Double Sunshine IPA - Lawson's Finest Liquids

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.61/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle to Lawson's sniffer

A:golden yellow bright in color with a fluffy bright white head that goes away but leaves a thick lacing. It is cloudy and completely opaque

S: Smells like fresh piney resiny hops definitely some citrus in there too really good quality smell not your average hop bomb

T: follows the nose very fresh hops with pine resin flavor but not overwhelming there is also a little bit of juicy citrus flavors like pineapple nice bitter finish but fairly well balanced for how hop forward this is not overwhelming.

M:smooth slightly resious/sticky feel but not that much but also juicy I use that word instead of watery because it is a little thicker while stile being thin and has a citrus feel. This aspect makes it extremely drinkable and the alcohol is totally hidden.

O: great Beer nice juicy fresh hops with a juicy extremely drinkable beer it is probably the most drinkable dipa I've ever had. I think this is Lawson's. best ipa and I highly recommend it if you can get it and drink it fresh

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:53:36 | More by Pinknuggets

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had a few fantastic Lawson's IPAs, but this appears to be their coup de gras! Lets see...

Pours, well, sunny. Yellow, mild haze, bright orange tones, bright white finger of head, fairly lacy. The aroma is good, but not hugely pungent. Herbal hops mixed with a jarring bit of tropical fruits dominate. Taste though, is a tropical fruit laden punch in the mouth. Mango and pineapple, robust herbal notes orange and grapefruit, with a soft maltiness and medium bitterness. Solid upper medium feel with good carbonation lends a lighter, refreshing feel and a dangerous drinkability.

All in all, this IIPA is every bit worth the trouble to get...or no trouble all cuz miamilice is a beast and extra'd it. Thanks Matt!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 19:27:49 | More by EgadBananas

HopHeadCnK

Virginia

4.91/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Got to try this at the bottle share during Hunahpu Day 2012. Thanks to all you guys at the J-Table that enabled me to try so many good brews, and had me wasted by 11 am. As for this brew, Heady Topper to date is my favorite ipa/dipa i've ever had. This is a very close second. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 00:14:35 | More by HopHeadCnK

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.59/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This poured out as a very nice looking yellow color with a fluffy white head on top. The head retention is strong and the lacing is very good too. The smell is loaded with floral, fruity and citrus aromas. The smell is almost addictive. The taste of the beer is solid as well, lots of piney citrus and melon flavors with a great malt backbone as well. The mouthfeel of the beer is very drinkable, soft and refreshing. Overall it's excellent. Very happy to have tried this beer finally.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:57:08 | More by Knapp85

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.94/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Tapped at 3pm on 3/2/2013 at Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier. Served in a standard pint. Pours a light, golden-orange hue with a dense, half-inch, cream-colored head embedded with tiny pinpricks. Nose is fairly subdued with some light citrusy notes only really coming forth. Taste reveals citrus, buttermilk and an earthy/herbal quality. Finish expresses a slight biscuity character. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a creamy texture and a slightly oily quality. An easy drinking IPA, but not what I would consider a DIPA per se (perhaps it's the cask conditioning). I was lead to believe that Double Sunshine was a juicy DIPA loaded with fruit; however, I don't get this here. I'll have to see how the presentation in the bottle compares with the cask.

Serving type: cask

03-05-2013 00:32:29 | More by Jwale73

Trystero

Ohio

4.19/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Logged from notes circa 7/22/2012

Appearance: Golden yellow straw, pale reflected sunlight haze with a small white head.

Aroma: Subdued grass, slight lingering citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, and pineapple

Taste: Initial bitter pine followed by the citrus. I notice the presence of chinook and certainly citra hops in leading roles. Luscious and juicy with a finish like taking a bite from a ripe tangerine. The ABV is well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Balanced and well carbonated. However, it taste fragil, as if this beer could not stay cohesive in the long run.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:26:50 | More by Trystero

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this fine gem on tap in Waterbury, VT after hearing so many good things about it. I'm a lover of IPAs and this one ranks up there, Top 5 for me all time. Smell was a full floral scent, a mixture of hops and citrus. The taste was very similar to Heady Topper. If there are differences, they are slightly noticeable. Very light tasting with a slight bitterness to it but very well balanced. This is one of the best IPAs out there. Not quite better than Heady but I would definitely rank it above Pliny. Love this IPA and can't wait to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 20:00:03 | More by nootch23

Gobzilla

California

4.43/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a golden orange in color with yellow highlights and a nice half finger of fluffy head that left plenty of lacing sticking to the glass.

S: definitely a lot of fruit in this aroma such as mangos, pineapple, citrusy lemon zest, good piney notes, with a good hoppy tones. It had some sweet sugary and maltiness coming out as well. very interesting nose.

T: lots of passion fruit in the flavor alongside fruits such as mongos, pineapple, a little peach, good pine earthy notes with a grassy hop character that had a mild hop bitter punch. I did however get some woody and slightly vanilla accents.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a sweet, fruity, woody, hoppy mild sweet, and slightly bitter finish.

O: very good beer all around and was happy to see it and try at the alcazaba summer bottle share, good lookin out whoever brought it.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 22:11:39 | More by Gobzilla

Vermont-the-Trader

5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer many times..Best place to have it-on tap at the PIG.
This is right up there with Heady Topper and anything by Hill Farmstead.
I travel to the Warren Store often and depending on what the selection is at the time,i can usually score me up some tasty Lawson's. I'm always up for trading, let me know.

Okay, the double sunshine is almost do i dare say it: Heady Topper.
Same look and feel but taste a bit more bodied. Beautiful gold color, super creamy from head to finish. Very thick lacing, and such an inviting nose. One swallow and the first thing to come to mind is: Liquid Gold! I'm not sure of the hop content, lets just say Hop Heads are smiling every where about this beer.

I'll post a review on the Triple IPA as well, have a few in the fridge right now.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2012 12:57:29 | More by Vermont-the-Trader

tarheels86

California

3.73/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

651mL gold foil thanks to dyan and oldsock/Mad Fermentationist. Pours a clear light gold. Spotty lace. Richer tangerine, mango pulp, papaya nose. Vanilla as well. Taste is rich, sugary, quenching. Palate is thick, no astringency. Mild macadamia nut fat. Nice. Jackfruit sugar, pith, and mild pina colata type white alcohol. 5/31/2012 8/3/7/4/15=3.7

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 19:10:18 | More by tarheels86

MagicJeff

Georgia

5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Got to share this with LiquidSwords and EyePeeAye. Great times fellas!

Poured from a bomber to a pint glass.

Appearance: Looks beautiful--hazy copperish gold with a nice head. Crazy lacing left afterwards. Head pretty much retained throughout drinking.

Smell: Mango, citrus, slight pine. Slightly sweet caramel? So complex.

Taste: WOW. If the smell is complex, I'm lost at the taste. So freaking good. Mango, grapefruit, yet so balanced with the sweet caramel and toffee malts. Some pepper and warmth from the alcohol on the back end. So enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied feel, goes down smooth.

Overall: I've had Pliny, Heady Topper, Hopslam, and other highly rated IPA's, and I'd put this with the best of them. I appreciated how balanced it tasted--you really appreciated the freshness and effort put into this beer. A world class brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:41:56 | More by MagicJeff

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bomber into long-stemmed tulip. no bottled-on date in sight.

A: a rather hazed orange body. white bubbly head w/ good retention and some nice siticky foam left behind.

S: piney, minty. deep fruitiness. citrus rind. orange and lemon. onions and hot peppers? just writing whatever comes to mind when i take a deep wiff. crazy. however, in conclusion, starts super fruity, a wave of citrus, moves into earthy pine, mint, and dill.

T: reminds me of a creamsicle ice pop. especially with the mild vanilla-like flavor that lingers into the finish. the sweet linger on the finish also battles a decent amount of bitterness. orange juice. a minor touch of alcohol heat?

M: the body is surprisingly light for the ABV. drinks more like a really hoppy pale ale. carbonation is subtle and seems all naturally formed. adds to the creamsicle component.

D: another really solid DIPA from the green mountain state. dangerously drinkability reminds me of Heady Topper. definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:44:41 | More by Jimmys

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed On tap at Prohibition Pg. White foam on yellow suds. A DIPA level of bitterness. Good drinkability, above average mouthfeel. Only a faint hop aroma. What a way to start, with a DIPA in the afternoon. Lots of citrus flavour, fruity. The alcohol is there.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 11:40:50 | More by northyorksammy

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours an orange gold color that's crisp and clear, light carbonation and leaves a delicate white lacing ring, low carbonation.

S - Pungent and dank light tropical fruit resin, pineapple, oranges, and some floral notes.

T - Very hop forward, lots of resinous, vinous, juicy tropical light colored fruit - juicy sweet ruby red grapefruit, sweet orange and bitter orange rinds, with a peppery spice finish.

M - Medium body and leaves a big coating of pepper spice and ruby grapefruit coating in the mouth that lingers for a very long time.

O - A beer worthy of its expectations.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:00:07 | More by jzeilinger

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased at Lawson's bottle release this past Saturday (2 days ago) at the Waitsfield Farmer's market. Poured into snifter.

A- Pours a hazy yellowish golden with just under a quarter of a finger of white head that quickly recedes to leave almost no head and some spotty lacing. A little bit below average carbonation.

S- Citrusy tangy slightly dank hops, lemon, grapefruit, a little bit of pine, some light malts in the background.

T- Citrusy piney hops, grapefruit, lemon, finishes with some citrusy dank hops and a tiny bit of booze. Citrusy lemon aftertaste. Everything is very well balanced.

M- Fairly light bodied, not too much carbonation, smooth, easy to drink.

O- This was a very good IPA, definitely world class. However not the best that I've had. Personally I like HF the best. This is definitely right up there with Heady Topper and other great IPAs. Definitely stands up there with some of the best I've had. Just a little bit more hops in the aroma, a tad bit less booze in the taste, and a tad bit more carbonation and I think this beer would have been perfect. Definitely recommend having this for any hopheads, you will not be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:17:40 | More by jaasen64

Damian

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 1 pint, 6 fl. oz. bottle
Served in a tulip
Thanks to CADMixes for generously sharing this bottle.

The beer poured a hazy, light orangey-amber color and was topped by a bubbly, bright white, sea foam head. Excellent retention. The head deposited small droplets of lacing all down the glass. As the beer warmed, the chill haze dropped and the liquid turned nearly clear.

A cornucopia of tropical fruit notes came through in the aroma. Tons of mango and papaya. Lots of pineapple. Strong notes of orange peel. Quite peachy as well. There was a pervasive sweetness, but this seemed to come from the fruitiness of the hop profile rather than from an abundance of malts.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was amazingly rich and complex. Tropical fruit notes dominated. Lots of mango and papaya. Good amount of candied citrus peel. Strong peach notes. Touch of pale malts. The finish was crisp, piney and moderately bitter. It provided the perfect balance to this otherwise fruity and sweet DIPA.

The liquid was medium-full bodied for the style with a fine, moderate, tongue blanketing effervescence. Silky smooth and supple. At 8% ABV, the alcohol was nowhere to be found.

Double Sunshine IPA is one of a handful of double IPAs coming out of the state of Vermont that defines excellence within the style. Thank you CADMixes for giving me the first opportunity to actually have a full pour of this glorious nectar.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 00:58:28 | More by Damian

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

4.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A - Appeared orange-golden with 1 inch slightly off-white head with medium sized bubbles in a 4oz taste-tester glass poured from a cask at the 2012 VT BrewFest

S - Potent fruity tones of grapefruit and really dank, delicious hops. Very floral and full of citrusy goodness.

T - As predicted by the way the beer smelled, the grapefruit and pineapple hoppyness was dominant. Not too strong of a malty backbone.

M - Medium-bodied. Left a strong resinous hop bite that subsided after about 30 seconds. (Good thing)

O - Overall, it is a great IPA that I would love to drink side-by-side with Heady Topper as they are so similar to one another. I would have to say that Heady Topper is better, although this beer would make a good substitute, never a replacement, however.

Serving type: cask

08-12-2012 16:04:11 | More by GeckoPunk

mltobin

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in Vermont.

Appearance is a cloudy orange tone with one finger of a bright white head. Its` nose has pineapple, lemons, hop resin. This a beer with a fantastic nose, perhaps a bit "dank" but nice. Moving on to the taste, there are citrus hops, good bitterness, some bread. Mouthfeel is medium with a rather dry finish which lingers for some time. All in all, a very nice DIPA, not as nice as a certain beer made a few towns away.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 01:19:49 | More by mltobin

tewaris

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks JeepCop for the bottle!

Hazy light golden colored with a very good head and excellent head retention. Smells pretty good --- dank, leafy, weedy. My kind of IPA.

Great flavor, light malt backbone. Medium-high bitterness, good carbonation and a dry finish with no hints of booze whatsoever.

Awesome beer, VT FTW!

4.5, 4, 4, 4.5, 4.5

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 22:33:44 | More by tewaris

nataku00

California

4.63/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a hazy golden yellow color with two fingers of soft billowy off white head. Head dissipates to a layer of bubbles leaving a bit of wide lacing. A good amount of fine carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is amazing, sweet orange and grapefruit, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, with just a hint of citrus peel and herbal bittering hops. Straight out of the fridge the aroma just explodes from the bottle. As it warms, there is a light caramel sweetness as well.

Taking a sip, herbal and pine bitterness upfront, mellowing to sweeter tropical papaya and pineapple flavors. A bit of grapefruit with a nice biscuit and caramel malt sweetness. Lingering herbal and citrus peel flavors on a dry finish.

Light body with a nice soft but ample carbonation made this one of the more refreshing IPA's I've tried. I would have liked a bit more citrus in the taste but still an excellent IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 03:04:15 | More by nataku00

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased fresh on July 20th. Poured in to FFF stemmed tulip.

A - Cloudy medium orange colour. Half a finger of thick white head formed and receded to a thin layer

S - Massive grapefruit aroma up front with complimentary orange rind and pineapple notes. A very light sweetness from the malts comes through. Very fresh and juicy.

T - An assertive bitterness up front with grapefruit, pineapple and some pine. Definitely a hop bomb with only a touch of caramel sweetness from the malts. The bitterness lingers considerably in the finish.

M - Medium body, light carbonation. Full on tongue-coating hop oils.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 23:52:10 | More by TheSevenDuffs

ricknelson

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Six of us attending a beer tasting that I hosted in my man cave pub gave this beer a score of 22 out of a possible 30 for and an average score of 3.75 It ranked 6th out of the 12 beers we tasted. The group of six were divided evenly, 3 that favored IPA's and 3 that favored Stouts. This is a very local Vermont beer, from one of
best brewers in the state. It actually scored very high, 18 out of a possible 20 from four of us judges, so I tweaked to results a wee bit because it deserved it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 21:52:18 | More by ricknelson

kevanb

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle courtesy of Wowcoolman, many thanks for bringing this over!

This beer pours a really nice peachy orange color, clean, clear with a couple of bubbles rising to the top of the glass. A nice fluffy finger of white head rests atop the beer, decent retention, a nice web of lacing left behind along with some film after the head recedes. The aroma is great, big floral notes jump out of the glass, citrus, some nice simple cereal malt. The hops are a bit soapy, but also bring out some nice coniferous notes along with some grassy earthiness. The flavors are great, follows the nose perfectly, lots of floral notes, juicy citrus, a bit of caramel sweetness from the malt, but that's really all the malt I could detect, this is a hop forward beer, plain and simple. Some tropical fruit comes out as well with some nice grassiness and pine at the finish. The body is superb, sticky, big and full, super smooth with perfect levels of carbonation.

Verdict: Certainly one of the finest IPAs out there. Great hop profile, just enough of a malt backbone to keep some balance, great body with a great powerful aroma. Super happy to have tried this one fresh!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:31:38 | More by kevanb

DarthKostrizer

California

4.28/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Wowcoolman at Woodshop 7

Look: Pours a translucent orangish body with a 1/2 inch off white bubbly head and very good retention with some nice circular lace

Nose: The nose starts out all about citrus fruits with orange, lemon, and grapefruit coming to mind. Finishes with a nice pine note

Taste: Again the beer starts out citrus and it packs a punch. That is backed up by malty backbone and finishes with a nice touch of pine

Mouthfeel: Medium body and high in carbonation and very dry and bitter

Overall: Great dipa and I would recommend this to anyone who has not had it but I am in california and I will stick to the ones out this way just because they are far more easy to obtain.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 18:52:01 | More by DarthKostrizer

UCLABrewN84

California

4.4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle pour courtesy of Wowcoolman at Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a clear light orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, and some very nice tropical fruit aromas. Taste is exactly the same and comes with a medium amount of hop bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is super tasty and really easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:17:33 | More by UCLABrewN84