Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.95/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed 5/31/2009 (Draft at Flying Saucer, Houston, Tx):

Pours a clear reddish brown colored body, foamy cream-colored head, very lasting. Sweet hoppy aroma, kind of a weird fruity aroma. Not very strong. Pale somewhat hoppy, sweet taste. A mild pale ale. Sweet fruity taste, almost like strawberry. Creamy mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2009 21:24:24 | More by jujubeast6000

BMoney575

Michigan

2.98/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Sampled on 4-7-09

Pours a clear deep red/brown, with a huge, foamy, clingy, off-white head that leaves crazy thick lacing.

Smell is all fruity and grassy hops, with a strong malt in the back. Reminds me very much of an Arrogant Bastard.

Taste is sweet and hot, combining to create a cinnamon-like quality. Fruity hops on the finish, with slick alcohol.

Mouthfeel is super slicks, adds to the booziness.

Drinkability is poor, see above.

Overall, lots of booze, little else.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 23:58:11 | More by BMoney575

IMincedTheKing

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours amber with a finger of sturdy, ecru head.

A huge blast of sweet citrus assaults the nose, orange rind and lemon. Obviously hoppy, and the ABV is given away by a trace of alcohol.

Very little hop bitterness is present. It opens with a load of hoppy citrus and caramel malts. That gives way on the swallow to a flavor reminding me of cheap gin, and then a half-gin/half-hop aftertaste lingers. It's almost tasty, but the huge alcohol presence is unforgivable, even at 9%. The mouthfeel is chewy and syrupy with light carbonation.

I don't think I can take any more of this.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 06:17:44 | More by IMincedTheKing

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

3/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Burnt orange brown copper color. Paper thin head dissipates quickly leaving light white lacing along the sides of the glass.

Smell: The nose is good as the beer warms in the glass. Burnt malt smell. The bitterness and alcohol jump right out at me. Mild backing sweetness. The malts smell of molasses. Hints of dark fruits, figs, raisins, black cherry.

Taste: Heavy malt profile with a moderate hop bitterness. I expected a browner hopped up beer but this is more along the lines of an overpowered rendition of Mendocino's "eye of the hawk." The taste leaves me wanting more. It is a mildly sweetened blend of sugars and sour fruits with a strong warming alcohol presence. The hops don't do a lot for me. There is a decent hop presence but the alcohol tends to overpower the bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light medium a bit chewy. Finishes fine. Nothing spectacular.

Overall: This is a relatively bland outing by Lagunita's. I expected something much more exciting but this is a malt bomb that is too strong to appreciate much of. I'll pass on this one next time.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 04:58:46 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

HappyPappy2X

Oregon

3.03/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A: 12oz pour into Belgian goblet;
Medium carbonation;
Burnt orange color;
1 cm. head dissipates in several minutes.

S: Floral hops, malt sweetness, more floral hops. "Clean."

T: Hops bitterness up front, subtle malt sweetness catches up, back of throat sweetness fades slightly before tannic bitterness takes it home.

M: Light, considering a 9.6%abv. Carbonation seems to mask some flavor.

O: Lagunitas excels at producing high ABV, good, yet unremarkable beers at decent prices. UISDA is no exception. Balanced? Check. Clean? Sure. Memorable? Doubt it. I have a hard time judging it to style, since "American Strong Ale" is so vague a descriptor. I need to do more research to help solidify what the epitome is of this style, but whatever the outcome, I doubt Lagunitas will make the finals.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:19:29 | More by HappyPappy2X

AVDeuph

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

This is my first review, but I figured I gotta start somewhere so here goes:

A: Looks like Autumn in the 1970's. A reddish-brown with some deep, caramelized orange undertones.

S: At first the nose was rubber and alcohol, but upon some mild disturbance some good strong grapes/pencil eraser, however you look at it.

T: Alcohol is clearly present. A very bitter bite, a little overbalanced on that end. Fruitier aromas didn't quite translate to flavor they way I had hoped.

M: Well carbonated with small bubbles that mostly blend together as soon as they hit your mouth. Relatively light for a ale of this gravity.

D: For me, the alcohol is present enough that I'm conscious of it at all times. Not the best characteristic for this category.

Bottom line I liked it, but I'll keep searching out others in the style before I buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2009 04:48:21 | More by AVDeuph

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle, poured into a snifter.

Deep amber see-thru body. A finger of cream colored head quickly recedes to a small skim, but the lacing proves to be pretty good.

Smells very strongly of caramel malt, brown sugar and dark fruity booziness. Hops are bit players, but pine, citrus and some floral notes make an appearance. Very sweet smelling overall, though.

In the mouth, the hops seem to be primarily citrusy. Not so much grapefruit as orange and pineapple. Sweetness dominates again with loads of dark fruit and maltiness. Too much lingering sweetness for me.

Body is on the full side of medium. Moderate carbonation. The finish has lingering sticky sweetness as well as the orange and pineapple.

Overall impression: Interesting brew, but too sweet for my taste. 1 bottle was enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 15:22:58 | More by PDXHops

Beejay

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Clear reddish brown with a small tan head.

S: Lightly hoppy, with an almost lemon lime scent? Grassy and citrus. Perhaps some toffee in there, and something I can't figure out.

T: Hops up front, grapefruit, and a touch of pine, perhaps a little bit of plum in the back. There isn't a lot to the finish. It kinda of blands out at the back end. The plus side is you can't taste the Abv. Hints of caramel, and lots of herbal notes, but is seems to lack balance or a clear progression of flavor.
Edit: as it warms a bit you more of a grassy hop flavor that is nice, though still not amazing.

M: Feels fairly thick, slightly syrupy. Decent carbonation.

D: Hop forward, but single note. I don't think there is enough balance for me. I feel like there should be a second act, but this beer left at intermission.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 03:59:10 | More by Beejay

beagle75

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

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

A: Clear, medium amber color with one finger of diminishing off-white foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Toffee and bales of warm hay make for a prominently malt-influenced smell. There is a thread detectable that is volatile and herbaceous, suggesting a light but lively spiciness. Some heady ethanol fumes swirl about.

T: Begins almost sweet, with polished caramel malt, lively--but not especially potent--spicy hops, bright and airy carbonic acidity, and booziness that swells into the middle. Some diacetyl also emerges in the middle while sweetness begins to subside. The finish is husky and toasty, with moderate bitterness and a hint of lingering sweetness.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, acidic and warming on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: One of Lagunitas's seasonal strong ales, this spring release puts an increased emphasis on hops but still cannot move beyond malt, booze, and simplicity. It is slightly punishing on the palate, leaving it scorched from the combined effects of carbonic acid and ethanol. Hay and husky malt will reward the drinker that favors such qualities, but otherwise this is just a lot of unnecessary abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 21:33:44 | More by beagle75

beertunes

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a nice clean, clear, reddish-brown color with just under an inch of tan head that had good retention and moderate lacing.

The aroma was mostly sweet, with an alcohol sharpness. Just a trace of hops hiding in the background. Alcohol is the dominant taste on the tongue, then malty sweetness and some hop bitterness on the back.

The body was OK, but not as full as I like in this style. Drinkability was OK, but like several other brews from these guys, I remeber this beer being better.

Overall, a decent but unspectacular beer. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 22:00:29 | More by beertunes

vkv822

Oregon

3.08/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz : tulip snifter

Clear amber-orange, foamy off-white head, good lacing.

Resiny pine and citric hops blend into sweet caramel, toffee malts.

A bit more emphasis on the resiny pine, but still fairly balanced with sweet caramel malts. Very light alcohol heat.

Medium body with average-low carbonation.

A decent strong ale, though nothing stood out as very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 09:29:34 | More by vkv822

kylehay2004

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thin head on a clear orange amber body. Aroma moves into barleywine territory with candy sugar, caramel malt, and syrup. Flavor follows the aroma with lots of candy sugar, tart citrus, caramel malts resin and terpentine. Medium to light body and light to moderate carbonation. Not excited about this one really. Tastes more like a barleywine but still not good for that style either.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2012 23:56:14 | More by kylehay2004

n2185

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear, burnt orange color with two fingers of off-white head that recedes into a thin ring with little lacing.

S: Caramel malts up front followed by oranges and tangerines from the hops. I also get a bit of a sweet candy aroma every now and then.

T: Lots of thick, caramel malt flavor followed by piny hops and bitterness. There are some citrus notes in there as well, and a slight alcohol burn on the finish.

M: Medium-thick body with low carbonation, this beer has a sticky sweet and oily feel to it.

O: Not a bad beer, but I feel like this beer is almost identical to several other Lagunitas beers. Nothing makes it really stand out from the crowd. It's a good bargain, at least.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 23:18:10 | More by n2185

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.11/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Appearance: Perfectly clear burnished copper. Head is white and creamy to start. Drops to a super thin cap and collar. Sheets and notches of lacing in abundance. Moderate carbonation on the pour.

Smell: Big malts. Cooked malts. Sugar in spades, running from light caramel up through a touch of toffee with some backing raw sugar sweetness. A solid punch of citrus with some floral elements. A bit of aspirin bitterness on the back. Very fruity and sweet. Some bready elements. Some pine. Big and sweet.

Taste: Sweet, but not cloying. Cooked malt sugars. Some caramel and a touch of toffee onthe finish. Hops push some straight bitterness with some pine needle, floral elements, and a good hit of orange. A backing fruitiness that pulls over the citrus element. Big and malty with a solid bitterness, but not particularly balanced. Alcohol on the finish, especially as it warms.

Mouthfeel: A bit oily and smooth. Body ends up a bit thin overall, coming in at a solid medium. Light to moderate carbonation. Wet and juicy.

Overall: It's like hiding in the pushes with a strobe light.

It's a Lagunitas beer. Decent, but not necessarily earth-shattering or stellar. Sweet and incredibly drinkable for the style. A bit thin and boozy in the long run, but it's worth checking out at least once.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 20:54:27 | More by Goblinmunkey7

jeremy2027

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

1. Poured into Sam Adams "perfect pint" glass.

2. Light brown a shade above a good amber, quite clear.

3. Grapefruit right off the bat with a little sweet malty notes.

4. First sip you could taste more of the malt character and some hop bitterness. After a few sips the bitterness is quite apparent and hits you right in the back of the mouth.

5. It was ok I have had much better beers from Lagunitas, I probably wouldn't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 22:47:22 | More by jeremy2027

Segelstrom

Pennsylvania

3.16/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A - poured to frozen tumbler w/ a modest lightly foamy head. - not well maintained. Good clarity

S- nothing jumps out at me here. hoppy but not overtly so

T - not one for the record books. strange flavor I could not identify

M - OK - carbonation just about right

O - not one of Lagunitas' best efforts. I really like their overall lineup as they are one of my favorite brewers but this one is not one and will not be purchased by me again.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 23:27:19 | More by Segelstrom

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a deep, deep burgundy copper amber color with no head and nothing but an ultra thin, light lacing with no carbonation.

S - Caramel, toffee, and some booziness. Aroma is minimal and not very enticing.

T - Very malt forward, dark fruit, plums, raisins, and figs. Brown sugar, moderate boozy effervesence, not alot going on the palette for a strong ale...I expected more.

M - Heavy medium body, no carbonation, and a fairly clean finish for a big beer.

O - Malt forward, big, and no pizzaz. Lagunitas is a respectable brewer and I enjoy their beers, however, this one isn't doing it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 07:34:56 | More by jzeilinger

roundthewaygirls

Virginia

3.19/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

poured into a tumbler

A: copper in color. half a finger of off-white foamy head. pretty clear.

S: citrusy hops. tropical fruit. bright. smells like pure ethanol when swirled around.

T: tastes like it smells. bite from the citrus hops up front. mango. tasty and refreshing, but one dimensional.

M: light bodied. clean. crisp. mild carbonation.

O: decent but forgettable. wouldn't seek it out. i've got a bone to pick with lagunitas. it seems as if they are cranking out limited releases to use up ingredients or something. this beer reminds me of a lighter wilco tango foxtrot. the recipes don't vary enough. i usually love lagunitas, but i'm not crazy about this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 03:43:26 | More by roundthewaygirls

basscram

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a goblet glass from bottle.
Looks are Dark Golden Amber and see through, Head comes at the end of the pour and lasts for about 10 seconds. Little fizzies come from around the glass

Smells sweet like a maple syrup and goes away quickly. Can't wait to try it!

Taste is exciting, meaning very flavorful with sweetness and hoppiness. Taste lingers on the tip of the tongue and down the middle and goes away. The high abv is recognized too! On the back of the tongue, I taste some grapefruit, but a light taste as it dissipates. Don't be alarmed. After my tongue gets used to the zip of the alcohol and sweet hoppy tastes I can enjoy it a lot more. ( Not like I didn't enjoy the first few sips )

Their is that sweet taste I'm trying to think of what it is but its hard to figure it out with the hoppiness.

Lacing is minimal if any. The way it feels on my tongue is spicy and not too thick. Taste lingers on the backside of the tongue a bit after a while.

Drinkable? Yes, but not something I can gulp down. Its a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 03:49:08 | More by basscram

dar482

New York

3.21/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

The bottle was about 3 months old, Julian dated “102,” year 2013.

The beer pours with a huge head composed of tiny to medium bubbles that slowly dissipates and turns into larger bubbles. It’s quite rocky as it goes down. The color is a rich clear ruby/amber.

The aroma is extremely muted. I even let the head go down. I’m very surprised as it’s only 3 months old, but I guess certain beers hold up differently. I get a bit of caramel sweetness and slight bit of citrus.

The beer hits you with a huge caramel sweetness, but then a slight hop flavor cleans it up. There’s a big hop bitterness that really deals with that overpowering sweetness that hits you at first. The bitterness is that of resin and herbal qualities.

There’s surely a booziness in there, though still quite drinkable because of the hops and malt balance. The style is hard to pick out. It’s almost like a huge Imperial Amber.

In the end, the beer is still has too much alcohol feel, caramel, and candy sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 04:05:58 | More by dar482

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Translucent dark orange/amber color. Thick creamy head with average retention and lots of lacing. Some particulate suspended (bottle conditioned?).

4.0 S: Citrus and floral hops. Malty sweetness in the background. Very nice.

3.0 T: Big piney hop flavor. There seems to be some oaky tones as well. Citrus hop flavor follows. More bitterness than I'd like since there isn't a whole lot of malt going on. Not bad, but just okay.

3.0 M: Medium body. Good carbonation. Not as creamy as I'd like and there's a big aftertaste of tannins.

3.0 D: One's enough, but I'm not pissed I drank it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 03:45:06 | More by DavoleBomb

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Lagunitas- Undercover Investigation Ale

A- Golden copper, clear, with a huge thick chunky lacing head.
S- Big sweet bitter green hops, whiskey, and alc.
T- Bitter hops, slight vinegar, charcoal/ whiskey, and big hot messy booze.
M- Very alc. laden. Good thick caramelized malt and oily bitter green pine hops meld and finish this 1 off a bit smoother.

Overall- The alcohol is too present and too hot. Flavors take a back seat here. Won't have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2009 20:44:48 | More by NJpadreFan

gopens44

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark murky coppery brown with very little head on a bit of an aggressive pour. Some lacing of the off white colored head remnants.

S - First thing that hits is the hop smell that gives way to a sweet malty smell.

T - Sweet at first with a bit of hop bitterness that finishes with a sweet tea thing going on. Last impression on the tongue is reminiscent of artificial sweetener or model glue. Can't really tell which.

M - Very little carbonation and creamy. Sweet and slightly bitter aftertaste.

O - Meh. Had much better from Lagunitas. At least this doesn't come across too hot. Barely taste any big alcohol taste despite the high ABV. May try it again, but I'd much rather give it another try on tap.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 23:31:33 | More by gopens44

MithosYggdrasil

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this quite lengthy named beer at Sugar Maple in Milwaukee, WI on 5/5/09. On-tap and poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Somewhat clear, somewhat hazy reddish brown with an offwhite head and pretty solid lacing.

Smell: Pretty intense stuff right here. Pretty sweet malts, as well. As for the smell, I smelt all sorts of citrus, with other hints such as caramel, pine and possibly a hint of cinnamon. Really, I am impressed.

Taste: I dunno, it smells better than it tastes. A bit of brown sugar and alcohol that I did not detect in the smell become present in the taste. Anyway,mot to say it isn't good, but it tastes unbalanced. The herbal hops definitely take charge, which is enjoyable to me and other hopheads, of course. However, the end taste is somewhat dry.

Mouthfeel: A bit strange, actually. Good balance, and a lot less heavy than I was expecting!

Drinkability: It's very strong and goes down fast, which is a bit dangerous, especially if you plan on taking down multiple ones. It was average, but I'd take a Censored Copper Ale or their IPA over this beer. It's still worth a shot, as you might be more impressed with the taste than I was and really love it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2009 21:51:34 | More by MithosYggdrasil

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle from the 2010 vintage pours a crystal clear copper color with a sedentary cap of creamy tan froth. Excellent lacing as the foam recedes at a snails pace.

Nose is citrusy, apple orchard hoppy and does not stray much at all from the typical Lagunitas aroma. Smells good, but the same shit over and over again from them is getting a bit old.

Taste is sweet and hoppy, with tropical fruit flavors from the hops and alcohol reigning supreme. There is some decent balancing from the caramel and sugary malts, but if someone put this in front of me blindfolded, I would have a myriad of Petaluma beers to rattle off. Alcohol is too much and becomes harsh fast. Sorry Lagunitas, if I would have had this before Lucky 13, Imperial Red, Correction Ale, WTF, etc... I would give it higher marks. But it feels like a been there, done that kind of brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 02:50:28 | More by twiggamortis420