Hairy Eyeball Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

beagle75

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Clear, dark amber color with less than one finger of diminishing light beige foam head. Light spotty lacing remains on the glass.

S: Mild and malt-focused, with some well-behaved caramel and complementary husky grain. A fine thread of wintergreen, seeming equally authentic and artificial, is also detected while the beer is still rather cold. Coconut slowly emerges as it warms. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins very off-dry, with mostly dark crystal malt up front. Molasses is more heavily represented than unrefined grain, although the tendency is not extreme. Acidity is strong into the middle where some medicinal bitterness develops. Malt turns more toward the brown during the second act. The finish is surprisingly short, drying, with the earlier bitterness lingering in a pure--but not particularly appealing--form. No alcohol is detected.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, acidic at times but also fairly wet on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This beer follows the blueprint for a very ordinary American strong ale, but does so effectively. It exhibits some semblance of balance, with hops and malt each evident to some degree. That said, it is the malt influence that is most appealing and memorable.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 18:28:47 | More by beagle75

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 2/14/2011. Pours lightly hazy dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of caramel, molasses, chocolate, roasted malt, toffee, raisin, prune, toast, biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, and light earthy spiciness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity; very unique. Taste of caramel, toast, molasses, toffee, chocolate, raisin, prune, biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, and light earthy spiciness. Slight herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, toffee, molasses, chocolate, raisin, prune, biscuit, nuttiness, and light earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic robustness, balance, and complexity if flavors; with zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent strong ale! Great robustness and malt complexity; and very smooth to sip on. Highly enjoyable stuff, and it definitely ages great!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 06:16:15 | More by superspak

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a dark amber color with a two finger white head. The head has a lighter level of retention, fading to give a light level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is a mix of dark fruits (fig and raisin), a bready smell, as well as some hop. While the hops were largely citrus in nature, there were other smells of a floral and pine hop as well.

Taste – A sweeter dark fruit and malt taste greet the tongue. A citrus hop which is on the sweeter side is upfront, but bitters more as the taste advances transitioning more toward a grapefruit flavor toward the end of the taste. With the change in the citrus hop there also comes the presence of a light pine and herbal hop flavor. In the end the mix of the hops , dark fruits, and the nice malt flavors leave a smoother and pleasant taste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the creamier and smoother side with a carbonation level that was just below average. The creamy body was quite nice for the sweet dark fruit and lighter hops as it allowed all the flavors to really be detected by the tongue.

Overall –A nice easy drinking brew at 9% abv. It was creamy and smooth with all the flavors working in concert with one another to create a very nice flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:44:00 | More by Darkmagus82

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from tasting notes.

Pours out a darker brown color with a stable 3mm tan foam lid that sticks around for several minutes. Medium levels of lacing are left behind on the glass.
Smells mostly of dark fruits and brown sugar, some molasses aroma as well. Tastes of all of these things, but also has a stronger raisin/spice element with a medium texture and a hint of stickiness.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 23:05:41 | More by WastingFreetime

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 2/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip.
Pours a dark red brown amber with a light tan head that dissipated to a thin film. Aroma of bready malt, dark fruit, sweet. Lots of flavor; malt, light and dark fruits, vanilla, but but somewhat subdued. Almost like a lightly flavored barley wine; subtle, but complex. Quite different. The thick, creamy body and pleasant overall taste are excellent. A second bottle had more assertive flavors. A great American strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 20:29:02 | More by LiquidAmber

jsanford

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dunno the vintage. 12oz bottle

Pours a very dark brown, almost like root beer. Thin off-white head settles to a nice ring and swirls of haze. Big, malt-forward aromas of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, booze, and some residual hop bitterness. Something like a cross between a Barleywine and a big Brown Ale. Taste is similarly malt-heavy, with more sweet toffee, brown sugar, and caramel, some roasted nuts, baked brown bread, and some slightly grassy hops. Very signature of a Lagunitas brew. Mouthfeel is a bit sticky, with a medium-full body and low carbonation. Overall a solid stab at a maltier beer from Lagunitas. While I enjoyed it, I doubt I'd pass up a Little Sumpin' Sumpin' for it.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 01:47:28 | More by jsanford

mikehblack

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 bottle.

A- Pours with very little tan head that dissipates quickly. Dark reddish brown in color.

S- Bready malts, caramel, alcohol, some dark fruit.

T- Super malty and sweet. Some toffee and roastiness coming through. Bit of booziness. There's a slight hop bitterness remaining after a year in the bottle.

M- Full, thick, sticky. I feel the alcohol on the finish. This is a winter warmer for sure.

O- Pretty tasty beer that I remember being much hoppier when fresh. A year has turned this into a barleywine/old ale of sorts. I might go back and pick up some more bottles to see if the alcohol will fade with some more age.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 23:14:54 | More by mikehblack

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

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

Clear dark rusty color. Dense khaki head that holds nicely. Smells malty, and very boozy. Its an older bottle, it was the last one at the store and quite dusty. I think it tastes so much better than is smells. Really smooth and creamy for a 9%er. Yeast flavor it similar to other Langunitas beers, floral and fruity. Tastes like American hops, citrusy and pungent. Lots of caramel and grainy base flavor. Pretty unique, like Old Ales I've had but American in character.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:29:36 | More by mlazzaro

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Lagunitas mason jar. Bought at the brewery.

A: Murky plum-hued root beer. Pours a finger head, which settles to 3 cm, but what spectacular looks, lacing, and staying power do those 3 centimeters have! The frothy goodness just stays and stays and stays, smothering the sides of the glass at the same time.

S: Wow, complex. Dark cherries, grape Juicy Juice (yep, that wondrous childhood drink from a can!), vanilla, prunes, and some veggie notes as it warms. Malty and boozy. No detectable hops.

T: This is sublime. Dark fruits lead the way (cherries and grape skin), then I get a jab of bitter chocolate (no where in the nose), some buttery flashes, and then some light wet hops. The alcohol blends amazingly well and adds a lot to the flavor profile. A bittersweet malt finish.

M: The Eyeball has one of the best feels I've ever experienced. I wish every beer had such an interesting and balanced MF. Thick and coating and creamy and warm, yet highly drinkable, with a perfect amount of muted carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 05:51:38 | More by Heavenisbeer

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Very dark mahogany almost brown. A touch over a finger of head of which the head rentention is decent. As the head thins out a good ring of lacing remains.

Aroma: Up front is a solid amount of malty, bready sweetness with a touch of brown sugar. Towards the end is a wisp of fig and prunes grape skin way in the back.

Taste: Malts are certainly front and center in this one. Dark breadiness, ripe fruits prunes, figs and brown sugar showing up again. Mouthfeel is smooth but it does have a light bite even a little bit sticky and chewy.

Notes: This has quite the malty backbone a dam good cold weather beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:28:31 | More by horshack7

Brent

Kentucky

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Something about this beer simply failed to connect for me. Moderately turbid chestnut with off-tan head. Up front a big dose of malty sweetness that was reasonably well restrained. Hops followed in a feeble attempt to breach the malt and then fell back after an initial rebuff. Malt rebounded and carried through the finish with a bit of a watery aspect. There was a consistent metallic note throughout. Overall, the effect was that of a barleywine that needed to spend some time in the gym.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 15:54:36 | More by Brent

nsabo

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

If you imagine beer styles on a spectrum, this would be somewhere between winter warmer and barleywine. This is a malty ale: toffee, raisins, some wintery spices (cloves, nutmeg, ginger), and a hop presence that feels almost a DIPA. Oily, medium mouthfeel. This is a good brew fresh, but I've sat on a 6 pack for almost a year and feel like the malts really took over and put the hops in their place.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 02:45:32 | More by nsabo

mactrail

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Rich, edgy dark amber ale. Seems to be a lot of oxidized, sherry-like flavors. Rather sweet but also hoppy. Tangy mouthful of flavors, lots of raisins, dates, and fruity acids. Tastes quite strong. Hard to categorize, body is not as full as a barley wine style. Hints of coffee and cocoa. A kind of bitter toffee. Lots of hops spill into the aftertaste.

Very intriguing but a real stew of flavors. A bargain if you want a six pack of strong beers around for medicinal purposes.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 05:50:34 | More by mactrail

mdaschaf

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep brown/red color with a one finger off white head. Decent retention, eventually reducing to a few splotches on top and a ring of foam around the edge. Thin lacing forms on the glass.

S: Some sugary, caramelized malt, raisins, and some doughy malt.

T: Very simple, but well done. Thick and chewy malt with a good bit of dark fruit - dates and raisins with hints of vanilla and brown sugar.

M: Slightly thicker than medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is rather sticky.

O: Pretty easy drinking for style and abv. Nothing amazing about it, but solid.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 01:23:01 | More by mdaschaf

McNealc31

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

With a big head, this brew from Lagunitas is a deep brown with copper edges. The nose is very malty with dark fruit and some hot alcohol.

Big and malty like a Trappist quad, there are a ton of complex flavors going on here. Sweet malt, dark fruit, butterscotch, and a dry finish that presents some hop character.

Very smooth and creamy, this is an outstanding beer, and the best I’ve had from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 01:06:00 | More by McNealc31

Burt

Rhode Island

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

Served in a pint glass.

Brown with a little red when held up to the light. Off white thin head that dispersed quickly that left little lacing.

Caramel and dried fruit with a little hint of alcohol.

Taste is just like the smells, starts of sweet at the beginning, dried fruit in the middle and finishes thick on the tongue with a little alcohol burn.

Picked this up to finish off a mixed 6 pack and thought it was a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 21:29:36 | More by Burt

ToasterChef

Maine

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

A cellar temperature bottle is poured into a pint glass. A large tan foamy head looks really good. It rests atop a dark ruby colored liquid with plenty of rising carbonation. I can smell caramel malts as I pour the beer. Getting up close and personal, I can smell brown sugar, alcohol, and some mildly oily hops. It smells good. I can taste why this is a strong ale; both the hops and malts are big and bold. Brown sugar, caramel, plum are all present. Bitter hops come in as I swallow and linger on, along with some alcohol. There is a bit of burn as I swallow and some stickiness throughout, but it is still a good mouthfeel. I like this beer. It's a pretty good strong ale. I would certainly pick up another bottle if I come across one.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 00:10:24 | More by ToasterChef

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one poured out as a reddish brown colored ale. The head was white and foamy looking and leaving just a touch of lacing behind on the glass. The smell of the beer is a little sweet and a little fruity, it's got a little bit of everything going on in there. The taste is kind of the same way in my opinion. I'm not sure exactly what they're going for here but it's interesting. The mouthfeel was drinkable, decent carbonation and nicely balanced. Overall I'd like to have this one again one day just to give it another shot. Perhaps I'd enjoy it even more the second time around.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 16:57:19 | More by Knapp85

Sensaray

Massachusetts

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

Pours deep dark red mahogany with a full 3 finger light tan head.

Smells like fruity dark malty booze, in a good way. Some raisins.

Tastes like dark druit and dark malts, with a slight bitterness, then closes with a bitter intertwining with that dark fruitiness. The 9.0% alcohol I thought was prominent in the smell doesn't present itself as much in the taste.

Lightly carbonated, medium body.

Good beer. A couple months ago slightly fresher I remember enjoying it more, but it's still good now.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 02:37:21 | More by Sensaray

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

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Thanks to mdaschaf for the extra! Batch code 02083614

Barely half a creamy one finger light tan head is made only to leave a simple puck on top of a very dark cherry brown with red hues. This brew looks old, and there is no carbonation what so ever. (Verifying batch code Jan 20th!)

Bouquet is a strong malt, mixed with toffee, cinnamon and strong thick caramelized brown sugars. Smells like a good strong malt bomb.

Taste is a little wet and surprisingly a little fizzy in the palate. Malt pleasure comes with a good strong pine hop bitter, but also a wet finish for a strong ale. Boozy but fun. Small hint of milk chocolate on the finish. Better as the beer warms up providing more milk chocolate senses and hop bitter.

Overall she works out alright, but doesn't taste too much different compared to some of their other strong offerings. Glad I had it though.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 19:24:04 | More by smakawhat

Vanlingleipa

California

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Year before last, Hairy Eyeball saved my butt. One guy had bought six cases of Brown Shugga and I could only manage to find a six packs for this seasonal. It was gong to be long and hard winter.

Then I discovered Hairy Eyeball. It didn't replace BS as a top fav, but was tasty, plentiful and really helped fill the BShugga void.

HE is another sweet, complex brew from Lagunitas. It pours into a glass with its classic dark amber color. Small to medium head and sticky lacing.

The deep amber hints of, then delivers a rich, toasted malt sweetness with lots of caramel and toffee flavor, then follows that sweet, dark fruitiness with a hint of dryness to round out the body of this brew. Not much burn but watch out for the alcohol - one 12 oz bottle is usually enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 17:34:53 | More by Vanlingleipa

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Hairy Eyeball (which wins my award for the most disgustingly-named food ever that still manages to be somehow appealing) smells so rich and malty that it comes off more as a beer extract than a legitimate brew. Huge vanillas, oranges, apricots, brown sugars, creams, chocolate ice creams, and wildflowers mix with an equally heavy rosewater and light grapefruit scent.

On the tongue, the brew is equally complex and heavy, with layers upon layers of flavors glooping across the tongue. Early flavors include apricots and oranges, brown sugar, lychee nut, fig, and grapefruit. Mid-mouthful, these peel back to reveal a darker, chocolate malt layer, that continues to darken into coffees towards the end. A healthy grapefruit hop overtone lingers throughout the mouthful, growing perhaps slightly stronger toward the end. The aftertaste is largely darker coffee and chocolate malt flavors, with a good dose of bitterness from the hops. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is an excellent beer, and fascinating in both taste and texture. The only real fault is that the 8.83% ABV does result in an vodka-like bite, which can prove distracting, especially late in the aftertaste. However, the rest of the beer quite makes up for this.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 03:29:17 | More by jondeelee

robbrandes

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle in a tulip.

pours quite dark brown, hints of deep purple. nice full head, recedes to a nice layer of faintly off-white bubbles and lacing.

big bready nose, some dark fruit and caramel undertones. just a whiff of the alcohol bomb hidden within. pretty boozy upfront, but the sweetness of the malts, some caramel, raisins bring everything back together nicely. exceptional mouthfeel keeps the glass coming back for more drinks.

good stuff, certainly would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 05:28:50 | More by robbrandes

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.3/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pilsner glass. No visible best before date.

A: Light head fades very quickly. A rich, dark-dark brown, but clear. Wonderful colour.

S: Rich and chocolatey malts. Some alcohol. Nice

T: Very good beer! Malty, with lots of fruit and a touch of chocolate. A bit drying on the endtaste. Alcohol is present, but not obtrusively so. There's more going on, but it's a little hard to explain. Old ale funkiness?

M: Round, very smooth, and utterly delicious. Whoah.

O: Great beer! Drinkable, recommended, and super-tasty. Will have again. The more Lagunitas I try, the more I like it.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 03:10:12 | More by AgentMunky