Lagunitas Sucks
AKA Holiday Ale
AKA Holiday Leftover Ale
AKA Brown Sugar Substitute
This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared BrownShugga’ Ale. You see we had a couple of really good years (thank you very much) and so heading into this season while we are awaiting the January delivery of a new brewhouse we are jammin’ along brewing 80 barrels of IPA and PILS and such every 3 hours. A couple of months back we realized that since we can only brew a mere 60 barrels of Shugga’ every 5 hours, that we were seriously screwed. For every case of Shugga’ brewed, we’d short 3 cases of our favorite daily beers. It’s a drag. This year, we brewed something that we think is also cool and brews more like our daily brews. The new brewhouse will help insure this kind of failure never happens again. It’s a mess that we can not brew our BrownShugga’ this year and we suck for not doing it. There is nothing cool about screwing this up this badly and we know it. Maybe we can sue our own sorry selves. There is no joy in our hearts this holiday and the best we can hope for is a quick and merciful end. F*@& us. This totally blows. Whatever. We freaking munch moldy donkey butt and we just want it to be all over...
So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 8% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.
AKA Holiday Leftover Ale
AKA Brown Sugar Substitute
This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared BrownShugga’ Ale. You see we had a couple of really good years (thank you very much) and so heading into this season while we are awaiting the January delivery of a new brewhouse we are jammin’ along brewing 80 barrels of IPA and PILS and such every 3 hours. A couple of months back we realized that since we can only brew a mere 60 barrels of Shugga’ every 5 hours, that we were seriously screwed. For every case of Shugga’ brewed, we’d short 3 cases of our favorite daily beers. It’s a drag. This year, we brewed something that we think is also cool and brews more like our daily brews. The new brewhouse will help insure this kind of failure never happens again. It’s a mess that we can not brew our BrownShugga’ this year and we suck for not doing it. There is nothing cool about screwing this up this badly and we know it. Maybe we can sue our own sorry selves. There is no joy in our hearts this holiday and the best we can hope for is a quick and merciful end. F*@& us. This totally blows. Whatever. We freaking munch moldy donkey butt and we just want it to be all over...
So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 8% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.
3.9
1668 reviews
Petaluma, United States
Community reviews
Pours a golden color. A little hazy. One finger white head. Okay retention and okay lacing.
Aroma is big on fruit. Orange, melon especially. Maybe some tropical fruit. Pretty hefty malts.
Taste is sweet. Mellow. Malty. Fruity. Good.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Sweet, light bitterness. Impressive.Overall this is so good. I don’t know how they do it. I recommend it and I would buy it again.
Copenhagen 6/1 2018. 35,5 cl bottle from Meny, Østerfælled Torv, Kbh Ø. Some kind of lump of something brown and red (hope it is not meant to look like feces).
Pours clear, golden yellow with a small white head. Settles as thin layer just covering the surface of the beer. Crawling up the side of the glass. Substantial lacing.
Aroma is fruity, sweetish and intense. Light odor of exotic fruit. Peach, mango and melon. Lightly sugary. Notable presence of alcohol providing light booziness.
Medium carbonation. Medium thick, soft, tough texture.
Flavor has strong sweetness followed by and balanced by a medium strong bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter and lingers for a while.
A nice strong beer which smell and taste of other things than sweet malts and alcohol.
Pours hazy amber with a thin white head. Aroma of pineapple and hops. Taste has a full hops profile, imparting a tropical flavor on the beer. Solid malt body, very dry. Palate includes resin, pine and lemongrass. Really good beer.
Gott öl med en skön balans av sötma, beska och fruktiga smaker. Jag rekommenderar verkligen!
Colore ambrato carico, tendente all'arancione, versa un dito di schiuma piuttosto fine. L'aroma è intenso, con note di agrumi molto in evidenza ed erbe. Sapore dolciastro, leggermente pungente, si sentono gli agrumi e i frutti tropicali. Più che Discreta.
2 finger white head.
Semi-clear, golden coloured beer.
Aroma is grapefruit, pine, slight dishcloth, mango, satsumas, lime and unripe pineapple.
Taste is the similar (although weaker) but with additional notes of grains, sweet white bread and sugar.
Mouthfeel is pine and hop oily with medium-low carbonation. Sticky. Medium-high bitterness. A bit too sweet.
Overall: Why is this listed as a Strong Ale? Weird. Pleasant beer. More than pleasant even. Its simplicity (and sweetness) is ultimately its downfall but really nice beer for 'casual' drinking. West Coast style brews like this should really make a comeback.
Mörkgul färgad klar öl med litet vitt skum. Doft av tallbarr, grape och apelsinskal. Härlig frisk smak med en lång beska. Grym julöl!
Well this definitely doesnt suck. Awesome golden orange our. Hoppy with slight fruity tones and a nice sweet caramel finish
B-. Hazy golden pour with small white head.
Nose is nice and hoppy, floral
Earlier Rating: 10/10/2018 Total Score: 3.7
12 oz bottle. Initial smell of banana with a touch of pine, takes on a malty smell after a few sips. Light orange in color, fairly clear, with a wisp of haze. Tastes sweet with a touch of citrus, malty. This beer is thicker than it looks. Ends with a nice bitter hop bite.
This beer does not suck! In fact, it is the opposite. It has a strong fruit flavor with some flowers in the background. It tastes like a double IPA beer. Very nice bitter finish. Pine flavor. Some sweet hopes. Very nice aftertaste. Very well put together.
Called a holiday ale. The plain appearance hides an excellent, hoppy ale. Dry and smooth, with flavors of orange oil, citrus zest, and pine. Light after taste. Very good!
Bottle.
Hazy golden pour, small white head.
Nose is nice and hoppy, clear floral note. Taste is very floral as well, typical west coast. Good.
Medium body, soft carbonation.
Bottle from Beer Republic shared. Aroma of heavy maltiness, caramel, ripe tropical fruits, sugar, yeast, spices. A bit above medium body, strong and complex taste. On the sweet side, good strong beer, hoppy ale.
Bottle 0.335L.
Slightly hazy golden-to-orange body with a large, frothy, white head, mostly lasting with some lacing; low density of medium-sized bubbles.
Moderate-to-heavy hoppy (grapefruit, flowers) and light-to-moderate malty (caramel) aroma.
Moderate-to-heavy bitter flavour; long-lasting bitter finish.
Light-to-medium body with oily texture; soft carbonation.
330ml bottle served in a pint glass. Pours a clear orange color forming a medium creamy white head with medium retention that forms and leaves lots of lingering lacings in the glass. Nose is sweet, fruity and citrus. Strong notes of caramel malts, grapefruit, tangerine, resin, grass, lemon zest and pine. Flowery hops. Sweet upfront taste. Strong notes of sweet caramel malts. Strong notes of grapefruit, resin, pine and grass. Strong bitterness. Good bitterness persistence. Heavy body. Medium to low retention. Caramel and resin in the aftertaste. Good drinkability. Great strong Ale. Close to a double IPA.
12oz bottle bought at Key Food (NY). Complex IPA, well-balanced although slightly boozy. Grapefruit peel, pine and papaya notes.
On tap at Uptown Freehouse. Pours gold orange. Orange peel, grapefruit, strong biscuit, little chocolate, orange, blue raspberry, cherry, big bitterness, slight peppery spiciness. Medium body. Very nice.
May 10th, 2015 - I can't remember if I had this beer before or after visiting Lagunitas, but all the same, it's a sassy and boozy brew, just in line with the brewery's branding (and pre-sale attitude.) Beautifully amber with just a slight haze from the chill, it has a high, bright and hoppy aroma. The flavor is sweet with rich hits of brown sugar and cinnamon and a light booziness, but the palate is light and very drinkable. This is a brew to approach with caution. Easy drinking and high ABV make for a potent concoction.
Bottle from Village Beer Merchant, Clear golden. Caramel, pine, phenoles, a bit phenolic, alcoholic. Strong, bitter finish.
Bottle, and an old one. Pours light amber with a one finger thick white head.
Sweet malts aroma, with some spicy notes from rye, some orange too.
Taste is quite sweet, almost no bitter at all.
Medium bodied, satisfying mouthfeel.
Not bad for an old bottle like this, still nice!
5/5/18: $1.66 12 oz bottle poured into chalice. Golden tan pour, light white head and lacing. Hops aroma offset by sweet fruit, mango, citrus and tangerine. Nice hops taste, completely balanced by sweet citrus and tangerine taste, sweeter than most IPAs. Carbonation holds, thin mouth feel, smooth drinking. Overall good offering.
Found in bottle in Chicago area. Very middle of the road beer for me. The color is enticing as is the aroma. Left me a bit disappointed by the aftertaste though.
Frothy off white head stayed on a rich golden body.
Tangy fruity aroma with marmalade - similar to a DIPA.
Medium to full bodied, oily, feels lighter to the back with average carbonation & a clean finish.
Well balanced tastes of marmalade, hops, bitterness wine & orange.
BloodOrango On The USMuffFootHunt😉👍. ButterHopMadness😎🎆 355ml Bottle im Gollem's Proeflokaal Amsterdam.
35 cl bottle at Lumiere. Bright Dark gold to light orange color, clear, big white head, persistent. Aroma is hoppy resiny with tropical fruits, orange peel, nice malts background, lots of grains and bready malts with cookies and cream cake. Thick body, sticky texture, clean finish with dried apricot leftover. Taste is bouncy, sugary sweet then smashed by intense dry hopping bitterness. Soft carbonation, long balsamic finish. Very nice american ale
Smooth and dry beginning. Lots of hop oils there, deep and sticky. Long intense bitter aftertaste, hints of grain in the body with intense sticky pine and resin there. Long aftertaste.
Always been a fan of Lagunitas, and this one always stuck out for me. It has a rich, sweet and malty flavor. A darker orange color almost reddish.
Pours a slightly murky amber with a decent white head. Aroma is quite sweet, raspberry jam, slight pine, malty. Taste is quite malty up front, some fruitiness, nice bitterness comes through in the middle, and carries out throughout. Finishes fairly bitter and malty. Nice warming alcohol in finish. Lovely full bodied, medium carbonation. Fabulous.