Lagunitas Imperial Stout - Lagunitas Brewing Company

mdfb79

New York

3.99/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From 03/04/13 notes. Had this on tap at Spring Lounge in NYC down on Spring St. 10 oz. pour in a tulip.

a - Pours a dark black color with one finger of medium tan head and high carbonation evident. Looks like a nice big stout.

s - Smells of bitter bakers chocolate, roasted malts, sweet chocolate, toasted malts, and burnt malts. Nice dark chocolate to it, pretty good nose.

t - Tastes of sweet milk chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, dark fruits, bitter chocolate, toasted malts, burnt malts, and some toffee. Really nice taste; sweeter than the nose which I like a lot.

m - Thick, full body and low carbonation. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy; very nice mouthfeel.

o - Overall a nice stout. Not too strong and not as big as I was expecting, but looks nice and has a greta mouthfeel, and a nice sweet vanill and chocolate taste. Worth checking out, would like to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 19:44:55 | More by mdfb79

4000qtrap

Missouri

3.36/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Source/Serving: 22 oz. bottle, fresh

S: Cocoa nib, earthy chocolate, twig from a field, with a light touch of acidity. Not too heavy or light.

T: Disappointingly acidic, while only moderate, I think the mark of a great imperial stouts is smoothness gained by balancing grain acidity. Earthy chocolate from the nose is prominent up front with coffee bean and dry, unsweetened dark cocoa character. Hints of woody, herbal hops. Moderate acidity punches through briefly in he middle which gives a cola character and the hop flavor elevates to moderate. Body is medium-high for style, but not thick. Alcohol is clean and smooth, doesn't add much character. Finish slightly regains balance in the acidity and has pleasant a dry nutty, toasty cocoa nib character with a hint of a roasty charcoal note that is nice.

Notes: Decent beer, just wish they balanced the acidity. For $4 a 22oz, its still a sweet deal for a solid Imp. Stout though.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:32:27 | More by 4000qtrap

Chirpie

Kansas

3.86/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

It's another big blizzard on the way outside, so i grabbed one of their medium sized bottles (1 Pint, 6 oz) of this off the shelf after having tried every variation under the sun of Little Sumpin.

Poured it into a glass where sweet chocolate notes, a tan head, and a typically dark appearance awaited. Everything was great so far.

The taste? Dark chocolately flavors. Espresso. And yeah, pretty darn chalky. Bitter coffee beans is the predominant flavor.

If it sounds like I'm a little lukewarm on everything, that's because I kinda sorta am. I still liked it more than some other people here, but my favorite go to budget stout is still Green Flash's Double Stout.

Glad I tried it though...

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 00:46:24 | More by Chirpie

Immortale25

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a 99% opaque black color with a full inch of light brown head that retains a while before slowly receding to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Thick, fluffy semi-resilient lacing.

S- Nutty dark roasted malt with a fair amount of chocolate and smoke.

T- Solid stout flavor with dark roasted semi-sweet malts that provide a decent chocolate flavor and coffee in the aftertaste. The alcohol is hidden very well and there's a slight metallic finish.

M- The body isn't super creamy or super robust but rather a bit below the standard for an RIS. Medium carbonation.

O- People always say Lagunitas should just stick to the hoppy beers, but this ain't bad. I wouldn't be pining for it every year around its release date, but I certainly think it's worth the dough I spent on it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:54:43 | More by Immortale25

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Lost Abbey chalice.

A- pours black with a big 2" mocha head. Big blotches and bubbles of lacing remain on the glass.

S- nice chocolate, some sark fruits and coffee.

T- sweet chocolate, some light roast, dark fruits, coffee that's has some light bitterness.

M- medium body and carbonation. Very smooth and drinkable RIS.

O- This is a very good RIS for the price! Is it a great RIS no, but solid and will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:59:10 | More by kawilliams81

Segelstrom

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A - med. brown in color without the dark head that normally comes with the best in class stouts

S - not as strong or as heavy as I like to see in a rich stout.

T- For a high APV beer it did not have the heavy sweet richness I prefer

MF - i like my stouts to have less tanginess and a heavy rich feel. They should make me feel like holding it and enjoying b/4 swallowing. This did not.

Overall - Laganitis makes some really great beers and I've had most. This
is only average in their lineup.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 22:13:42 | More by Segelstrom

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice glass.

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a fair amount of rising bubbles. About one finger of tan head that quickly fades into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing around the glass.

Smell: Dark, roasty, and fairly burnt stout aroma. Dark roasted barley malts with big hints of dark chocolate, burnt toast, caramel, biscuit, toffee, smoked malt, and some coffee. Hints of sweet molasses and a little anise spice. Subtle hints of dark cherry, plum, raisin, and fig. Fairly earthy with a subtle presence of hops in the background. A very roasty and rich aroma. Pretty solid.

Taste: Rich, roasty, and smoky like the smell previews. Big taste of dark roasted barley malts with notes of dark chocolate, burnt toast, coffee, biscuit, caramel, toffee, and a fair amount of smoke. Some sweet molasses and licorice anise spice. Undertones of dark fruit with notes of plum, raisin, fig, and dark cherry. Some bitter earthy hops come through towards the finish to provide some balance. A good roasty stout taste.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the heavier side with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy and somewhat syrupy. Sweet but has a fairly drying finish. Alcohol heat is masked fairly well.

Overall: A pretty solid Imperial Stout. Good burnt roasty flavors and a well balanced sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 07:45:08 | More by MattyG85

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours completely opaque black with a small, tan head that fades to some bubbles around the edge of the glass. Lacing is minimal.

S: Dark chocolate is the first thing I pick up. This is followed by an unusually potent alcohol scent, which is sharp and unpleasant. Mild dark fruits round out the aroma.

T: The chocolate flavor is still prominent, but now drier and not as dark. Alcohol is unfortunately still present, but thankfully tempered back a bit. Some caramel/toffee flavor melds with a mild dark fruit, cherry and fig.

M: Thick, but overall very dry. Almost reminds me of a Syrah the way it dries out my mouth. Alcohol heat seems to be covered by the thickness, though I can still taste it. Somewhat sticky as it goes down.

O: Probably the poorest effort I've ever had from Lagunitas. Alcohol flavor is potent and ruins most of the beer for me, even though it is lower than some of their other brews (Brown Shugga). Not what I've come to expect from a this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 00:45:43 | More by WankelEngine

barnzy78

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

9.9% ABV
22oz bomber poured into a 25oz snifter. Pours near black with a rocky, tan head that holds excellent retention. Aromas are sweet malts, chocolate, molasses, plenty of dark fruit notes. Tastes are rich & sweet with dark fruits, chocolate, raspberry-like tartness, earthy, boozy. Medium bodied, smooth at first but the alcohol is hot & burns the throat on the way down. Overall, it's different than other Russian Imperial Stouts I've had in the past. It actually seemed more like a Baltic Porter, especially with the fruitiness and lack of roastiness. Not bad, but unfortunately I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 05:09:00 | More by barnzy78

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A nice little impy stout here - contents of Christmas beer gift box.

Appearance: Quite black, shine a light behind the glass and you get some ruby highlights on the edges. Head is very bright white for the style and sticks around a little bit, leaving some nice lacing.

Smell: Quite sweet and malty. Some dark fruits and earthy leather and cherry.

Taste: bitter up front, sweet and juicy middle, and a long finish which is somewhat dry. Very malty, not much in the way of hop presence.

Mouthfeel: Very balanced all around. Nice and thick with some relatively high carbonation. Comes alive and stays alive with long flavorful finish.

Overall: Fairly bog-standard impy stout. expertly brewed and balanced however.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:13:09 | More by uno99

jera1350

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2010 vintage.

Thinner bodied, dark chocolate brown. Short, dense head of foam with some nice lacing.

Rich malt smell with some dark fruit.

Chocolate, raisin, cocoa, prune, light mocha. Very nice comeplexity.

A bit thin for the style, but the carbonation is soft and wonderful.

Pleasantly surprised at how good this is. With Lagunitas, I would guess this was pretty hoppy fresh, but with the age, this has a very nice fruit/malt complexity. Drinks really easy too for the abv.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 00:41:27 | More by jera1350

Kevin73

Washington

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a typical opaque reddish brown. Durable tan head with sheets of lacing. The head is so durable in fact it never actually completely disappears; 5/5!!! Smell is very boozy, pungently alcoholic even. Nothing too exotic or unexpected with notes of bakers chocolate, espresso, wheat bread, caramel, dark fruits. Flavor is equally strong but well balanced. The malt and chocolate notes come through the most with a hint of sweetness making it very easy to drink. The alcohol is far less apparent in the flavor than the smell. This beer is overwhelmingly underrated in my opinion. Read my Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout review. Whatever Lagunitas is doing with their other beers is unknown to me, but they seem to have stouts figured out.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 04:56:44 | More by Kevin73

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.94/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours black with pinky finger thick, mocha colored head…nice lacing when I swirl it around…a good lookin’ stout…(3.89/5)

Smell: Cocoa, creamy vanilla, caramel, alcohol heat, tons of roasted malts, dark fruit sweetness, mild earthiness…I’m picking up some smokiness and citrus hops aroma as well…there is a touch of soapiness…(3.83/5)

Taste: Yum! Tons of roasted malts highlighted by creamy, dark fruit sweetness and cocoa notes…it’s sweet without being milky…there is a bit of hops bitterness bite, earthy/citrus tones that show in the later half…more milk chocolate as the brew warms…the flavor isn’t overly complex, a fairly straight forward roasted malt based imperial stout, but what I do have here is very good...alcohol warms my belly with every sip…(4/5)

Mouthfeel: A full-bodied brew…medium carbonation fluffs up nicely spreading roasted malty goodness all over my palate…wet, chewy, vibrant feel…a touch of citrus bitterness in the after taste, but mostly a malt heavy brew…alcohol heat is apparent…(4/5)

Overall: This is a well crafted brew…it’s not dominant in any one category, but the overall package is fantastic…at 9.9% ABV, one bomber is a nice night of relaxing with a board game or hanging out with the wifey…it’s lower upper level for the field and easily recommended for your consumption…I’d consider buying another one of these for cellaring, just to see how it plays out in a year or two…(4/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:58:17 | More by SerialHiker

dertyd

California

3.66/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass

A:poured a dark black with a inch of nice thick creamy head had some laceing that sticks around

S:smell of sweet choclate malts hints of coffee and a little vaniella

T: verry smooth for being almoast 10% alc sweet choclate,a lil coffee realy good taste

M:leaves the mouth real wet mouth watering feels like there's a coat of choclate in my mouth

O:overall its a damn good beer one of my go to stouts very smooth you can't go rong with lagunitas never

Live life drink beer!!!:-)

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 08:44:11 | More by dertyd

fortheloveofbooz

California

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark coffee brown/black, hints of burnt cherry around the rim, short-lived off white/brown head.

S: Lot of fruit on the nose funny enough. I got plum, dried plum, dark berries, coffee, toffee, bitter chocolate.

T: Flavors are full of creamy chocolate with hints of vanilla and dark fruit with a bitter finish. Fruit on the nose comes through and I get a bit of citrus in the aftertaste. Nice coffee notes with a good hoppy finish come though at the end which counters the sweetness of the malts.

M: A bit thin... would have preferred something a little thicker given the crazy fruit/ chocolate that your hit with.

O: Very enjoyable, if it would have been better in the mouthfeel I feel it would have pushed this beer from good to great. Just wasn't balanced enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 06:47:51 | More by fortheloveofbooz

gleemonger

California

3.83/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Almost black, with a tan to off white head that doesn't stick around very long, but leaves lacing. Not as rich looking as I'd expect.

Not a huge aroma, but I do get a nice chocolaty roast with hints of hops. A little bit of dark fruit and some alcohol. I'll have to keep checking on the aroma as it warms. Yes, definitely comes out more as it warms - aroma still the same as described.

Similar to the aroma, a pretty even blend of chocolate and coffee roastiness. Picking up a pretty nice complexity to the roasted malts. Alcohol a bit too prevalent, but this is one big RIS. Still, it's a bit much, especially after I swallow, kind of taking over the aftertaste a bit. Pretty nicely balanced flavor though, for sure.

Medium to full bodied - not quite as rich as I like in a RIS, but it kind of changes throughout the sip. Moderate carbonation. Pretty good, just not quite spot on for me.

Definitely well made, just not super exciting or stand-out. All elements miss just slighly for me, from a kind of thin appearance and feel to a little bit too much of an alcohol presence. But it's definitely drinkable and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 18:46:14 | More by gleemonger

Holy_Hop_Head

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz into a goblet.

Appearance: a good, thick brown-black with a two-finger head and lots of stubborn lacing.

Smell: a metallic espresso

Taste: sweet mocha with a bitter finish and a bit of licorice as it warms. The alcohol is definitely present but integrates well into a Russian Imperial.

Mouthfeel: medium-full bodied, not quite so much as something such as, say - Old Rasputin. Definitely a little lighter with a tingling carbonation.

Overall: This is my go-to, easy-to-find (in Portland), great value beer when I'm in the mood for an imperial stout (which is fairly often). It's fairly well-balanced, slightly sweet but with the characteristic Lagunitas bitter finish. Not too complex, but definitely good and drinkable - again and again. I like this one a lot.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:07:34 | More by Holy_Hop_Head

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into chilled pint. Although it doesn't need cold it is a stout!

A: pours thick and dark, completley opaque black brew, as it should be. A small cap of head tried to get through but only made a little cap of kahki head that fell to sparse little bubble and an extremely thin ring.

S: up front a sweet smell, a little fruity but nothing I can place. Behind that the usual smells of a dark beer. Not as roasty as most though. It smells rich.

T: the sweet dark flavor reminiscent of molasses and currants. Alcohol flavor is present, a bit of fusel in there. No hop presence until the very end there is a bit of bitter in the finish but really not much. It isn't as balanced as I expect, still a very sweet brew. Pretty tasty.

M: full bodied, when as it feels pretty thin but as it warms it acts less thin. Very smooth beer.

O: good not amazing but good. simple RIS, not pretentious. But I like it.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 07:46:53 | More by N3rdM3t4l

PacNWDad

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a snifter.

A: Midnight dark, with a slight reddish tinge to it. Not a very thick layer of off-white head, that dissipates quickly leaving lace on the sides of the glass. Fairly clear overall for a stout.

S: Roasted malt, toffee, with black cherry, coffee and cocoa notes. I think I poured it too cold, because the aroma improved (a lot) after it warmed up a bit. Not much in the way of hops comes out.

T: I get oatmeal, roasted malt and sweet flavors (chocolate, dark fruit), with bitterness from the hops lingering for a time.

M: Very robust, modest carbonation, fire from alcohol is apparent.

O: A big stout that I enjoyed a lot. Make sure to let it warm up a bit before imbibing.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:00:57 | More by PacNWDad

Lordquackingstic

New York

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber poured into a snifter.

A: One shade lighter than pitch black with a tiny brownish white head.

S: Huge on chocolate notes here: Bittersweet chocolates, dark chocolates, milk chocolates.

T: Chocolate forward with a hint of a whiskey taste to it (even though this isn't whiskey barrel aged.) Sweet, but not overly sweet.

M: Surprisingly smooth for a 10% beer. A teensy bit thin, but not really noticeably.

O: Super solid RIS for the price of $4.50 a bomber. Probably wouldn't pay more than that for it though.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 21:41:50 | More by Lordquackingstic

cooler4life

Quebec (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Happy Columbus Day 2012

A: Poured a quarter finger head that settled to a thin rim of mocha around the edges. Color is a murky dark brown/black. Spots of lacing appear on the sides of the glass. Retention is almost non-existent.

S: Strong dark fruits, caramel, molasses, brown sugar. I swear this smells more of a Tripel than a RIS.

M: Silky Smooth, fine carbonation, stickiness of the dark sugar leaves you happy.

O: I was expecting something more darker, and multilayered than what this beer presented.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 20:52:03 | More by cooler4life

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pitch black with a foamy three-finger light tan lacing which faded a little quickly. Pretty cool concentric circle lacing as the level of beer dropped in the glass.

S - Nice strong aroma of cocoa, roasted grain, dark fruits, and a touch of lactose.

T - Big sweet stout with juicy dark fruits (getting a lot of plum and black cherry) leading the charge over and beyond any burnt/roasted flavors. Chocolate and burnt flavors are certainly there, but not slapping you in the face and commanding your attention like many other Russian Imperials. Hint of anise floating in the background. An almost acidic quality in the finish. Touch of leafy green hops as the aftertaste fades. Booziness comes through a little starting in the mid-palate and carrying through the finish. Super sweet. Overall pretty tasty.

M - Thinner and more carbonated than most RIS, but you'd be hard pressed to actually call it "thin". More like medium bodied. Carbonation makes it scary drinkable as big gulps are not a problem.

O - A slightly brash, unconventional RIS. Overall solid, and good for those looking for something a little different, or extremely drinkable. For those craving a large burnt bitter profile, this might not be their cup of tea. That said, I really did enjoy this, and might buy again when in the mood.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 03:05:52 | More by TempeBeerMan

ocelot2500

Arizona

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

Pours a cola color with a tight, off-white head that leaves little to no lacing.

Smells of cocoa powder, coffee, and a little sweetness.

Tastes of nice roasted notes with some sweetness to it. Malts lead off with coffee, cocoa, brown sugar, and a little molasses. A bit of bitterness comes through and accents the roasted notes. Some dark fruit notes come through as well. Ends a little hot.

Mouthfeel is full with a creamy amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is a solid imperial stout and well worth the price, but there are other offerings that make this look a little lacking in comparison.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 02:59:39 | More by ocelot2500

vfgccp

New York

2.85/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Dark black cherry brown with cola and cranberry highlights. Bone white head has nice lace and ok retention.

S - Big sweet nose loaded with malt, dark fruits, molasses, and concentrated balsamic vinegar.

T - Plum, with dark roast notes throughout. Touch of vanilla and cocoa in the center. Bitter roast finish.

M - Full body. Light carbonation. Smooth.

O - Excessively fruity. Almost more of an export stout with dark Belgian fruit notes.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:31:43 | More by vfgccp

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.53/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mom and Dad bought me this one in NC last summer. Thanks for picking this one up for me guys!

From a bomber into a snifter
Unlimited Release

APPEARANCE: A clear brown pour yields a one finger, medium looking, light tan head with decent retention. Head quickly fades to a splotchy wisp and ring. Transparent sienna brown body body with lower levels of carbonation. A ring remains until the end but leaves no real lacing down the glass. Definitely thin for the style, and the head could use a little more flair.

SMELL: Roasted malts, dark fruits, grapes, and some red wine notes. Dark chocolate is there as well. Quite bold and interesting.

TASTE: Quite malty and sweet for sure. Roasted notes are there, then plenty of sweet dark fruits, raisins, dates and red wine initially, with some molasses and dark chocolate at the swallow. A big, persistent aftertaste of sweet molasses, dark fruits, port wine and a touch of bitter dark chocolate fighting for balance. This is very malty sweet, and is quite hefty for the ABV.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Enough weight, creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes quite sticky. A touch of heat lingers.

OVERALL: This is a big, sweet, malty, sticky imperial stout. It's actually like a Dark Lord 2010 Lite. I usually like a bit more bitterness as balance, but this is quite good for what it is. This is one I'd gladly drink again if I saw it. Perhaps I'll get my parents to pick up another one next year. Cheers guys!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 18:33:39 | More by Jeffo