Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

confer

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours amber with red tints. Small head made of bigger soapy bubbles fades quickly. Crystal clear.
Nice blend of pine and sweet citrus in the aroma.
At different temperatures the flavor changes. First opened and fridge temp the bitter hops are prevalent. As is warms the citrus flavor as well as a caramel malt dominate.
The feel is on the thick side. Low carbonation and a bit oily.
Overall another winner from Lagunitas. They do it right and for a decent price.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:19:43 | More by confer

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, served in tulip

A - 1" of head, after much prompting. Generous lacing. Dark amber in colour

S - Sugary malt, with pine hops in the background. Delicious.

T - Hard malt backbone, with good amount of hopping. Brown sugar. Could really do well with some oak. Booze is definitely present, not terribly hidden, but quite enjoyable

M - Great. Nice density, medium carbonation.

O - Not too bad. Wouldn't be my first choice, but I wouldn't kick it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:01:16 | More by Beelzebeer

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A birthday brew courtesy of my western connection joemcgrath27.

A - Pours a nice dark amber colour, solid red hue, finger of head with solid retention and nice sheeting lacing.

S - Loads of sweet caramel, sweet citrus, pine and earthy cedar notes, with a burnt sugar finish.

T - Sweet cotton candy hops flavors, the earthy cedar and pine come through alongside sweet lemon citrus. Solid caramel flavors comes through and lingers with a bittersweet hop flavor.

M - Medium bodied, smooth going down and finishes wet.

O - Solid imperial red with the trademark Lagunitas hop flavor profile. Loads of flavor and super stoked to have gotten a chance to try this brew. The abv is dangerously hidden making this a sneaky treat!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 00:47:17 | More by andrenaline

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a deep, rich amber colored brew which boasts a creamy, solid two-finger thick yellowish-white head. Chunky and plenty floaters, tons of lacing to go around here too. This is the sort of sticky lace that cakes the side of the glass and would just stay there if left alone. Nice.

Smells oily, resinous pine, citrus, floral, earthy hops and caramel malt.

Big hops, spices, bright fruits - maybe apricot, mango. Nice malt balance, but the hops prevail. Cracker/toasted bread in there as well. Lots of things going on here, but nothing is overdone - great tasting brew. Really another hit for Lagunitas.

Medium bodied, thick hop coating on the tongue. Silky smooth and creamy.

Easy drinking hop delight. Can't believe this is 7.8 abv. Thanks bro for this one. Truly not one to miss. Sadly I have only this one, but I will keep my eye out for this - even though it is a limited release. Unbelievable drinkability in spite of the abv.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 23:28:57 | More by ujsplace

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a medium amber / copper tone while yielding and finger and a half od frothy off-white head; modest retention and lacing. nose is fairly aromatic, delivering notes of pine, citrus (notably grapefruit), and some tropical characters.

flavor follows well with a strong hoppy citric/pine presence flanked by secondary notes of tropical fruit and some balancing malt. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall another winner from lagunitas, a brewery that continues to impress with fantastic yet reasonably priced beer and widespread distribution. this one wasn't my favorite from them but very good nonetheless. keep 'em comin'!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 20:45:21 | More by BostonHops

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Nice copper color with a finger of off-white head.

S - Has that classic Lagunitas aroma, incorporating pine and citrus (grapefruit) hop aromas. Sweet caramel malt.

T - Sweet and bitter attempt to balance each other, but the beer ends up too hoppy for a red ale. Needs to show better balance. Grainy, toasted, caramel, sweeter citrus, bitterness, brown bread.

M - Medium in body, a bit lingeringly sticky. Overall it works well for what the beer is trying to be.

O - I don't like it all that much. Unbalanced and just unnecessary. It isn't undrinkable, but I won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 19:48:14 | More by greenmonstah

jhartley

Pennsylvania

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

Reviewed on May 10, 2012. Did not find a date on the bottle.
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a poco grande flute glass.

A-Red-amber, bubbly 2 finger head that left great lacing. Carbonation just kept streaming up from the bottom.

S-Pineapple, mango, citrus hop smell. Tropical fruits.

T-Tangy, citrus astringent hop bite up front, nice clean malty finish.

M-Nice amount of hops that coat the tongue.

O-Another great beer from Lagunitas! Reminds me a lot of Troegs Nugget Nectar, which is a winner! Would definitely like to have this one around A LOT.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 16:41:13 | More by jhartley

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - slightly hazy ruby, one finger of tan head retained at a thin covering with some lacing
S - molasses and candied fruit, herbs and fresh grass, with a mild booziness
T - toffee and molasses malt, light cherry, strong pine and grass hop notes, finishing with a alcohol spice and sweetness
M - medium to big body, creamy and full, finishes sticky and bitter
O - a well done big amber, both big and balanced in flavour, Lagunitas delivers as usual

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 23:01:50 | More by joemcgrath27

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

12oz Bottle from Potsdam IGA NY for 2.50$

Appearance - Clear copper colour with an above average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit, apricots

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste hops/resin, malts, and caramel/brown sugar. There is also a some grapefruit, apricot, and pineapple. It ends with a malty lip smacking sugary sweet aftertaste and quite a bit of a hop bitterness.

Overall - Just a notch or 2 behind nugget nectar in my books. I think I've enjoyed every Lagunita's beer I've ever had and this one is no different. Worth picking up for sure. I just wish they made their bottling dates a little easier to find.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 16:45:17 | More by spinrsx

Genuine

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a clean tulip.

Pours a beautiful dark red/amber in color with a slight khaki head, that sticks around for a while, leaving beautiful lacing down the side of the glass.

Smell - the aroma that this beer gives off, is simply amazing. A bouquet of hop aromas quickly fill the glass. Citrus and pine is what I pick up.

Taste - this is where it all comes together. The nose leads into this fantastic adventure for the palate. Intense hop bitterness up front moves along to the flavoral malts, balanced nicely with the hops, which produce a medley of amazing flavors.

Mouthfeel - medium, carbonation is spot on.

Overall - This is one of my all-time favorite beers. The Flavor, aroma and color is just wonderful. I can't get enough of this beer. Will definitely be stocking up on it.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 02:02:01 | More by Genuine

Minkybut

Virginia

2.53/5  rDev -39%
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

somestranger

Sweden

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasting this beer well chilled and poured from a bottle into a shaker glass.

A: Crystal clear with a copper/rust brownish color and a thick foamy head that stays for long. Giving the glass a twirl shows lots of carbonation bubbles underneath the foam head.

S: The smell is very sweet and hoppy getting that nectar like tone telling you that there probably are loooads of hops in here.

T: Just as the smell does tell you, there are loooads of hops in here, yet balanced. The hops are doing a good work and leaves you with a bitter after taste that has that alcoholic-warming feel.

M: The loads of hops gives you a smooth silky feel that turns a little bitter at the end. The carbonation spotted are overwhelmed by the hops and does not kick in as you would expect.

O: This is an imperial (and pretty red) hop bomb. Well balanced smell and taste, giving you a nectar like experience with a little alcoholic warming effect.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 17:55:35 | More by somestranger

tijuas

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Lagunitas has never let me down, this beer was no exception.
first of all let me praise the artist they have because even the word red looks great in this bottle. Opened the beer pored into glass and was amazed with its strong red color. Head was about inch high,but did not stay for a wile. Smell was great with the classic laguntitas hop, hints of citrus pine and herbs. Mouthfeel was a little bit harder than smooth. Taste was great with hints of toasted malts and the classic lagunitas bitternes feel. Overall had a great experience and will get beer anytime i see it on a shelf.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 01:07:11 | More by tijuas

Drinkerofales

California

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours crystal clear copper, with red hues in the light. A big khaki head leaves spotty thick lacing, and clings forever.

Smells of a pine forest, and caramel rich warms malts.

Tastes very similar with lightly toasted malts, and a piny hop finish.

Feels almost smooth, but has a bubbly bit on the finish. Medium-light body with high carbonation, which evens out as it sits.

One of my favorite styles, but not as smooth as it could be, flavor is above average, but I am always looking for something a bit more.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 07:37:33 | More by Drinkerofales

nimrod979

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from my brother. Pint glass.

Appearance: Pours an amber hue wih nice clarity. A one finger beige head. Leaves a ring of rentention. Spotty lacing.

Aroma: Citrus and piney hops. Caramel malts.

Taste: Citrusy, somewhat sweet hops. A little bit of piney bitterness. Excellent balance with smooth caramel malts.

Mouthfeel: Smooth creamy, Perfect mouthfeel. Medium bodied with good carbonation and a lingering hoppy yet balanced finish. The malts and hops just blend seamlessly. This is truly a beer with balance.

Will probably buy my own sixer of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 01:40:55 | More by nimrod979

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

The beer is golden orange with a half inch of tan head. Good retention and plenty of lacing. The aroma offers a bouquet of citrus, followed by malt and a bit of alcohol. Nice flavor. Hop forward, but still a strong malty foundation. Balanced and enjoyable. Medium bodied with a light bitterness in the finish. Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. I definitely see a sixer of this in my future.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 21:50:31 | More by Huhzubendah

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, 7.8% abv. Slightly hazy reddish, copper color. White rocky head holds very well, and leaves some great patches of lace.

Citrus, pine and herbal hop aroma is nice. There is a great malt character in the nose as well, so this won't be too one-sided.

Some sweetness up front. Loads of caramel malt, hints of toffee. Sugar coated hops with some nice piney and herbal qualities. A bit of juicy fruit. A characteristic Lagunitas feel to this one.

Medium body, nice feel in the mouth. Slight warmth from alcohol, but not overwhelming. Pretty nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 19:58:11 | More by Bierguy5

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into tulip

Pours a deep reddish amber color with a thick layering of soft beige head. Retains for a while throughout the pour, leaving patchy and spotty lacing tracked around the glass.

Bitter piny hoppiness in the nose, tempered with a soft caramel sweetness. Bready malt base comes right through with a soft buzz of alcohol.

Biting pine hops right up front with a faint fruit sweetness. Malty, bready backbone is pretty substantial on this one, tempering the heavier hop presence. Soft caramel and fruited sweetness on the back end. Finishes bitter and dry with a lingering warmth from the alcohol.

Fuller medium body, nice carbonation, fairly creamy and sticky on the tongue. This is up there with some of my favorite red ales - I really enjoy the balance of heavy duty West coast hops and bready malt.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 19:04:40 | More by xnicknj

jtierney89

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Deep amber color with a nice off white head. Great clarity and garnet edges. Great looking beer. Nice resinous piney nose. Touch a citrus and grapefruit.

Much more subtle than expected which is nice. Very drinkable. Bit of a fruity hop bomb up front rounded out by bready and caramel Malts on the side of the tongue. Finishes smooth and slick. Amazing balance. Full body with good carbonation. Amazing combination of Malt and hops. Really well balanced and dangerously drinkable at 7.5. One of the best imperial reds I've had and so incredibly smooth. Not super complex but it doesnt have to be, it's just good. Just wish this beer was more readily available.

This beer is simply the best high abv session beer with amazing flavor i've ever had (I know high abv session beer doesnt make sense, but I could drink 6 of these easily, be drunk, and fall asleep happily)

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:14:51 | More by jtierney89

cyclonece09

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, received in a Beer of the Month 6 pack from Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg, Virginia, into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a deep red color with a good 2 finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly, but leaves nice lacing. Smells of roasted malts and slight hint of hops. Tastes of sweetly hopped dark malted beer, with a slight hint of alcohol, very tasty. Beer goes down smooth for medium body, but definitely not a chugger. Overall, an exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:13:20 | More by cyclonece09

magine

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours into a becker.

Pours a clear with haze, deep amber color. Huge off white fluffy dense head. Nice dense layer stays and tons of lace. Great looks here.

Brew smells of lots of caramel malts and even more oily resin hops. Very good mouthwatering nose.

Brew tastes of smooth caramel malts, very full body, has very nice hops in the finish. Lots of grapefruit, citrus and oily resin. The finish coats the tongue dry and feels great. The tastes are perfectly blended here. Great abv here as well, nice mellow burn after a few big swigs. Great stuff here.

Perfect balance; flavors, mouthfeel and drinkability are all top notch here. Great stuff here. Would love to sample this next to Nugget Nectar and Red Rocket. Another world class brew I have tried from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 01:32:42 | More by magine

ocelot2500

Arizona

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

Pours a clear amber color with a tight, white head that leaves a ring of lacing.

Smells of big piny hops with some light sweetness.

Tastes of the hops upfront layered over a nice malt foundation. Starts with a wave of hops that gives notes of citrus and pine. Fairly bitter. Malts come through with some caramel sweetness and toffee. There is a good bit of sugar that balances out the hops.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is another solid addition to the Lagunitas lineup and I find it to be well put together.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 03:02:53 | More by ocelot2500

mikul93

California

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A Beautiful clear amber a small egg shell head

S Wonderful smelling beer. Hops, pine, citrus and a slight malty sweetness

T Outstanding! I'm getting the hop oils and grapefruit. Middle of the tongue comes the malt profile that is so harmonious with the oils, pine and citrus. Slight bitterness lingers.

M Nicely carbonated. Very refreshing beer. Medium viscosity.

O Very impressed by what Lagunitas is pumping out. This is a delicious beer and an outstanding value as well. If this exact beer had a Three Floyd's label on it, people would be going gaga over it. Pro's and con's to that. Good for me that it's low on the radar. Bad for Lagunitas for not getting the true respect they deserve. I'm sure they don't care about that anyhow. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 20:45:51 | More by mikul93

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a solid copper amber color with good head retention and considerable sticky lacing. The nose is impressive, showcasing considerable dry citrus and light sweet malt. On the palate, this is pretty impressive, as I get considerable hoppy bitterness that overwhelms the malty sweetness almost completely. There's also something of a biscuit flavor in the finish that is interesting. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a crisp and bitter, hint of sweetness finish. Alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, but you can tell it's in the 7% or 8% range.

Typical well crafted beer from Lagunitas, and another absolute treat for hop heads.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 18:07:25 | More by johnmichaelsen

ehammond1

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cask

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Pretty amber and visibly creamy in texture with a thick, whipped-creamy light khaki colored head that leaves gobs of lacing down the glass. Gorgeous cask beer.

Aroma is a pleasant combination of sweet caramel malt along with some orange and grapefruit flesh and zest. Very nice.

The flavor follows the aroma, and this is most certainly a nicely hopped amber. There's enough bitterness and grapefruit presence to put a little excitement into an otherwise malty, somewhat boring style.

Medium bodied with low-moderate carbonation. Somewhat creamy.

Somewhat creamy, nicely hopped amber, though nothing particularly exciting or new here.

Serving type: cask

05-11-2012 20:08:04 | More by ehammond1