1.100 IBU 51.1

3.7

1794 reviews

Petaluma, United States

Community reviews

3.9 Mörkorange med tunt beige skum. Doftar sött och maltigt, lite kryddigt, sirap och torkad frukt. Smaken fyllig, sötmalt och toffé, lite choklad. Eftersmaken lång söta, lite brända toner.

2.0 just a sweet and tangy IPA kind of disappointed

3.1 Found in bottle from Ingles in Franklin, NC. Dark clear copper appearance. Thin white layer of foam. Faint aroma. Some hints of brown sugar flavor. Sweet malt taste.

2.9 Ar: Blackcurrant, black licorice, grapefruit rind; sweet toffee and gooey caramel; dried pineapple and orange peel. Ap: Copper and clear; large tan head with excellent retention, slowly receding as a cap of dense, finely bubbled foam, leaving spotted lacing along the glass sides. T: Very, very sweet malt and orange peel; almost cloying; leaf and moss, vegetal; bitterness is medium-high, with a harsh, leafy end; overripe fruit. P: Full body with medium-high carbonation; medium-sweet finish. O: Smells powerful; flavors are just muddled, and sweetness is over the top.

3.5 Very fresh and fruity scent. Fruity, strong and slightly bitter taste. Okay bitterness that fills the mouth forever. Very good beer. Follow me @ Kung av öl @ Facebook for more pictures and ratings.

4.2 Klar, mörkt bärnstensfärgad. Doft av malt o plommon. Fruktig sötma, med viss bitterhet på slutet. En barly wine med tydligt inslag av imperial IPA.

4.5 The hoppiest beer I've had. I don't like bitterness, but the brown sugar balances it surprisingly well. And that 10% helps too.

3.7 Flaska från SB. Klar, nötbrun kulör med grå skumkrona. Doft och smak av knäck, farinsocker, torkade aprikoser och gran. Söt och frisk munkänsla.

3.9 0,33 l bottle. Beer was good but in my mind too sweet. In winter time ok, but not in another season.

3.5 Gylden brun klar med høyt eggegult skum. Lukter knekk, blomster og tuttifrutti. Middels+ i fylde. Middels bitter brent karamell, noe sitrus, alkohol og barnål. Middels lang.

3.8 This is exactly what they were trying to brew. A fun 10% "holiday" a55 kicker. The malt and hops are not completely steam rolled by the abv and sugar. Kinda all comes together but in a "this is booze" kinda way, for lack of a better term. Not as overly sweet as it could have been since lagunitas properly ferments their beers to completion. Ho ho ho

3.7 Pretty bitter to be called brown shuga but a tasty beer. Solid brown, looks like cola.

3.6 2 finger off-white head. Clear, deep amber coloured beer with shades of ruby. Aroma is apricot marmalade, thyme, hint of dusty brown sugar, mandarin and fragrant raisins and goji berries. Taste is the same with more citrus hoppiness. Mouthfeel is a bit light (for the style) and dry with a great sugary stickiness. Medium bitterness. Medium-low carbonation. Bit of alcohol slipping through. Oily after a while. Overall: Hops are great but maybe not in this amount in a BW. It doesn't have that heavy feeling I love in a Barley Wine. Probably not as a result of the hops but still.. Actually a very nice brew but not really qualified to be full-on Life. Also alcohol is too apparent.

4.1 One of my favorites this time of year. Great big taste of raisin and caramel, maybe some chocolate, balanced by a nice hop bitterness. It's a little, just slightly, boozy. Aromas match the taste fairly well, although I would like a little more heft in that respect. Palate is slightly chewy. Overall, a great winter beer, and with nearly 10 percent ABV, this one can warm a person up nicely.

3.8 Bottle from systembolaget. Pours a brown colour beer with a smal head. Malty with notes of sweet caramel, brown sugar and hops. Dry finish.

3.3 Amber colored, medium sized beige head. Aromas of junk food(?), brown sugar(obviously), dried fruit and malt. Sweet taste with sugar, pastries, alcohol, marmalade and dried fruit.

3.9 Caramelly with a bit of zest. Despite the caramel it is well balanced and not too sweet.

3.8 Flaska från SB. Gammal klassiker som jag ännu inte rate:at. Klar, mörk bärnstensfärgad med tjusigt halvt finger högt stabilt vitbeiget skum. Stor pine:ighet, granskott och kåda möter maltig sötma. Medium till stor i kroppen, lätt stickig och kletig. Samtidigt rund och försvinner lätt ner. Stor beska i klassisk amerikansk stil. På ett sätt enkelspårigt med en uppskruvad sötma, men också gott i all sin enkelhet.

3.7 Aromas very nice with dark fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel malts. Brown reddish and clear. Lots of foam. Taste is strong alcohol, with hops, brown sugar, some spicy rye, caramel, malts, and bitterness at the end.

3.5 Bärnstensfärgad klar öl med litet skum. Söt och alkoholstark doft. Lite tall och grapefrukt. Söt fyllig smak av grape, socker och fin beska.

4.7 From a bottle to a glass. Pours a clear copper color with a monster frothy creamy head. Aroma is sweet notes upfront, molasses, brown sugar, earthy spices hop notes, some darker fruits, tobacco, ash, apricot. Taste follows the aroma well with some general hoppyness to balance out some of the sweetness and slight tanginess. Medium mouthfeel and alcohol hidden very wall. Very tasty! Great price aswel!

3.7 12 oz bottle. Pours a light mahogany with a thin off-white head. Lots of lacing. Big scents of hops with some malt. Big round flavours of malt and hops. A long sweet and sour finish. Medium carbonation. No discernable alcohol - had to double check the label. Really good.

4.1 Passed it by every year because I had the impression that it was too sweet and something of a barley wine type but no.. it’s not. Slight sweet but most delicious. Proper bitterness to balance everything out and best part is that alcohol is very well hidden

3.6 Bottle: Poured a caramel clear with off-white head. Aroma is hoppy and malt. Taste is sweet malty with earthy hops undertone.

3.6 5/17/18: $1.66 12 oz bottle from Binny's Niles, poured into a snifter. Generous tan thin head, copper color, generous carbonation. Wine and cinnamon sweet aroma. Aptly named sweet taste, malt, wine, rum. Thin texture, carbonation holds, smooth drinking. Overall good offering.

3.9 355ml bottle at abv 10% bought at Q Club in SoHo, Central. Looks: Clear deep amber colour with a thin trace of misty yeast particlesOne-quarter finger head with soapy off- white foam which fades in 40 seconds; Excellent sticky lacing with active carbonation. Aroma: Very fragrant and sweet full amber malt, with pineapples, brandy, strong caramel, sticky toffee, dark fruits, red fruits, floral, strong molasses, spices, bread, lemon and grass. Taste: Strong sweet rich Amber malt, with strong caramel, alcohol, toffee, red fruits, floral, strong molasses, spices, pine, strong resins, herbs, biscuits, lime, strong bitter hops and grass. Body: Full body. Thick and very oozy palate. Mouth Feel: Rich Amber maltyness in a viscous background. Booze is strong but aptly balanced by strong hops, caramel and red fruits. Flowery with strong brown sugar sweetness, spicy herbal with pine and strong ooze. Biscuity with with strong lime to round. Big and beautiful! Alcohol: the 10% booze is liquorish much like a Belgian Ambrée. Strong but not abusive with matching nice brown sugar sweetness and liquorice. Nice! Hoppiness: Pineapples, floral, spices, lemon and grass in nose. Floral, spices, pine, strong resins, herbs, lime and grass in taste; Bitterness is strong for a lasting, high astringent sweet-bitter Amber malty finish. After Taste: Dry. very piney oozy limey and strong bitter to mouth. Comments: This one is already full of rich Ambrée aroma, and on top of that it has strong yet pleasing sweetness, booze, resin and pine hoppiness. Big and strong on all fronts with warmth, a winner!

4.1 12oz bottle (10% ABV) picked up in Hong Kong, and enjoyed in a snifter at home on 27-Apr-2018. Clear brown colour with a medium sized ream coloured head. Aroma of sweet malt and pine. Full body and medium carbonation. Taste of malt, caramel, dark fruit and floral hops. Sweet finish, light bitterness and a decent floral hoppy bite. ABV is well hidden. Pretty decent.

3.7 Bottle from QClub at home. Transparent deep copper amber pour with persistent thin white head. Aroma is dank hops, candied fruit, plum, wood, vanilla, sharp alcohol. Taste is pretty good - big bitter pine hops with stone fruit and toffee sweetness, and lots of alcohol. Lasting warm boozy bitterness. Slightly rich palate, not too heavy. Very warming. Like a less than fresh straightforward pine DIPA, with more toffee and stone fruit. Nice.

4.6 2/2/18 Had with Abby while watching “Groundhog Day” on Groundhog Day! From bottle. Deep amber with 2 finger head that quickly fades. Smell is piney hops with brown sugar sweetness. Taste is hop-heavy (pine) with big caramel/molasses malt sweetness. Wow. This is delicious. Thick chewy palate that hides the alcohol and leaves a lingering hoppy finish. Overall, this is amazing!! Sweet and super hoppy is my thing and this is it! Very similar to Lancaster Boss Hog.

3.6 (Bottle) Reddish amber colour with frothy, beige head. Malty, fruity nose with treacle-toffee, apricot marmalade, dark bread, brown sugar, burnt rubber and resin. Malty, fruity, hoppy taste with notes of dried apricots, treacle-toffee, dried fruit, brown sugar, pine needles, grapefruit, burnt rubber and a balanced resiny bitterness in a finish with some alcohol. Medium body, quite sweet. A bit harsh, but really tasty. Nice one.