Brown Shugga' - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Jhastings79

4.86/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

What can I say? To me, this is just one of those beers that I fell in love with from the first drop that hit my tongue. Right off the bat you get the hoppy sensation that wakes your taste buds and lets them know that you mean business. And there is no denying the brown sugar that they so proudly named this beer after. But don't get too caught up in getting that third and forth opinon too quickly the ABV will sneak up on you very fast.

Look both ways before you cross the street with this treat.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 10:56:29 | More by Jhastings79

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lagunitas Brewing 'Brown Shugga' @ 9.9% a American strong ale , served from a 12oz bottle purhased for $3.50

A-pour is a light amber , good size off white head that is leaving a small spotty lacing along the the stein

S-big west coast pine hoppiness , caramel sweetness , brown sugar

T-lots of hops sugar fruit balanced in a big brew , with a hoppy bitter finish

MF-good carbonation , full body , feeling the ABV as I sip this beer

Ov-big beer , good beer , glad I was able to grab one

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 07:20:38 | More by LampertLand

JEdmund

Kansas

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ruby red, nice head and thick lacing

Big, juicy, fruity hops! Caramel sweetness but not brown sugar (surprising)

Huge flavor, with gobs of hops at the forefront, held up by a mountain of malt, too. Hops are big American citrus ones, though there is also a long, stinging bitterness in the finish. It’s nearly astringent, and there’s also that scorched sugar flavor adding to it, really drying everything up. Despite its heft, the alcohol is well hidden, as I never get a boozy kickback.

Maybe I’m mistaken, but isn’t this supposed to have brown sugar be a part of the flavor? I didn’t get it all. Aside from that, it’s another big, tasty, hoppy ale from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 19:46:00 | More by JEdmund

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.28/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to Hermthegerm for the bottle!

Appearance: Pours amber with an insane amount of carbonation and ginormous 2 finger head that's got some staying power.

Smell: Dark fruit, (sure enough)brown sugar, sweet malt, and some hoppiness. Delicious.

Taste: A fight between hops and malt that malt wins, handily, though that isn't a bad thing. This does kinda taste like brown sugar, bottled. Malt backbone lets the hops bite through for a second, but then they sing backing vox to the malt's double tracked chorus that screams into the finish.

Mouthfeel: Ample carbonation lends itself to the nice mouthfeel of this beer, despite it being a big one.

Overall: Definitely glad I got to try this one. It's a big malty beer, but I definitely like it. Not sessionable by any means, but I'd gladly drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:05:19 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

tectactoe

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a copper, orange-amber hybrid color with pretty good clarity that is only compromised by a slight haze that drifts up and down the glass in the very center. A musky, off-white head forms on top of the beer, remains small, and holds fast as a thin ring along the top.

Brown Shugga's aroma is that of a strong, syrupy, peppery hop, right alongside sweet, booze-filled plums and raisins. Heavy, heavy caramel and toffee on the nose, sugary and sweet. Again, lots of hop aromas are coming out of this as well; spicy, herbal, ashy, oily, and pungent. I can't tell if this is an overly-hopped malty ale or an overly-malty IPA of sorts. It's got enough of a hop aroma to smell like a malty DIPA, but it could also pass off as a hopped-up barleywine with a malt structure like it has... I guess we'll see.

Brown Shugga is pretty thick and syrupy on the palate without being overly abrasive, though it is a bit sticky. The flavor profile that hits your tongue is complex and hard to exactly pin down. Heavy caramel and toffee make up the backbone; molasses, syrup, burnt brown sugar, booze, ripe raisins, sweet plums - this beer is a malt bomb, and that's a FACT. Sweet and sugary as they come with lots of residuals that stick to the palate and seem to hang on for dear life...

...BUT WAIT! Here come the hops - pungent, earthy, herbal, ashy, oily, and providing a bitterness that cuts through the sweetness at the last minute to provide a balance that you never thought would be possible after the first moments of the sip. The gradient of flavors across my palate still has me wondering exactly what kind of beer this really is. Talk about smearing style guidelines! Some boozy black cherries and leafy hops fade into the aftertaste with a sweet and sugary decrescendo. Carbonation was medium, maybe on the low side, with a fairly thick body.

Pretty tasty. Almost reminds me of an aged DIPA, but where the hop character is still fairly heavy and robust after the aging. Then again, it could be a malty-ass barleywine with quadruple the amount of hops used. Sweet, but not sickeningly so. Nice balance when all's said and done. Though the booze is noticeable, it's still fairly easy to throw back for being nearly 10% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 17:41:45 | More by tectactoe

AmitC

Indiana

4.51/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent product overall.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. A very deep amber color. Otherwise very clear except for some suspended very very fine particles. Excellent light tan colored almost two fingers thick head with good retention. The receding head leaves an excellent tracing behind. A few small bubbles seen rising up.

Aroma is strong and punching. A mix of super strong malt and very bitter subtle hops. Use of brown cane sugar as suggested by the bottle suggests some sweetness along with strong maltiness. However, bitter hops are equally strong and rise up to give an excellent aroma. Some alcohol but overall dominated by rich and strong bitter malt. I love the aroma as such and it is very inviting.

Flavor is excellent. A very strong bitterness for something not an IPA or barleywine. Very upfront hops that dominate leaving the strong malt base as a sidekick. Malts are huge and in abundance but for me hops just overpower everything not to the point of extreme bitterness, but just enough bitterness that is worth savoring. A little bit of alcohol and kick is felt. Very warming. Boozy - no. Aftertaste is also full of bitterness.

Mouth feel is medium to slightly full. Moderate to low carbonation. No astringency of any kind for me. Some may find it bitter or boozy or way too malty, but this is just a perfect blend.

This drinks so easy, you realize this when you finish it in 15 minutes. Damn, it is 10%. Can't drink a lot in a single session. Got to care for liver.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:15:51 | More by AmitC

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours clear brownish red with a good amount of off-white head. Good lacing down the glass.

Lots of toffee bready malts and brown sugar in the aroma. A few hops cut through the sweetness

Same flavors as the aroma. Sappy sweet with a little hop bitterness. A bit boozy at the end.

Syrupy but falls just shy of cloying. Alcohol shows through a bit more than I'd prefer on this ABV.

Meh not bad, but not really something I'd be looking for either. I don't really have strong positive or negative opinions about this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 19:29:54 | More by jmarsh123

Hamburgers

California

3.74/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours cloudy dark reddish amber with two finger white head. Head quickly dissipates to thin film leaving some nice lacing. Aroma big on malt, some caramel, piney hops, and brown sugar. Flavor is somewhat sweet balanced by a bitter finish. Medium body with a fair amount of carbonation and just a slight oily texture.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 06:13:50 | More by Hamburgers

dbell23

Tennessee

4.71/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Burnt orange in color with a three finger head that has good retention and great lacing. The appearance of this beer says drink me.

Smell is really nice and somewhat different. Sweet citrus hoppiness with a little booze. Drink me it says.

Taste is delicious and unique. Sweet hop syrup is what comes to mind. Hops with a orange peel flavor to start, with sweet/hop/malt in the middle, sweet clean hop finish with not much aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is perfect for a winter warmer. Good carbonation with a smooth finish. Almost syrupy in a very good way.

Overall a great winter beer. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way about this beer in the middle of August, but in the middle of January sitting in front of a fire this is a nice change from stouts and dark Belgians. If you like a little hop in your winter beers you'll like this one. Lagunitas makes some very good beers and this is one of them.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:13:19 | More by dbell23

LeRose

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle, no date.

Poured deep copper color with not much head. What head there was hung around and laced nicely. Visually looked like good maple syrup with a bit if foam on top.

Aroma was subdued. Some resinous pine notes, blended tropical fruit, malt, a bit of rum raisin, sweet.

Taste was much bolder. Sweetness initial, but some bitter resin at out the same time, then tropical. Didn't immediately think pineapple. More of a mango and papaya flavor. Bitterness hits at the end, and the I get pineapple syrup flavor in the aftertaste. Body had some raisiny notes, slight brown sugar or caramelized sugar taste.

Mouthfeel was smooth and sticky, but aftertaste lingers and gives some tingle from the alcohol. A bit of astringency makes it dry out some.

Overall enjoyable to drink. Not what I was expecting. Nice balance, but the lingering aftertaste takes it down tick for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 19:30:20 | More by LeRose

chinchill

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

coded but undated 12oz 2012 bottle.
Deep amber color with large and sudsy tan head. The head is only moderately durable but leaves lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma: rich and surprisingly hoppy; West Coast IPA hoppy, with mainly piney and earthy/herbal tones. The high ABV is partly apparent but in a rather attractive way suggestive of rum barrel aging.
T: Excellent bitter-sweet flavor with well proportioned sweet malts and aromatic hops, leaving a long lasting aftertaste. This brown "shugga" is not sweet overall, but seems to have a brown sugar component.
M: Medium-full body with near perfect medium carbonation.
O: this exceptional ale should appeal to those would like barleywines, IPAs and brown ales and are willing to try a mix of all three. Good as this is, it is not up to the level of the replacement Lagunitas Sucks ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 23:27:58 | More by chinchill

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very lightly hazy deep copper to light golden amber in color with some orange highlights and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a couple of spots that are a little thinner and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of caramel malts and caramel sweetness with moderate to strong aromas of citrus and pine hops. There are also some lighter notes of burnt sugar and maple.

T: Moderate to strong flavors of sweet caramel maltiness with a touch of burnt sugar and maple as well. Upfront this beer is quite sweet. That is followed by the aggressive flavors of the hops - citrus/grapefruit/orange and pine. Slightly more than moderate amounts of bitterness which linger but not for too long and some moderate amounts of alcohol taste (especially as the beer warms.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Some dryness and alcohol heat in the finish, especially as the beer warms up.

O: Not the easiest beer that I have ever drank but it is still enjoyable - I wish the alcohol was a little more well hidden and that the sweetness was not so shocking upfront and then fading quickly. Interesting mix of style with elements of a barleywine and a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 04:13:01 | More by dbrauneis

rangerred

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear dark copper with a two finger off-white head. Head retention is great but the lacing is really outstanding. Huge chunks hanging on to the sides of the glass that look like they will be hard to wash off.

Strong tropical fruit hop aroma with pineapple being dominant. Sweet caramel undertones along with a little bit of dark bread. Maybe a touch of ginger. Not really as strong and full as I was hoping for.

Pineapple is very in your face upon tasting as is mango. Very tropical hop notes. Brown sugar is in there giving off subtle caramel notes. Quite a bit of sweetness throughout that even the insane hops can't cut through. It really never gets cloying, though. Mouthfeel is full, slick and sticky. Despite being nearly 10% I feel the alcohol is well hidden.

Overall, a really good American Strong Ale although I feel it doesn't quite stack up to Stone's bastard line. Quite affordable, though, and great for the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:30:24 | More by rangerred

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A- pours a dark copper color with a small creamy light-tan head that reduces to just a bit floating on top.

S- sharp piney hops with some grassiness, sweetness from the malt and brown sugar and some booze.

T- piney hops follows the nose with some oily hop resins, the sweetness kicks in afterword which is complemented my the malt. The finish is sweet with a hop linger. I can't actually point out any brown sugar taste but the sweetness can't be missed. This one is definitely a sipper, but the booze is hidden decently considering the high ABV.

M- thick-heavy body, low carbonation, chewy and velvety mouthfeel with a creamy finish.

O- this one was interesting and worth a try. The mix of piney hops and super sweetness seems a little off a bit for me though. An interesting concept.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 02:09:59 | More by Treyliff

JayJ

1.8/5  rDev -55%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Got this beer as a Christmas gift--not to say I didn't appreciate the gesture, but everything about it was wrong to me, it was entirely too strong, like the brewers had attempted to cram too many flavors into it. To me, it tasted a bit like old, flat Dr Pepper with Everclear and a bit of club soda. Would not recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 07:09:18 | More by JayJ

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

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

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish Head snifter. Pours out a murky brownish-orange color with a nice 2 fingers of foam head. Average retention but considerable lacing. On the nose I get sweet, over-ripe peaches and grapefruit.

The beer is full-bodied with a firm feel. Very sweet on the front of the palate with malty flavors of toast and marmalade. Hops contribute a lemony note at mid-palate that is not overly powerful, but well-balanced. Finish is very citrusy with flavors of lemon, grapefruit, and pineapple and just a whiff of warming alcohol (much less than I expected at this strength).

Overall, an excellent American Strong Ale and a definite must-try for those who love Stone's ``Bastard'' beers. This one is very much in the same tradition. It's a big bruiser of a beer with huge sweet notes, a good dose of citrusy hops, and a fair amount of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 21:48:36 | More by deadonhisfeet

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a brilliantly clear amber color with two fingers of dense, fluffy head. Head retention is very good, lacing is extremely good.

S: Overripe pineapple, citrus hops, and sweet sugary caramel dominate the aroma. Not great.

T: Taste is better than aroma, but still not great. Toffee and caramel sweetness are quite strong with the same overripe pineapple and a bit of piney hops. Hip bitterness remains fairly strong, but is obviously a bit faded.

M: On the thick side with fairly strong carbonation.

O: The faded hops flavor here is hard to get past. I enjoyed the malty sweetness, but I got an overripe pineapple flavor that lingered long after swallowing the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 00:43:41 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P- Pittsburgh Bottle Shop

A- dark caramel amber color with a 2 finer head that has some stayng power. 5 minutes later and it is still there. Nice spiderweb lacing.

S- pine hops with caramel hints. i also get some wafts of alcohol coming through.

F- strong pine on the mouth with hints of citrus. I also get some of the brown sugar coming through when the alcohol hits.

M- A chewy feel and the alcohol comes out as it goes down the throat. Smooth though with a punch.

O- Not a bad beer but after a while the alcohol overtakes the flavors and it becomes more of a grain beer. Very good though for the most part.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 21:56:42 | More by Dodo2step

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- great frothy lacing and film, clear reddish amber colour.

S- very fresh herbal hops, alcohol, some almond/marizipan fruitiness.

T- strong piney resin hops, lingering malty sweetness, sticky bitter caramel finish.

M- moderate carbonation, big body, quite thick, feels a bit heavy.

A bit hoppy ale, it is pretty well done, maybe not the most sessionable drinkable beer but packs a ton of flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2013 19:15:10 | More by mick303

sommersb

Tennessee

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted On: 01-02-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Snifter
Purchased: Single from Brawley's Beverage, Charlotte

Pours a clear, dark amber colored beer, capped by a finger or so of off-white head. Retention is good and quite a bit of lacing sticks to my glass.

The aromas are first and foremost of citrus and piney hops, but there is also a big influence of spices, sweet malts and booze to make for a complex and pleasing nose.

The taste is pretty spot-on with the smells, starting off with caramel and bready malt flavors, then with a burst of bold hops akin to pine and grapefruit. Also features a nice amount of alcohol warmth,

Mouthfeel has a body in the medium to full range with an average amount of carbonation. The finish is assertively hoppy but is also balanced by a big malt presence.

I really liked this beer -- I'm a fan of barleywines and this ale seems very much like that style. According to the Lagunitas website, this was a failed attempt at making their Old Gnarleywine. I'm not sure what failed, but this result is a treat...recommended

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 05:15:54 | More by sommersb

Profchaos20

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 OZ Bottle poured into a tulip.

A - Two finger light tan head, dissipates quickly into a thin almost non existent cap. Crystal clear, light brown with a red tint. Leaves nice lacing.

S - Citrus and floral hops up front. Some sweet malt and caramel. Very nice hop aroma that I wasn't expecting but enjoyed.

T - Sweet malt in front, light hop flavor in the middle finishes lightly bitter that lingers and some alcohol heat. Dry and crisp finish. Notes of molasses, caramel, and bread

M - Medium bodied, light carbonation. Smooth and easier to drink then I expected with respect to the high ABV. Only the alcohol burn gives the ABV away.

O - Good beer overall, hoppier than I expected, very drinkable for a strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:03:32 | More by Profchaos20

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into shaker glass at 45 degrees. #21 of a case I picked up in early December.

Pours w/1F of off-white/cream colored head over fairly clear, yet viciously thick amber body, with just a touch of carbonation flowing up ever so sloooowly.

Aromas are chock full of dull hop goodness. Lots of pineapple, caramel malt, and rich bread.

Quite creamy on the palate. Rich. Flavors are full of West Coast hops, navel orange sweetness, and various other citrus elements. Touch of tobacco leaf. Almost DIPA like overall. Pretty clean on the mouthfeel for being 10%.

Delicious beer overall, and such a good choice for this time of year. Rich and sweet, with great hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:37:34 | More by BeerImmediately

mastodonj

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Has a large although short-lived head, light beige with huge lacing.
Exceptional nose, complex. Sweet but not cloying. Malty.
A warming taste with tart-sweet and adult flavors, read: bold alcohol but not astringent.
Overall, a great ale. Perfect for a cold evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:00:30 | More by mastodonj

McNealc31

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy copper. Brown sugar and piney hops in the aroma. The brown sugar comes out even more after a sip. Very sweet, but the aggressive, pungent hops cut through to tame it. Big and very tasty, if not complex. Great balance between the hops and sugar, each keeping the other from overpowering. And checking in at 9.9% ABV, you'd never guess it's close to that strong while drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:28:56 | More by McNealc31

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

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

Pours a very clear, dark, tannic oxidized rust color, very appealing. Smells not very hop forward, but malt, sweet, bread and grain and some caramel, but some noticeable alcohol and pine like hop notes. Tastes very sweet and malty and not at all bitter at first, the bitterness only emerging after a time (like their sumpin') and this tends to modulate the loudness of the bitterness overall. Nice late hop echo coming in later. Mouthfeel and carbonation is moderate fussy and just about right. Overall, another very good Lagunitas offering, although I don't like as much the loud malt notes in the beginning that really mute the effects of the hops...I want the hops right THEIR!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:14:12 | More by Bitter_Echo