New Dogtown Pale Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

priestsyrinx

Rhode Island

3.05/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

My first beer review!

12oz bottle poured into a glass.

A - This beer has a clear golden straw color. Pours to a nice 1-1/2 finger head. Carbonation is very active throughout. Just a bit of lacing going down the glass, and it retains a thin head.

S - Smells very hoppy, but not very bitter. The scent wears off quickly, though.

T - Fairly straightforward. A bit bitter on the front end, but that goes away fast. I taste a slightly sweet, butterly flavor on the back end. Overall, a nice tasting beer, but not as refined as, say, SNPA.

M - Tingles the tongue a bit. It's fairly light, yet pretty full bodied.

O - Good beer. It's not great, but I suggest trying it atleast once. It has a high ABV for a APA (6.2%). It's very drinkable, and has nice flavors in there. I'd say it's just about average as far as APAs go.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 02:05:21 | More by priestsyrinx

kevanb

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

New Dogtown Pale Ale pours a very clear golden color, hints of bronze and straw, lots of bubbles rise to the top of the glass where a thin head sits atop the glass with large wide bubbles which recedes quickly, although it does leave some wonderful lacing. The nose is pleasant, albeit a bit weak, prickly hops, very resinous and earthy, lighter grassy notes are present, with a fair amount of bready malt at the end. The flavors are more pronounced, sticky oily hops lead the way, but aren’t overly bitter, a faint flavor I can only describe as cat pee comes through, a bit distracting, but also not unpleasant in an odd way. Lots of caramel and bready malt at the finish compliments the earthy flavor profile. The body is very carbonated and prickly, yet sticky and oily from the hops, which doesn’t necessarily go well together, but all in all it’s not bad.

Verdict: A decent pale ale, it’s definitely not Lagunitas’ best effort, but still a solid brew. I do have some high expectations when it comes to their hoppy beers with the successes of Lagunitas Sucks, Maximus and Hop Stoopid, and this does fall a bit short, but a great beer for someone getting into craft.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 05:08:51 | More by kevanb

tony223366

California

3.6/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This beer is extremely fizzy, it looks just like soda. There's so much active carbonation it's crazy. This also gave me a huge white head that is steadily decreasing in size. Some nice lacing is apparent. Color is a slightly orange golden straw color. The clarity is magnificent, it's really like looking through glass. Head eventually turns into a very thin layer.

S: Tons of orangey citrus hops up front, followed by some nice earthy pine. Malts are really hard to come by but I get just a smidge of caramel. Man those hops are floral.

T: Taste is mostly dominated by the hops. Although they really don't bash you over the head. You get a nice citrus up front followed by a nice maltiness that eventually turns to bread that turns to a lightly bitter finish. That goes away quickly and the finish is surprisingly clean.

M: Medium bodied and slick. Good carbonation.

O: I was expecting a little bit more from the nose. But all in all it's still tasty. I wouldn't hesitate to try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 05:15:41 | More by tony223366

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in a pint glass

A - Clear light amber with a 1 finger with head with good retention and moderate lacing.

S - Nice floral and pine and citrus hops bouquet. Not overpowering, but very solid nose.

T - Hops hops and more hops, but subtle and delicious with a nice caramel malt and bready body. Great APA.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation.

O - One great APA glad it is back and better than ever.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 17:20:50 | More by williamjbauer

bogus564

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 fl. oz., poured into a pint glass.

My lighter pint glasses are starting to get a workout; more beers in the beer fridge to try out. It’s a beautiful thing…

A: It looks like an ale, to be sure; it’s copper in color, not as bubbly as some of Lagunitas’ other offerings. A reasonably aggressive pour produces a 1.5 cm orange rind-colored head that lasts less than a minute before dissolving into lace on the sides of the glass. It’s a nice enough looking beer.

S: Prunes hit my nose straight away. There’s another inherent sweetness, more to me like molasses than caramel. After that, I’m catching what the hops are throwing: orange, and the hops themselves. There’s something else there, kind of a bready note. This beer certainly has enough going on to keep your nose interested.

T: It’s the opposite of what I smelled – I get the hops up front, with the orange taste, and then I pick up the malty sweetness, but not much. The dark fruit and molasses are there in the tasting, but subdued, to be sure. This one will give you bitter beer face, and I like it for that alone. The breadiness is there as well. This beer leans towards hoppy – no it doesn’t, it bends over backwards to the hoppy side. Bravo.

M: Good, could be really good if you’re grading on the curve. I’ll admit, there are a lot of beers that I grade on the curve, and some others that I’ve had that completely wreck the curve. This is one that I would grade on the curve. It’s medium-bodied, carbonation is on point, it washes pretty well over a hop head’s palate, and leaves a dry, but hoppy, finish.

O: I will never apologize for being a beer geek. I love trying out new beers every week, and either liking, loving or severely disliking them. This is a beer I like. It’s packaged with good looks, enough smells to keep your interest, a taste that fools you a little but works itself out in the end, mouthfeel that doesn’t suck, and gives the drinker an overall feeling of satisfaction, first for having made a smart purchase, and second for having enjoyed a pretty good beer. How was that for a run-on sentence? Sorry, Ms. Littman – I promise to do better next time.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 00:14:26 | More by bogus564

grannaniwa

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden/amber color. Medium head which dissipates pretty quickly. Nose is dominated by grapefruit, grapefruit, grapefruit!

Medium-light body. Citrusy flavors, some malty-sweetness on the back of the mouth. Finishes medium bitter, a little piney, with a slight toasted aftertaste.

Nice balance. Not my perfect profile of flavors, but I could happily drink this for an evening.

Overall: B+

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:26:14 | More by grannaniwa

RaulMondesi

California

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow. Picked this up on a whim for my pops at Bradley's liquor in Tustin, CA

What iz goin on here? Raul alwayz git confused about beer cuz they always different. This is a pale ale - den why does it taste so much different than 1 of my favs: Sierra Nevada? Oh well. Dat being said: Boom goes tha dynamite!

This is one of tha cleanest tasting beers I have had. Raul luv his freaky azz some Sierra Nevada, but dis bad boi take the cake like Marie Antoinette.

Rich n flavor. Smell like gravy (not real gravy. Gravy mean good to gangsta folk), and overall it just smashed.

If you around it, get dis!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 10:12:28 | More by RaulMondesi

Giovacchini

California

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.

A- light amber and clear filtered appearance with a thin head.

S- citrusy hop aromas, light grainy malt aromas

T- a very nice bitter hoppy beer that is balanced with pale malt. Grapefruit, lemon, mild breadiness.

M- medium bodied with nice carbonation and nice bitterness for a pale.

O- I am a big lill sumpin sumpin fan and I was scared to try this beer. I had it on tap at the Lagunitas taproom and really enjoyed it and later bought a six pack. Its a very solid pale. I've come to the conclusion that I like Lagunitas on tap a lot better than in bottles after trying this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 04:38:16 | More by Giovacchini

BucannonXC5

California

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

Poured from a 12-oz. bottle into a pint glass. Color was pale, fairly clear. A bit like apple juice or very dehydrated urine. About 1 ½ fingers of head. Nice lacing on the top with some circular bubbles, that lasted throughout. Foamy head on the sides, pretty sporadic.

The first smell was citrus hops, which was a pleasant surprise. Kind of a mixture of lemon and grapefruit, probably more grapefruit. Also got a small whiff of caramel sweetness, but very minimal.

The taste wasn’t as much like the nose as I would have hoped. Definitely more pale notes than the hoppy taste. Grainy and wheaty. Pretty smooth.

Light body. Thin texture. Soft-to-average carbonation. Bitter, but somewhat smooth finish.

Overall a decent beer. I guess I was secretly hoping for something a bit better since it’s Lagunitas, but I’d have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 09:37:18 | More by BucannonXC5

bbHOP

California

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into my Lagunitas pint jar.

A: Golden (think apple juice), with a half finger of white head that settles into a ring around the glass fairly quickly and remains there.

S: Citrusy hop notes - grapefruit rind with a slight note of pine

T: Bright hop notes up front that don't seem to last for long. Grainy pale malts quickly take over. I'm also catching a bit of rye as the beer coats my mouth... was hoping to get more of the citrusy hop notes from the nose. Remains crisp throughout - finishes with some bitterness.

MF: Light mouth feel... Carbonation present throughout, a little intense for my taste. Bitterness in finish is not overwhelming, but certainly present.

O: I've had this beer a few times before and enjoyed it as a refreshing, flavorful, but still light, brew. Sitting down to review, I found myself longing for a more hop forward approach (wished it followed the nose a bit more), and a little more substance in the body... but then - isn't that asking a little too much of the style? This is not an IPA - although the nose teases you into thinking it may be. So - overall - a good Pale IMO.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 03:56:49 | More by bbHOP

omokoro

New York

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear, light amber color with less than one finger's worth of head that quickly dissipated. A strong aroma of citrus, and hints of banana. This a very clean tasting beer with a refreshing hop character. The hop bitterness is well balanced. The mouthfeel is decent despite the lack of head retention. Overall the his a highly drinkable Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:02:31 | More by omokoro

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.55/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Color is amber with a moderate head that is quite persistent. Lots of lacing on the glass too. I have to give it an extra half point for appearance since I LOLed at the label. Citrus hop scents are nice but a bit faded and weak. Hops are a bit subdued in the flavor as well. There is a floral bitterness that provides a slight balance to the malts. Typical mouthfeel. Not bad overall.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 01:14:10 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

demuzik

Oregon

4.83/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A friend of mine spoke highly of this APA and mentioned it was one of his new favorites. Even going at this one with high expectations, I was surprised.

Wonderfully hoppy - loads of pine, citrus, and fresh overall zestiness - completely blending in with the malt background that sips smooth and not heavy. One of the most flavorful yet soft on the tongue APAs I've come across.

Word to the wise - if you're out of California/tap range, make sure you try a fresh bottle - this style and this brew especially go downhill quickly should you not obtain the freshest possible.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:43:13 | More by demuzik

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear bright yellow maybe a touch amber with only a slight layer of foam sticky it is.

S - Very solid pine and citrus hops bright and floral. Sweet pale malts.

T - A very good pale. You got the hops bitter yet balanced. Then you have the pale malts, grainy yet balanced. And it finishes with just enough hops to not leave a bitter taste. Nice.

M - Light to medium body. Great beer.

Overall I am kind of disappointed that I can't find this locally since I needed to order this from halftime beverage.com but at least I can find the IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 04:36:52 | More by DrDemento456

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden color with a two finger bright white head which settles down to a frothy one finger lace. Lots of visible carbonation. Huge nose of piney and citric hops.

Huge flavor for a pale ale. If it had more of bite itd be more ipa like than pale ale. Incredible crisp with a medium body. Very well held together beer that thins out very slightly on the finish. Finishes extra dry. Citric juiciness up front and piney hops. Malt body is only there to hold the hops together and presents it self as grainy and corny undertone.

Not bad. Big Flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 03:28:13 | More by jtierney89

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into duvel snifter
A - pale amber, very nice colour, big head that stays a while, lively carbonation
S - pale ale smell, hoppy, but light
T - delicious, nice citrusy hop bite, sweet finish
M - creamy, easy to drink
O - very good pale ale

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:59:01 | More by vicsju1991

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Drank a few of these on New Years Eve in a pint glass..

New Dogtown pale ale looks like a pale, a light golden color mixed in with some faint yellow and orange. A nice amount of foam on top that left some stains. Smell is fairly simple and light, faint aroma hops with earth and a mild backing in malt profile. A nice array of light citrus hits the nostrils with light grapefruit, papaya, etc. Taste is a laid back pale ale, pale malt with a earthy taste and light citrus with grapefruit, mango etc, slight pine, just light tropics and light malt, that's the name of the game when it comes to the pales. Feel is light, smooth with a mild bittering that leaves instantly, comes and goes, leaving dogtown to be easy drinking, without killing ye old palate. I could drink this all day given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 02:34:38 | More by onix1agr

cps98

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My brother gave me this one to try and I must say it was pretty good.

A – Deep yellow with a hint of light orange in there as well. 2 finger off-white rocky head which fades to a nice ring of bubbles around the glass.

S – Citrus (lemon/lime) hops, a little floral.

T – The hops were not over powering just a slight bitter taste which was really nice.

M – A light to medium bodied beer with good carbonation which added to the bite. Nice and dry

O – A good drinking beer that I can drink one after another. Nothing special just plain good.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 23:43:29 | More by cps98

bluHatter

Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Light golden orange with a nice frothy head.

S: Delicious smelling apple, caramelized fruits, buttery tangy orange. Aromatic flowery hops

T: Big bitter hops with just enough fruitiness and nuttiness to make this a very drinkable ale. Strong on the back of the tongue, but nicely rounded.

M: Sharp, big-bubble carbonation. I can feel the air in this one. Provides a really smooth, frothy feeling in the mouth, though, helping to bring out the floral hints.

O: Lagunitas does it again with this fantastic pale ale. I'd like to complement it with an orange wedge and see how it does... I hope I get to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 06:09:01 | More by bluHatter

iBeer16

New York

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear golden color with lots of carbonation. Leaves lacing. Head moderate: similar to pale ales.

S: Hoppy! I love a hoppy smelling pale ale and this is it. Smell resembles an IPA that is very citrusy.

T: A bit off from the smell. Was expecting it to be extremely hoppy, don't get me wrong still hoppy for a pale ale but was expecting more from the smell. Very citrusy taste that leaves a tingly feeling. Starts off with a sort of sweet flavor then finishes extremely hoppy leaving you wanting more.

M: Very light, super bitter for a Pale Ale. Leaves mouth with a bitter tingly feeling similar to that of an IPA.

Overall, this is a delicious pale ale on the verge of being an IPA. Very refreshing, overall a great choice.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 01:20:26 | More by iBeer16

leokbelo

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear gold color on a pint glass. Excellent foamy head, takes a while to dissipate into a lacing.
Wonderful smell of pine and grapefruit from the hops. Very inviting.
Cascade hops all the way!!! Delicious mouthfeel, lots of hops, on the border between a Pale Ale and an IPA. Very refreshing.
Medium carbonation, making this an excellent session brew.
What an amazing American Pale Ale. This one is for the hop heads!
Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 00:27:58 | More by leokbelo

harrymel

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled September 2011

A: golden with single finger of white foam. excellent clarity and no lace.
S: weed. catty with sweet malts and more weed.
T: sweet and weedy with some grass and citrus (lime). Nice flavor. Bold for a pale ale.
M: thin with hi carb.
O: I like this one quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 06:22:56 | More by harrymel

mnrider

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12. oz brown bottle. Some kind of date on bottom of the bottle.

A: Pours a hazy bright golden colour with a large white head. After the head turns thin a nice amount of lacing is seen with good carbonation.

S: Filled with fresh hops. Great blend of citrus and pine. Some other spices are thrown into the mix.

T/M: Amazangly balanced beer. Bitterness is not too overpowering, which can sometimes hurt beers of this style. Spices and malts come through with a slight fruity taste. The finish is less bitter and pretty clean.

O: This APA is really good. However the hop strength is on the high side which pushes the brew to more of an IPA. This does not bother me much, but may for others.

Cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 01:34:01 | More by mnrider

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a stein glass.

Look - amber color with an almost reddish tint to it. A little murky.

Smell - very very hoppy, but it also has a grounded type of quality, as in more herbal.

Taste - very very hoppy there too, but the hops are tasted more than they are felt - the bitterness isn't terribly overwhelming. But the taste of hops is. It's hard to discern what hops they are, but maybe Cascade.

Mouthfeel - very light, airing almost on the side of wateriness.

Overall - not a bad brew, but not a whole lot in the taste except for the extreme hops.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 03:04:51 | More by Nerudamann

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle poured into a curved pint glass.

A- a dark gold with hints or orange almost showing some amber highlights. Thin almost fizzy head that dissipates quickly. No lacing to speak of.

S-Really smells quite like a full bore IPA. Big hits of citric hops, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit. Back end of the smell reveals a light malt.

T- Balance is way off. The taste mirrors the smell, but there's just not enought malt/sweetness to balance the big, brash bitterness that kicks in mid to end of the sip. It's a bit better once the beer warms and the malt bill is able to shine a bit with it's mild sweetness.

M- Mouthfeel quickly reveals that it's much lighter than an IPA. Kinda fizzy, and it makes you think your mouth is dry from that big bitter hoppy finish, but it isn't necessarily dry. Odd.

O- Good, but misses the boat on the balance that I treasure in an APA (i.e. Sierra Nevada, Victory Headwaters). I'd have it again, but won't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 21:44:13 | More by JWU