Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Bluetick

California

1.15/5  rDev -72.2%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Perhaps I got a bad 6-pack/batch as I rarely trash a beer.

The very first taste & smell of this beer reminded me of gasoline and finished with diesel notes. I could only drink two out of the 6-pack before giving up.

I am very perplexed as to why my experience with this beer was radically different from other reviewers. I had other Lagunitas Brewery beers and have enjoyed them, not sure what happened with this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 23:35:00 | More by Bluetick

darklordlager

Wisconsin

2.13/5  rDev -48.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Pours a dark ruby red with a healthy head of foam which tantalizingly coats it. Looks great.

Smell is overtaken by a sugary sweetness, with sweet citrus hops. Reminiscent of other Lagunitas brews that are very sweet but lacking depth. Slight bready/biscuity aroma, but is covered by the cloyingly sweet smell.

Taste is intensely sweet--some hoppy bitter citrus makes an attempt to tame it, but fails and is lost in the overly sweet layers...

M- The carbonation keeps it from being too syrupy, but doesn't make up for the taste.

D: Incredibly sweet with no depth of flavour. This one was a big letdown. Drain pour after a few sips.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 03:21:06 | More by darklordlager

njmoons

New Jersey

2.45/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Well I have to go counter public opinion on this one. Way too hoppy and bitter. The hops over-power the beer in all aspects.

Poured a bottle of dark reddish brown with a thin head that quickly dissapated.

In the smell I could immediately smell the heavy malt, and Hops (Cascades I would guess). Both were very strong in the aroma.

Taste, for me is all in the balance. I got some hops in the aroma, hops up front with the malt, and heavy hop flavor and bitterness on the back end. Not a beer I enjoyed, nor would I drink again.

I know the hop heads may disagree, but I have had much better beers from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2009 16:20:50 | More by njmoons

Minkybut

Virginia

2.53/5  rDev -38.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I poured this overly hopped beer into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer was a nice red color. The head poured was also pretty nice. The beer had a heck of a hoppy smell and indeed had a heck of a hoppy taste. Tasted like eating a blended Christmas tree. Had a decent malty after taste that would have been nice if the spruce flavor would not have annihilated it. I will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:13:21 | More by Minkybut

harrymel

Washington

2.8/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottled 25JAN12

Pours a brown red with a finger of lighter caramel foam and some nice grainy lace. Smells of rich malts and some herbal hops - atypical for Lagunitas's style, but welcome nonetheless. I like it as a traditional red ale. Medium sweetness countered with bitterness and some herbal notes juxtaposed with a slight bitter orange peel flavor. A little more bitter than I'd like. Medium bodied with moderate on hi carb and a dry finish. Decent beer, but nothing outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 15:28:54 | More by harrymel

JDV

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Deep reddish color, with a very inviting bright, fresh floral hop smell. Light beige head. Taste is as expected I'd guess, and is a "big" red ale. Quite well hopped, with a semi-strong rich lasting alcohol and hop aftertaste making it a bit difficult to drink. Not my preferred style, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2008 06:01:15 | More by JDV

charlzm

California

2.93/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Draft, consumed at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena on 12/03/07.

Dark, coppery color with modest carbonation and thin head. Aroma: grapefruit hops. Strong malt flavor initially that phases into strong grapefruit hop finish. Well balanced. Almost no aftertaste. Only problem was, when the beer warmed up a bit, it turned into pure hop juice as the malt flavor vanished. Ack!

Couldn't finish the pint.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2008 22:56:25 | More by charlzm

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a bright amber color ale with a relatively small foamy head with average retention and not much lacing. Aroma of citrus hops is not bad but pretty standard compared to some other West Coats hop bomb. Taste is also dominated by loads of citrus and piney hops and a medium caramel malt backbone. Not the most interesting beer out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 04:18:12 | More by Phyl21ca

Reidrover

Oregon

3.05/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

New one from Lagunitas "Imperial Red",
Nice enough to look at deep amber with a nice frothy tan head.
Extremelly hoppy aroma..almost citric in its intensity ( no way is this beer only 40 IBUs as it say on the label.)
The taste is strange its starts off ok..piney/citric like a strong IPA..then it just falls apart into a metallic,sugary mess. weird.
Its ok on the palate to start..and then becomes cloying to the stage of being annoying.
Not great drinkability.
I really dont know what happened to this beer..it has all the ingredients to have been another good Lagunitas beer,but it just fell apart.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 07:36:39 | More by Reidrover

dbalsock

Vermont

3.13/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Served ruby red with a slight off white head. Weak lacing and only slight head retention.

Smell: A good balance between deep caramel malts and aggresive hopping. The sweet aroma of the malts mixes well with the piney and heavily plant like hops.

Taste: The malts provided enough of a backbone to make it alright, but the hops took over for the taste of this beer. Very piney like the smell and overall too powerful. Impressively, however, the alcohol is not even a factor in the taste.

Mouthfeel: This beer was way more bitter than it needed to be. If it gave in more to the sweet malt base, the mouthfeel would have had a thicker mouthfeel and creaminess that would counteract the intense bitter character.

Drinkability: The bitterness is too much, and the taste isn't enough to keep me interested in this beer. I've gone through one pint, and have no interest in trying more. I'm not so unimpressed to give it a label of being unimpressive.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2006 06:02:38 | More by dbalsock

imasloth

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Poured into pint glass- highly carbonated, visible through light amber to orangish brew. Cream-coloured thin head, moderate lacing.

S- All hops, nothing else. Get citrus and floral notes.

T- All hops- similar to smell.

M- Light to mdeium body. I'd like mine a bit heavier. Some bitter afterfeel.

O- A red ale?! Tastes like an IPA to me, and a one note one at that.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 22:54:23 | More by imasloth

ccrida

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic, the Imperial Red is a clear amber with a small, tight olive-tinged ivory head that leaves moderately heavy lace.

Smell is pretty soft, mainly gingerbread like malt, sweet with a touch of spicy hops.

Taste is smooth and balanced, bready malt, semi-sweet and a little soapy, with a lingering citrusy bitter finish. Something about this one just doesn't work for me, I think it's the soapy hops. ABV is well hidden.

Mouthfeel creamy but a bit thin.

This is smooth and on the lighter side for it's size, in both flavor and body, which helps it really go down with ease. On the other hand, it's not that appealing to me that I need to drink more then one, even though I'm sure I could get myself drunker then I mean to with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 07:03:16 | More by ccrida

SilentSabre

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I should have known to expect this from Lagunitas, but this thing was much hoppier than I was anticipating. It poured up a clean, medium dark red colour with a fairly large two and half finger slightly off-white head. Thick, glue-like froth heavily coated the sides of my glass. Smell, to me, is grapefruit rind oil and not much else. If you're in the mood for hops, but don't really want to go the route of your standard American IPA, this'll fix ya' right up. Taste, too, seemed to be very assertive hops with little else to accompany it. This is good beer, for sure, but alas, yet *another* over-the-top hop bomb. Still glad I was able to try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2008 00:18:25 | More by SilentSabre

teromous

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First off, my bottle says "Limited Release" on the side so I'm not sure if this was a pre-retired beer or a re-release of the old one. It didn't come in a 12oz longneck, but came in a stubby instead.

A: It has a medium brown color, with hints of orange. It's semi-transparent. There is a billowy off-white head about the thickness of my little finger and it leaves good lacing.

S: I get a light resinous smell to the beer, accompanied by an even stronger malt scent. It smells strongly of caramel and toffee. The scent is strong enough to smell the beer away from the glass.

T: I get some light bitter notes, like a strong tea. There is not as much sweetness as the scent would put on. There is very light bitterness.

M: The beer is medium-bodied, leaving behind light bitterness in the mouth. It is wet, and very refreshing, but not sticky.

O: Overall I thought it was a little better than average because of the good lacing and overall visual appearance. The taste and mouthfeel are so-so. This is a pretty good beer, but it's nothing to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 00:10:43 | More by teromous

LeftyBWS

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. brown bomber into a Sam Adams pint glass.
A: Caramel-amber color, kinda orange-red and hazy, with tinges of brown. Frothy white head with sticky rings. Looks very nice.
S: Sweet caramels dominate, with some citrus hops and grassy scents, too. However, the overall effect is off-key and almost seems manufactured, fake. The sweetness is almost too sweet, and the hop scents are floral and grassy but out of place.
T: Sweet and tingly bitterness with some floral hops. The middle is sweet yet earthy, kinda strange. Finish is leafy and floral, and with plenty of caramels, too. Overall, it's fine, but not stunning.
M: Okay. Bitter at times, but not harshly so. The malty sugary feel is fine but almost too much.
D: Not bad. Easy to put back, but the overall effect of the whole beer doesn't leave me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2007 00:10:41 | More by LeftyBWS

maximum12

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hmmm. Picked this up as part of a mixed sixer during a cross-border beer scramble this past weekend.

Pours a lighter red, almost oragnish color, with an almost non-existent head. What's that? Holy crap! The hops & malt come out of the glass with a big smelly baton whacking me upside the nose. This red smells fantastic!

I'm disappointed that the taste doesn't back up the great nose. It's OK. I like the warmth, & the imperial reddity comes out strong.

Mouthfeel is pretty good, full & woody & I'm feeling the malt backbone. Goes down easy.

Not a bad red, but I'm going to keep looking.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 03:02:12 | More by maximum12

belgbeerdrinker

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a: almost ruby red, very little head, barely traceable bubbles, slight lacing
s: difficult to discern; malty/hoppy mix with malts winning out
t: immediate clash of hops and malts makes for interesting taste that finishes much the same but malts win out again; bitter aftertaste takes a while to appear
m: medium to heavy body with nice balance of carbonation; not smooth but still a nice balance/adventure
d: once it warmed a bit, this was a pretty enjoyable brew, just nothing memorable

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2009 04:21:31 | More by belgbeerdrinker

kojevergas

California

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard into EKU 28 snifter in LA. Live. Paired with a breakfast burrito. fridge cold. expectations pretty high/brewery

A: Pours a one finger nice cream lacing, good thick, and good retention for the abv. Colour is a clear amber with copper tinge. Appealing.

Sm: Quite hoppy, with both bitterness and floral notes coming forth. Some untoasted bright malts. Mild in strength.

T: Hoppy, with cherry ester notes and some amber hops. The hop bitterness is well concealed, and only comes through a biteen on the finish. It's hidden by sweetness on the climax, a nice touch. The malt foundation is clean, bright, and unobtrusive to support the cherry esters and hops. It's pleasant to drink and nicely balanced. No yeast comes through, nor does any alcohol - an achievement given the relatively high ABV. Quite enjoyable. Complex enough, but not unique or special.

Mf: Crisp, clean, smooth, wet, and a touch creamy (on the open). Carbonation is adequate. It's a bit too smooth on the finish. Neither too thick nor too thin. Suits the flavours well.

Dr/Ov: Very drinkable for the ABV, which is quite well concealed. I'd have it again on-draught. I don't know that aging would help it on account of its hoppy character; hop death wouldn't mellow the beer but rather might ruin its appeal. A well constructed imperial red that I quite enjoy. Its relative simplicity and lack of bold flavours hold it back, especially when coupled with the relatively flavour-empty finish, but it's certainly worth a try for any beer fanatic - certainly those that like the style.

Best judged as a red ale, not as this "American Strong Ale" nonsense. She drank just grand out of me snifter. A good snifter is probably ideal for this beer; a pint glass might bring the appearance score down. The aroma is worth trapping.

B-

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 23:23:09 | More by kojevergas

bennetj17

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear deep amber color, light tan foam reaches a full inch and holds nicely. Good streaming carbonation throughout. Smell is mild with a caramel malt and sweet grassy hop mix. Flavor begins without much complexity, the bitterness hits first and finally I can detect some nutty malt. It just really misses the front of the tongue. Lots of hop presence but its a bit dank, and leaves a slight sourness afterward. The alcohol is fairly noticible. Mouthfeel has a good creaminess and sharp carbonaion, not bad. The main problem with this beer is the flavor, and unfortunately that's the most important part. Worth trying but I wasn't into it.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2006 02:12:49 | More by bennetj17

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Maybe my bottle has been sitting around to long, but I'm not tasting the 80+ IBUs listed on the label. The appearance is a red-amber body with a white head and lacing. There's a general citrus and grapefruit flavor, aroma, and bitterness with very mellow, subtle malt flavors. The soft caramel and toffee flavor are nice, but tough to pull out. In general, a sweet citrus hop flavor rules this beer and I'd like more out of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2008 00:29:02 | More by tempest

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Tan with a slight red highlight. Head is cream colored and long lasting leaving a fair amount of lacing on the glass.

S- Caramel and lightly roasted malt are the dominate notes. Little whiffs of sweet fruit and grapefruit hops every now and then.

T- Malty up front with sweet caramel and honey notes. Unexpected strong grapefruit taste of the hops at the finish. Slightly out of balanced between the sweet and bitter.

M- Medium in body, but a little syrupy from the sweetness. Carbonation is good. Finish has a lingering bitterness and a little bit of oily residue from the hops as well.

D- Pretty easy drinking for an imperial, and at 7.2% ABV it deserves some respect. The alcohol doesn't show through but it is a little on the sweet side.

The sweetness becomes more apparent as this warms, if it was just a little better balanced this would be a great one.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 02:24:59 | More by ToddT

Pjilsner

California

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 12oz into my Anderson Valley tulip.

A: Amber, like fresh motor oil with a pretty weak head that didn't stick around very long. Lace clung to the glass like sea-foam on the beach.

S: Could smell it clearly from the moment a head began to form. Tempting citrus and floral aroma which made my mouth start to water. I'm excited to taste it, it's scent is so refreshing.

T: Grapefruit, lemon and some kind of tropical fruit I can't place. Less bitter than the hoppy scent led me to believe, with a nice roast malt which reminded me of a medium roast coffee (only present in the aftertaste). Eventually I found myself wishing that the malt were balanced a little more. The hops take over and I prefer my Red Ale's to have more malt characteristics. Still tasty though!

M: Medium carbonation with an equally balanced mouthfeel, which seemed almost grainy in my mouth, as though I were eating a meal-y apple. Finish is dry, with a bitter aftertaste which made me want another drink. I found this beer very refreshing in this aspect. Alcohol didn't make an appearance with me in flavor and it wasn't until I started to feel a nice buzz that I was reminded of it's ABV.

O: I really enjoyed this one. A friend of mine had recommended it to me and I didn't think much of the concept until I tried it out. I've bought two six-packs so far and I'll be sure to pick up another before it's run is over. A refreshing change from the winter brews you've possibly been enjoying, as I have.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 08:35:25 | More by Pjilsner

mactrail

California

3.49/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

As usual with Lagunitas brews, the head and foamy mouthfeel are impeccable. Quite beautiful coppery amber color in the tall Stella glass.

Slightly sweet with a rich sensation. Even a little sticky. More on the earthy side than other Lagunitas offerings. But hey! it's a Red. The smell is particularly dank and herbal. Moderately bitter with some darker notes of bark and dirt. The malt flavors emphasize the roast grains and a little perfumey taste.

Quite drinkable for a double Red. Not quite hopped into IPA territory, though the bitterness is sufficient with the dry aftertaste. From the 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 06:18:18 | More by mactrail

waldowin

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a golden amber, with a thin white head that sticks around. Excellent lacing.

Smells of oats, cinnamon, and a bit of grapefruit.
Tastes of almonds, cinnamon, and grapefruit. Finish is fairly bitter and astringent, but this is a tasty, crisp clean beer.

Mouthfeel is smooth, pretty carbonated, but a bit astringent on the finish.

If it weren't for the bitter finish, this beer would be extremely quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2006 04:25:51 | More by waldowin

jwarren2388

New York

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured from a limited release chubby 12oz, the color is a nice deep amber brown with a translucent appearance and a bunch o carbonation bubbles. The head is a whopping 2 1/2 finger length head that retains its whole way down the glass leaving behind a sticky residue.

Smell: Smells like a super citric hop oil there is a bit of sweet malt that mixes in with the aroma but nothing to overtake the abundant hop aroma. Accompanying the hop scent is some roasted straw and special grains.

Taste: The herbaceous pinesol hop bitter is there at the forefront than transforms into a wood barreled, slightly roasted caramel malt with subtle hints of raisins and other dark fruits. As it jumps from limb to limb from hop to malt this one rounds out with a thin resinous aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and extremely creamy smooth. Light on the tongue but yet big on the tastebuds it goes down leaving behind a resinous piney throat-coat.

Drinkability: For a moderate abv it doesn't really reveal it instead it taunts you with how oily smooth it is and I noticed my pint was practically gone after a few sips. Surprisingly they truly encourage my behavior as they boast "life is uncertain, don't sip".

Overall: Have yet to be disappointed with lagunitas however considering I haven't had much in the strong ale department I'd say this would be a go-to in the category but in general its not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 21:14:36 | More by jwarren2388