Hairy Eyeball Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

miramanmike

California

1.5/5  rDev -61.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

I did try this beer and I hate it. I will drink anything and everything. This beer was just not my thing. I would suggest that you do try it because Laginitas dose a great job at brewing and I find no real flaws with this beer (other than I don't Like its taste). I read the reveiw prior and I think this guy did like it and describe it correctly. I'll post his quote now "caramel, burnt sugar, golden raisins, with a slowly drying lightly bitter finish. Uninspiring..." and I would add very slightly if any bitter finish. OUT of BALANCE. raisen bomb. poop! but I'm an IPA lover so go figure. You decide!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 06:07:54 | More by miramanmike

bubseymour

Maryland

2.15/5  rDev -44.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Appearance - Unique, nice looking clear, dark mahogony color with minimal head presense despite aggressive poor (no head within 30 seconds)

Smell - sweet and malty

Taste - Very Sweet and very heavy. Hoppy aspirin like bitter finish. Not sure I like this one at all. Tastes like a combination of Robitusin with groundup aspirin in it.

Mouthfeel - Syrup like.

Overall - I don't understand the hype for this beer. Its quite difficult to drink and the flavors just don't work for my pallet at all. Beers over 8% are very hit or miss for me. A few A+'s and a several D's and even an F. This one is a big D (only because it looks and smells ok). I will not be able to finish this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 18:28:19 | More by bubseymour

mbo34

Pennsylvania

2.2/5  rDev -43%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Wasn't quite sure what type of beer this was, as the label simply called it an ale. The only hint was 9% abv. I picked up a bottle of this out of curiosity.
Overall, this beer seemed a bit of a mess. Malty and strong are about all I can say about it. The flavor was pretty uninteresting and became even more so as I finished my glass.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 15:42:00 | More by mbo34

nrpellegrini

Maryland

2.23/5  rDev -42.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottle boured to serving sample.

A: deep dark brown/ black, somewhat clear, very thin head
S: very hoppy, earthy
T: cough syrup, very hoppy, coffee/ caramel, smokey
M: very heavy/ thick, hoppy bite, awful aftertaste
D: tough

Im glad I didn't have more than the serving sample.
I felt like I was sick and my mom was forcing me to take the cough syrup

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2008 02:17:05 | More by nrpellegrini

steve8robin

Massachusetts

2.28/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Got this one at the local beer store because of the interesting name...

A: Deep beautiful red. Tiny white head that quickly fades. Good.

S: Hard to get a strong scent. Once you do you kind of get a barleywine and tripel mixed scented beer. Eh, ok.

T: Bitter hops with almost a slight V8 type flavor. A little too weird. Bitter hops in the middle. Ick.

M: Goes down a little too thick for the style.

D: Ok, nothing good.

All in all, this brew is not very good. Avoid!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 05:24:40 | More by steve8robin

goochpunch

Texas

2.3/5  rDev -40.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours out a rosey purple brown body with a 1/4" head that fizzles down to a thin layer of foam. Some head clings to the glass in scant patterns. First smell I get is a bit like rotting oranges. What follows is straight up sweet, darker malts, alcohol and a bit of citrus hops. When I taste this, i basically get a barrage of sweet malt body, piney hops, bitterness (quite bitter for a 50-something IBU beer), and a finish that is medicinal in the amount of alcohol. I can pick out some flavor as the aftertaste lingers, which is a blend of chewy dried fruit and pine resin. Mouthfeel is full bodied and a bit slick. Mild carbonation. Yeah, I don't really want to drink this all that much. I remember liking this a couple years back. Kind of nauseating now.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2007 04:44:39 | More by goochpunch

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.4/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Reviewed 1/25/2007 (22oz bottle):

Pours a dark brown black color, almost no head, quickly diminishing. Tan in color. Strong dark fruit aroma, grape, some hops, some alcohol. Taste of alcohol, hoppy flavor, some of that dark fruit taste again. Letting warm up a bit, hopefully the alcohol taste will be mellowed. Not much mellower.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2009 13:48:39 | More by jujubeast6000

cmoney311

Wisconsin

2.45/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A: pours a deep amber with a thin cream colored head.

S: has a sweet barleywine type scent to it, a hint of dark berries.

t: lacks in anything special, perhaps a dark berry aftertaste. a strong alcohol burn basically dominated every taste aspect to me.

d: i usually consider Lagunitas my favorite brewery and usually love every beer of theirs that i come across, but this is the first one i don't care too much for. good to drink one or two at a time - a few more than that if you are looking for a good sunday afternoon acoustic jam session buzz...

i did save one for aging purposes and will compare it to next year's batch.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 21:50:42 | More by cmoney311

imagese

California

2.45/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Nice clear ruby with a one finger tan head that faded fast. Soapy lacing the whole way

S- this is where I started to worry... Super strong roasted caramel, bitter apple, cherry, and faint earthy hops. A burst of alcohol warmness pulls up the rear

T- a muddled mess of all the smells, followed by an unpleasant bitter grapefruit rind hop flavor with a boozy warmth

M- great body. Full feeling, smooth, and moderate carbonation. But then BAM!!! The bitterness comes in and ruins it all

D- I surprisingly finished the 12oz bottle easily. I love big beers, so I was able to muscle thru it, but I will not grab another

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 21:56:36 | More by imagese

BeerBelcher

Ohio

2.48/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I can definitely sympathize with those who offering a contrary opinion on this beer, as I was not a fan either. It had a significant liquor presence that I did not care for that came off very medicine-y. I finished it, and it wasn't terrible, but it definitely is not an experience I will be seeking out again.

My bottle poured a copper color with minimal head. Color was nice, beer was admirably clear, and brilliantly bright. Aroma was a combination of cereal/grain with some diacetyl and and a liquorice/medicine smell. Flavor and was caramel-y and harsh. It had a real cereal/grainy element combined with a lot of liquor/medicine flavor, but not in a good way. For some reason, it felt like there was some grain in the beer other than barley, like maybe oatmeal. Mouthfeel was unremarkable.

I can't say I'll be seeking out this beer again, nor recommending it to others.

I bought this bottle as a 12oz single at 3 Cellars in Franklin, WI.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 13:48:43 | More by BeerBelcher

TexIndy

Texas

2.58/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a 650ml bottle with no dates into a pint glass. Was bascially black unless held to a light then it was a dark mahogany. Had a decent head to settled to a constant collar with very good lacing. The smell for me was awful. It had a rotting plum smell with a medicinal alcohol smell in the background. The taste was just as bad. I can see where some may like this but this ended up a drain pour for me. Very bitter with a bad aftertaste. Don't recommend unless you are a big fan of the sytle. (2, NA, ML, N)

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 22:41:58 | More by TexIndy

jgap

California

2.63/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a deep red with a sizeable cream- color head that fades to a good lace. Smell is a sweet, sugary caramel and... Is that cheese? Taste is immediately sweet malt. LOT of sweet malts. It's syrupy and really sweet. I think it tastes more like a Maibock. Once you muddle through the sugar slush, there is a very light hop that quickly becomes alcohol which fades into the aftertaste. It's really just too sweet for me. Mouthfeel is syrup. Not that drinkable. I love lagunitas but I'm not sure about this one

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2009 05:47:39 | More by jgap

CFHMagnet

Ohio

2.65/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.
A. A strong pour finds me with a half finger of effervescent beige head in my glass. Body is a red-tinted dark brown, actually a rather pretty color. Head takes a few minutes to die down to a ring and very light frosting on top. Decent lacing.

S. Malt, caramel, dark fruit, and alcohol. In that order.

T. Malt and caramel lead the assault on the tongue. Alcohol pops up and says hi, then a nut flavor takes over that ruins it for me. It's a woody/nutty flavor that combines with a dryness and slight bitterness to just turn me off to this beer. I don't know why, because any of these traits alone would be pleasant, but the way they are combined in this beer does not please my palate.

M. Heavy bodied, with some carbonation, although this seems to almost get lost in the body and flavor. Slightly syrupy.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 04:49:33 | More by CFHMagnet

DiabolikDUB

Oregon

2.68/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured from Bottle into Pint glass.

Pours a clear, but dense, dark copper color with 2 fingers of rocky, creamy light tan colored head that never fully disappears. The aroma is very malty and heavy with toffee, molasses and a touch of hops. The flavor is sweet malt, some citrus hops and finishes very strong with brown sugar and a very noticeable alcohol presence. Its full to medium bodied that is a touch sticky. I would say this beer is a pretty cross between a scotch ale and a malty barleywine. Overall, I'm just not impressed with it. Alcohol is a little too noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 01:15:31 | More by DiabolikDUB

CHSLBrew

Minnesota

2.7/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a snifter.

A-Deep brown-copper beer, pretty clear, but dark so as to seem slightly opaque. Tan head rises up and quickly receds to a collar around the glass.

S-Thick sweet malts, some sticky hoppiness floats in and out of this overall sweet malt and fruity aroma.

T-Slight choco-breadiness coupled with an odd fruitiness. Some earthy, herbal nuances. Bitterness is more than balancing and countered by alcohol-bitter-flavor and feel. Finishes medium-sweet with a residual bready malt.

M-Medium-low carbonation, medium-full body. Feels like a hearty, dry dinner.

D-Not a great one in my book, and seemed to overall lack a sense of balance and what flavors are supposed to be accentuated.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 20:42:21 | More by CHSLBrew

thor638

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Great smell and a good looking beer. Appearance is very dark and the smell malty and strong caramel notes. Def a session beer with great caramel feel. Too heavy for me to go more than one but worth trying and having a good conversation with - as noted in previous posts not much carbonation even on the tap

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2009 20:48:49 | More by thor638

TXHops

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

-Original Gravity: 1.090
-Final Gravity: 1.024
-ABV: 8.8%
-ABW: 6.8%
-Attenuation: 72%
-Real Extract: 8.9 P
-Calories/12 oz: 300
-IBU’s: 56.66

From the never–ending line of Lagunitas seasonal beer comes the December through March offering, The Hairy Eyeball. This odd ale pours a deep, deep red with brownish hints and the beautiful finger of tan head was quickly relegated to wispy status by the beer beneath. A more vigorous “topping off” resulted in a head with a little more staying power. It didn’t hurt that the second pour took the head over the top of the bubble in my Nonick Pint glass… The beer gives off a sweet and sour nose, not unlike ubiquitous, run-of-the-mill fried Chinese food in brown sauce. Chinese food tends not to smell vaguely hoppy though. The sweetness, which is obviously malt-driven, though oddly un-malty in aroma is underpinned by an alcoholic thinness.

The flavor is very much as the nose foreshadows. A vinous, non-descript sweetness vaguely resembling some non-existent brown fruit dominates the beer. This flavor, which reminds me of the aftertaste left in my mouth when I eat too many raisins, thins into a sour stickiness in the back of my mouth. Several consecutive sips leaves me with the sensation that I’ve just finished a flat, alcoholic Dr. Pepper. It’s odd, because I really WANT to like this beer, but like Brown Shugga, it just falls short. I tasted it twice because I was so dissapointed with the first one, I wanted to be sure before reviewing it. It’s un-complex, non-malty and kinda sour. It tastes like a beefed up New Belgium 1554 or a high gravity Kostritzer. There’s no roastiness and no toastiness from the obvious use of darker malts. The 56 IBU’s lend neither any hop flavor or aroma, and don’t even really do a very good job of off-setting the sweetness of the non-fermented fermentables. This is a very average strong beer, since it’s very hard to achieve this little flavor with this many raw ingredients…

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2003 20:10:47 | More by TXHops

supercolter

Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I will be very honest, I did not really enjoy this beer. Appearance is good, nice deep brown color with a little head and no lacing. Smell is okay with lots of dried dark fruit right up front, a bit of hops and way too much alcohol for 8.80% in my opinion. Taste is more of the same but something doesn't mix well here. It goes sour and not in a good way. Mouthfeel is decent, slightly above medium body. Drinkability is not that good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2009 07:02:09 | More by supercolter

chumba526

Oregon

2.8/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appears a dark red color with a very thin white head that quickly vanishes.

Smells strongly of prunes, raisons and other dried dark fruits. There is also a strong brown sugar smell to the beer as well.

Tastes of brown sugar. A dry fruit smell is also apparent. A tad bit of citrus hops though they are barely noticeable. The beer ends with a very slight bitterness.

Carbonation is medium low.

I find this quite difficult to drink because the sweetness is very strong. This beer can use quite a bit more balance. Not a bad beer by any means but just a tad bit too sweet for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 00:42:43 | More by chumba526

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.83/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a nice clean coppery reddish-brown color with a one-finger light tan head that holds on and leaves decent lacing.

S: Smell is sweet malts with light fruity hops - I get peaches as the dominant fruit.

T: Taste is very malty, moving quickly to a strong bitter finish. I like malty beers, but this one tastes unbalanced, with a malt peak and a bitter peak, without much linking them. I like the flavor profile of a beer to be full, and this one is dominated by too much sweetness and not enough else filling it in. There is a LOT of dark caramel malt flavor to this beer. Dark fruits come through more in the taste than in the nose - plums and raisins in particular. Something about it reminds me of a Pedro Jimenez sherry, with that forceful sun-dried sweetness. Has a lingering bitterness, which I think is the unmasked alcohol. To sum it up, some nice flavors there, but they don't add up to a good whole.

M: Mouthfeel is okay, medium-bodied, and pretty sticky and coating. But the flavor that stays in the mouth is mostly bitter, so I kinda want it move on more quickly. A decent amount of alcohol in the finish.

D: Unfortunately, I liked this beer less and less as I drank it. I almost drain-poured the last quarter or so. The dominant flavors are a strong raisiny malty sweetness and a bitterness that lacks the nicer attributes of hops. I think I can see where they were going with it, but it lacks fullness and balance in the flavor. I find it too strong, in malt and alcohol, without sufficient other flavors to smooth them out.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 05:32:13 | More by zeledonia

Damian

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Drank on-tap at Atwood's Tavern, Cambridge, MA
Served in a stemmed glass

Gorgeous appearance. Deep, dark, crimson-mahogany. The translucent liquid was topped by a near two-finger head of beige colored froth. Thick, lasting rings of lacing coated the glass.

The aroma was surprisingly mild. In fact, I could hardly detect anything. Subtle caramel malts possibly. A bit toasty. Somewhat fruity and semi-sweet. A touch of alcohol hid in the background.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was a big letdown. Malty and biscuity up front. Fruity in the center. The finish was moderately hoppy and dry. The hops were somewhat earthy and herbal. There was a slight alcohol warming on the finish as well. Regardless, the 9% was remarkably well buried.

The mouthfeel was super creamy and lush. Medium-full bodied. Pillowy and silky smooth with a slick, moderate effervescence.

Hairy Eyeball Ale was a true oddity. Although the appearance and mouthfeel were exceptional, both the taste and aroma were hugely disappointing. I felt like the life had been sucked from this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 03:00:45 | More by Damian

largadeer

California

2.85/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance - Dark brown but not completely opaque. A strong pour provided very little head, but what does appear manages to last for a decent amount of time.

Smell - Toasted malt, caramel, roasted nuts. Faintly noticeable alcohol. The toast aroma really dominates everything here, but it's nice and appropriately wintry.

Taste/mouthfeel - Alcoholic sweetness mixed with toasty, roasty bitterness. Caramel-coated nuts. Full-bodied with fairly low carbonation. Hops come out a bit in the finish, but are rather subdued; they're used to accent the flavor rather than define it.

Notes - A decent beer, but I do have one problem with it: it's entirely too strong for its depth of flavor. If I'm drinking a 9% beer, I want it to be complex; something to savor and sip slowly. The simple, sessionable flavors of this beer don't work with its high ABV. Bigger is not always better, guys.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2008 01:45:55 | More by largadeer

billshmeinke

California

2.85/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint.

Finger and a half off white head. Brown with a tinge of amber in color. Good retention. A nice cap of foam on top. Nice lacing.

Powdery cocoa. A hint of caramel. Faint spicy hops.

Toasted malts, powdery cocoa, some citrusy hops.

Medium bodied, nicely carbonated, smooth and creamy. A nice hop bite on the end.

Kind of like an india black ale, but it could be hoppier.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 02:12:59 | More by billshmeinke

JamesP123

California

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

2009 release 12 oz bottle oured into a mug.

A. Dark bworn/reddish color, small off white head that dissipated quickly, but left some lacing throughout the glass.

S. Kinda sweet, smells of raisins or some sort of dark dried fruit (figs, prunes etc.)

T. Really tastes like raisins or dried fruit, Fairly balanced between the Hops and Malts, can definately taste them both almost equally. A slight alcohol flavor, but not much

M. Lighter than I expected, not as creamy. A little more carbination than I would have liked.

D. Would struggle to drink more than one of these in a row, but liked it none the less. A little too sweet/not hoppy enough for me. Although my favorite style is a IIPA so go figure.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 22:10:58 | More by JamesP123

Brownsfan7

New York

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Had this in bottle after a trip to my local beer store.

honestly this was hard to drink..very malty, with a very heavy alcohol taste. I Tried during memorial day as a sipper..I would try others If I was new to the game!!! If you want to start on a Lagunitas brew I suggest Hop Stoopid.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 02:30:04 | More by Brownsfan7