Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

lawlerj

Nebraska

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

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

A - Pours a dark amber with a light tan head.

S - Big caramel malts with some hop notes as well.

T - Hops and caramel malt are big. Pretty nice.

M - Medium bodied, good carbonation.

O - Pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 19:40:03 | More by lawlerj

bnes09

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful red color that turns a transparent orange-amber when head to light. A few visible bubbles cascading along the glass. One finger head on the pour. Descent retention for the strength and a few lace spots.

Complex aroma. Tropical and citrus fruits, pine needles, rye bread, malty. Buttered toast with cherry spread. Excellent balance in the nose.

Rich, hoppy, complex and dynamic palate. Floral, herbal, pine-like hop bitterness right up front. Balanced with spicy rye and smooth wheat malt. Chewy biscuit character. Toasty. Just enough malt character to balance but not enough to make the beer sweet or syrupy. Hop bitterness lingers through the finish.

Bordering on full bodied with an oily texture that turns dry middle to end. Lively carbonation especially for the strength.

Now this is good! A highly complex and yet perfectly balanced American barley wine. I wish I had another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 06:33:12 | More by bnes09

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.79/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Brewed 4/3, 12oz to a snifter

Pours a dark bronze with a half finger of foam. Moderate carbonation stemming from the middle of the glass, good lacing, alright retnetion

Smells of spicy hops, vanilla, smoked oak, molasses, brown sugar, alcohol, and some toasted malt. There's some complexity but doesn't come together the best, the smokey wood comes through a little strong

Taste is more or less with the nose, spicy hops and toasted malts, dark sugar, a kick of alcohol, some figs, and a touch of citrus. Again, this could come together a lot better

Feel is crisp with a medium plus feel. Nice kick and a dry finish, alcohol has a nice warming feel without distracting too much from the beer

Overall this stuff is drinkable, but I don't think I'll pick up another sixer anytime soon

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 07:24:11 | More by lordofstarside

Sorcerer

United Kingdom (England)

4.68/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Alrighty then, perhaps an ambusch, yet none the less, a wee bit o' judgement here lads, and gals...

Yay, I have have tasted this afore, and I expect no disappointment:

Undercover in appearance is true.

But the smell is way above average.

What do you expect, it's printed in the side and it s not cheap!

The name says it all really.

Smells like moonlit bliss on a desert isle with a fair maiden and fermented coconut juice.

Taste is mild fantasy. Mildew, piney resin, willow bark, dirty cott'n socks, stalled lawnmover with leaking petrol, pretty girls on a hot day.

Mouthfeel is full of high calorie, diabetic nightmares.

In the end, a six pack is enough to get one person there, but not irreversibly too far.

Lagunitas...

It's a big beer. I can only drink five or six today; more accurately: tonight.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 06:21:01 | More by Sorcerer

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

So this thing was available in 6-packs. Alrighty... I'll bit.

Enjoying bedside (On my table next to me after a long, yet reasonably pleasant day of Spring cleaning). Served in a DC Brau tulip.

A: About as amber as a beer can get with only the slightest semblance of a white head... nice frothy one, I guess.

S: Hop profile in spades, along with a Jolly Rancher-esque disposition overall. Melted cherry, to my mind.

T: Much like Stone's "Double Bastard," only quite a bit cheaper and a bit better. Hop and malt duet for sure, along with lots of IPA-esque greatness.

M: Carbonation was fine, no lacing left on the glass, and the sugar content was fine.

O: I felt like I was drinking Stone Double Bastard the whole time, but this one is a bit different, and infinitely cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 04:43:33 | More by Chaney

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly more than two fingers worth of active billowing khaki colored pillow like fluffy frothy goodness... Excellent retention... You're left with a mostly full layer of frothy lacing and a thick collar... The color is a distinctive deep rich dark bronze copper with a bit of a ruby red hue to it... Limited carbonation that randomly rises at a sluggish to moderate pace... Gobs of lacing cling to the snifter...

S - Fresh grapefruit at the forefront... Lots of orange zest... Sweet citrus... While the hoppiness is the star of the aroma, the malty base isn't too far behind... A terrific mix of inviting caramel and toffee... A bit of sweet desert breads... Some light brown sugar lingers beneath the surface... Wonderful depth and complexity...

T - The hops are again at the forefront... They're a bit less citrusy and a bit more earthy than expected... A slight yet pleasant herbal presence... Some biscuit and bready malts... A very mellow caramel and brown sugar component as well...

M - On the fuller side of medium bodied... Limited but biting carbonation... Sleek and a bit chewy... Even and consistent...

D - A terrific American Strong Ale... More hops than malt, but still quite tasty... Another rock solid offering from Lagunitas... Packs a bit of a punch with its 9.7%... Layers of depth and complexity in every facet... Highly recommend and a definite bargain at its fairly low price...

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:04:10 | More by philbe311

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Big strong beer! Had out of the bottle into a pint glad. Lots of booze. Decent color with a soft, flat head. Good looking American Ale, copper color. Big aroma of hops and sugary fruit. You can, as other have noted, taste the alcohol. The mouthfeel has a good deal of carbonation and a bit of spice.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:00:01 | More by MarkQ617

PaleZombie

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a large wine glass.

A - Dark copper color almost amber. Clear with about 1 finger of white head.

S - Strong tropical fruits (Mango, Pineapple, maybe some pears and apples) nice caramel sent. Slight alcohol sent.

T - Sweet caramel malts, some mild tropical fruits, not as strong as the nose followed by a bitter hop finish and some alcohol.

M - Very heavy almost slick resin feel with medium carbonation.

O - This is an awesome beer, for a 9.6% it seems like a 7.5-8%. Its only 10$ for a 6 pack and extremely tasty. One of the top 5 beers I have had. I will be getting a case of this for sure to cellar some of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 04:12:14 | More by PaleZombie

da_beers

Vermont

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Love what Lagunitas does, very excited to try this one out.

A - Pours a dark coppery amber color, beautiful chunky head of about three inches, incredible lacing coming down.

S - Sweet malts are very overpowering, not in a negative way tho. Smells almost sticky. Cedar woodiness as well as some citrus hidden away in the back.I

T - Has the distinct Lagunitas hop profile, but ends with a great sweet resiny characteristic. Malts are very present, probably its most distinct taste. Some pineapple/tropical fruit as well. Kind of a bit boozy, but not too bad.

M - Its quite smooth and buttery I would say, on the heavier side of medium bodied - you definitely know you're drinking an ale here.

O - Overall I really enjoyed this American Strong Ale. Not my favorite by Lagunitas, but that isn't saying much because they generally kick ass.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:26:17 | More by da_beers

Andrew041180

Massachusetts

3.41/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams pint glass. The beer is a deep, clear amber with enough head for me to stop pouring for fear of overflowing the glass. The head retention was very good and left nice lacing on the side of the glass.

S - Mostly maltiness with a hint of the relatively strong ABV.

T - Not my favorite. Overly malty for me with a finish that contained a strong alcoholic presence. There was a hint of bite to it from the hops, which I liked, but I couldn't really detect any of that flavor that I know so well.

M - Not as clean as the appearance would have lead me to believe. Tasted a little syrupy to me, but it did have a nice amount of carbonation. The good beat out the bad by a small margin.

O - I picked up this beer completely blind based on my love of all the Lagunitas products that I've had. This one was much maltier and much boozier than I expected. I would not buy it again, and will be more careful about selecting brews blindly based on previous experience. I still rate Lagunitas as my 3rd favorite brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:21:36 | More by Andrew041180

sukwonee

Washington

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer like this is hard to review because there isn't really much to compare to.

With that said, it's delicious. it tastes like canned pineapple with sweet candied malt.

Without looking at the description, I would have guessed that this was a super malty and sweet DIPA. But maybe America Strong Ale is a better description. Sort of similar to Brown Shugga but not really.

A: Reddish brown body with 1 finger head.

S: Sweet malt up front. Pineapple. Tropical fruits. I also detect some sour notes.

T: It's all pineapple and sweet malt. It's like... those pineapple candy or canned pineapple. It's quite tasty. Alcohol is well hidden, but it's there.

M: Not sure what to compare this against, but I would say it's stickier than most DIPAs and but lighter than barleywine. Good amount of carbonation.

O: Solid and tasty. It also tastes like what I would expect from a "Lagunitas" brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 04:09:06 | More by sukwonee

Immortale25

Florida

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. Julian date 084....

A- Has a copper-colored body with a full inch of light tan head that retains very long as it eventually falls to a 1/4 inch head. Melty webs of lacing stick to the glass in various thicknesses.

S- Sugary sweet with a citrusy hop backbone creating a wonderful melange of sweet crusty malts and grapefruity hops.

T- Rush of sweetness that soon bitters out into a piney sharpness that lingers and lingers and lingers. The alcohol is also quite apparent which creates a sugar/grass/booze trio that I'm not sure if I like after having multiple sips. Very intense as the malts and hops vie for position with the alcohol staying persistent throughout. Things mellow out after the palate acclimates and the beer warms. Still, there's that super intense finish that makes it a bit of a chore to drink.

M- Like the flavor, very intense and bitey with a dryness in the finish. Medium carbonation and an above average body.

O- This and Brown Shugga are two very perplexing beers. Both are so intense with the sweetness and alcohol while the hops just assault away at the same time. Complex, but not really. I'm probably gonna let my six-pack sit for a while so the hops and booze calm down a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 18:31:29 | More by Immortale25

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter.

A: Clear amber with giant, foamy, frothy, white head that lasted a long time. Fantastic lacing.

S: Citrus, grapefruit, hops, some caramel malt.

T: Moderate sweetness and light to moderate bitterness. More malt than the nose. Caramel malt. Alcoholic. Citrus hops.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

O: Great looking beer that has a great aroma too. Taste was not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 18:04:34 | More by SolipsismalCat

brureview

Massachusetts

4.34/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer was served in a snifter and poured a 2 finger head with an attractive light golden color and lots of lacing on the glass. The 2 finger head resolved itself within minutes.

The aroma is light grapefruit, malt and sugar, which slightly fades with warming.

The mouth feel is smooth and slightly pungent.

The taste is sugar, light grapefruit, and grapefruit rind. The grapefruit rind is more pronounced with warming.

The finish is moderately bitter rounded out by sweetness.

Overall, I like this beer better than Lagunitas Sucks. It is sweeter and more balanced.
The style is "American Strong Ale," a catch-all beer category which may be a sub-category of an American IPA. The beer tastes like an IPA to me- hop pungency and bitterness. Regardless of the style, it is worth trying. Highly recommended. It may be my new Lagunitas favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:41:04 | More by brureview

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

P: Brown copper tinted body with a thin wet khaki head. Clear and effervescent.

S: Toasted caramel, toffee, barley, bready malt and copious amounts of resinous hops.

T/M: Rich caramel and toffee sweetness, spice bread and cinnamon rolls. Once swallowed the resinous hops take over and tingle the entire mouth. Oak and smoldered plant stems also come through at the end. The bourbon sour mash booze factor is surprisingly well hidden. Full oily body with moderate carbonation. There is a lingering mushroom presence that coats the top of the mouth once done.

O: Rich and super malty with a grand entrance of resinous hops to clean the sweet away. Really good balance and basically a toned down barley wine. Super easy drinkability that makes this a dangerous brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 21:19:43 | More by Hopswagger

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hops dominate in the aroma. Barely any malts that I can tell. Hops are fresh, oily and murky with no particular hop scent being discernable.
The head was lushously thick and dense lasting a good while. Lots of lacing was quite impressive. The autumn amber color was clear. Carbonation was lean.
Taste was more malty then in the nose. Hops provde quite alot of bitterness counteracting the malty sweetness. Finishes bitter.
A good beer that quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 13:59:31 | More by micromaniac129

CowsandBeer

Kansas

3.84/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Six pack purchased at Whole Foods in Omaha, NE. Pulled from the fridge and allowed to warm up for about 30 minutes. Drank on a chilly May evening.

Appearance: Poured into a snifter resulting in one finger of bubbly, pancake dough colored head. Nice lacing. Thin layer of bubbles remained throughout while drinking.

Smell: Bitter hops. Pine resin and grapefruit pith. Somewhat floral. Sweet malts. Touch of toffee. Hint of alcohol.

Taste: A quick wall of hop bitterness. Resin, lemon, and grapefruit; followed by a sweet raisiny maltiness. Small amount of heat. Residual sweetness from the malts and some bitterness from the hops.

Mouthfeel: Full with not too much carbonation.

Overall: Typical ASA due to the loads of hops and a higher ABV. Wouldn't really fit into any other category. Like a lightweight Barleywine. Excellent beer for when Winter is leaving and Spring approaching (we're in May already!). Lots of hops and lots of malt. Go buy a six pack already.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:58:55 | More by CowsandBeer

nimrod979

Maryland

4.16/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz brown bottle poured into a Lagunitas jar.

Appearance: Clean copper body with one finger of slightly off white head. Doesnt last for long the but the lacing is impressive.

Aroma: Blend of citrusy hops, sweet malts, caramel canided sugar.

Taste: Somewhat of a citric hop bite up front. sweet caramel malt comes in and adds a nice backbone while playing with some piney resin notes thrown in. Definitely hop forward but no flavor really stands out as the dominating factor. Interesting beer that kinda reminds me of a slightly toned down Brown Shugga'

Mouthfeel: Medium body, average carbonation.Somewhat of an oily sticky body. Nice hop and malt presence to balance each other with a semi-sweet bitter finish that brings you back for another sip. Actually drank this rather quickly. The ABV is slightly noticeable as well.

Overall: Another enjoyable offering from Lagunitas, even if it does remind me of a little too much of brown shugga.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 23:29:30 | More by nimrod979

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.01/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at When Pigs Fly, served in a snifter.

A pretty beer. Copper-colored, medium tan head. A good deal of lace.

Sweet, caramel malt aroma.

Taste of caramel and toffee. Maybe a hint of booze.

A nice beer, reminiscent of an English barleywine.

Enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 19:39:56 | More by lordofthewiens

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a copper color with 2 fingers of head that settles down to a cap within a couple minutes

S: Nice juicy hops with a solid malt backbone, very well balanced with almost no alcohol presence

T: Starts off with a good amount of hoppiness and some sweet maltiness. Hops are fruity and citrusy and the malts are very lightly spicy and sweet. Alcohol provides a light estery presence

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A very good ASA that really defies categorization. Nicely hoppy with a nice malt presence. Very easy to drink given the abv. Definitely recommended

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 23:46:24 | More by BEERMILER12

arfenhouse

California

4.24/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Clear amber with off white head. Good retention and lacing.

S: Spicy hop, sweet malt, and oranges.

T: Big sweet malt and pine needles upfront. Oranges, pineapple, malt sweetness, and pine at the back end. A bit boozy.

M: Full bodied with medium carbonation. Medium carbonation. Sticky and wet.

O: Nice big beer. Sweet and hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 07:21:33 | More by arfenhouse

ckollias

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Belgian snifter glass.

A: Pours a copper hue with a thick, white, 2-finger head that slowly dissipates leaving a great trail and ending in a solid lace.

S: Hoppy aroma up front followed caramel malt scents.

T: Bitter hops meet sweet malt with a slight pine background.

M: Very strong and boozy. Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent brew – great balance between the hops and malt.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:57:33 | More by ckollias

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Lagunitas Brewing Company - Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - 12fl oz bottle

I will literally try anything Lagunitas puts out at least once, I did not regret this one at all.

Look - Pours a clear deep copper amber with a full foamy head. Good lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Aroma is a smooth malt and hop blend, hops are forward and mouth-watering.

Taste - Rides in smooth malt and trademark Lagunitas hops, they like that particular style a lot. This is lacking a bit on the hop side, wanted a bit more kick but I suppose it's the style.

Mouthfeel - Rests sticky malty with a touch of hops. Not boozy at all when you consider the ABV, quite drinkable. Sweet, sugary malts.

Overall - Great brew, wished it was punchier on the hop side but the way it is rounded out was likely their intention with creating this style of brew. Good nonetheless, definitely worth purchasing.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 19:27:27 | More by JMScowcroft

pkalix

California

4.11/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

yes, orange-y darm amber brown is a great description of this; a little bit of tight foamy bubbles on top. candy-brown... nice lacing. sticky foamy stuff on the sides....
aroma is toffee-pine(?). lots of forward hops....
burnt kind of hop-py/ pine-y taste taste. a little sugar-y; brown sugar too!
still dont like all the 'forward-hops', but trying to understand it. i really like the malt/hop balance and this seems a bit hop-heavy.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 03:53:11 | More by pkalix

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is a orangey amber brown. Half finger of tan head fades over a few minutes, with decent residual lacing.

Nose is full of of sticky hops, with notes of pine resin, grapefruit, and honey.

Flavor is very hop forward, with notes of flowers, grapefruit, subtle spice. Followed by lots of thick, maltiness.

Feel is thick and robust, nice sticky.

Fantastic. Nice blend of hoppiness and maltiness. pretty fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 23:49:46 | More by dheacck11