Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz single bottle into a Lancaster Brewing pint glass. It's been about two years since I had the sneak release of this beer.

A- Lagunitas UISDA is a nicely lit light bronze color with some brownish appearence to it. The head builds to about 3/4 of an inch and starts degressing before im done pouring the bottle. A nice beige film stays on the surface forever leaving spotty lace.

S- A wonderful scent coming from this bordering between a DIPA and a strong ale. As expected a lot of hops giving off piney smells as well as light citrus with grapefruit. A malt extravaganza gving off earthy smells with bread. some sweet caramel and a oily base coming off of the hops. More sweetness possibly from the addition of some sugars. Boozy.

T- This is good stuff and as I drink it im thinking it leads more into the strong ale category. Loads of west coast hops giving off a nice bitterness from the 72 IBU's. This is not a hop bomb because the sweetness comes from a nice malt addition and other sweetners, maybe some brown sugar. On the end i get a sense of some dark fruits although they are not pronounced. At 9% the alcohol is not a problem.

M- Some bitternes is all throughout this but it goes down smoother than expected. Undercover is two steps above medium bodied with a good dose of carbonation. I guess they tweaked the recipe some cause i remember this being more assauling in the past but that could be my expanding palette. This does not burn the tounge out with the hop addition.

D- Not sessionable, but i would not mind getting drunk off of a six pack. Hey, maybe i will try that on a lazy afternoon during the weekend. This stuff is good and cant be denied even with an apparent change in recipe additions. A lot of beers I get from lagunitas taste the same but this is a step in a different direction, one that I welcome with open arms.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 05:45:03 | More by onix1agr

thebeeve

Texas

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

This is just awesome. Really, really nice. The only drawback was finding the 9% alcohol level. It'd be far to easy to drink about 6 of these without blinking an eye. Hoppy but with just enough hops to keep it appropriately balanced. Really nice find.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 00:09:56 | More by thebeeve

LittleDon

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Copper colored and slightly hazy with low carbonation. It starts with a healthy off-white head that quickly disappears into nicely abundant lace.

S - A melange of bread, caramel, and hops

T - Sweet, yet well balanced by the hops. The alcohol does come through however and is somewhat noticeable. A slightly bitter finish, despite the sweet note up front and in the middle.

M - Medium bodied, leaning toward the heavier side

D - Good, would have been better if the alcohol wasn't so prominent.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 21:06:01 | More by LittleDon

goatxpower

California

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a nice, clear copper reddish brown. small head fades quick (might have been a bad pour on my end).

S- For just a second, you get the big hops that you expect from Lagunitas... then it utterly disappears. Sort of dissapointing.

T- Peachy, boozey, almost Southern Comfort-like tones, A little bit of toast and bread. A little bit of caramel, but nothing burnt. Much smoother then I expected.

M- Very sweet, like a Barleywine. Lingers with just a touch of hops. Almost thought that it may have been a Bizzaro interpretation of a ESB until I smelled the American hops. Despite comparison to barleywine, has a rather light body.

D- Stylistically, this is all over the place. But, this beer goes down too easily. I could easily drink a 6-er...and then pay the price in the morning.

Overall- a but restrained for what I'm used to from Lagunitas, but other then that, a great beer. Flavorful enough to drink several. Underwhelming, compared to the rest of this brewery's line-up. Do I have a problem if I consider this session-able?

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 09:21:04 | More by goatxpower

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer has an orangish hue when it's held up to the light. Nice frothy cream colored head with some stick that should be respected. Good clarity, not much haze at all.

Faint smells of alcohol, fruit, and hops (not citrusy like an IPA though).

Taste is a bit on the sweet side. This kind of reminds me of Oak-Aged Unearthly a bit. Not quite as hoppy though. The hops are there, but not as dominant as the fruity sweetness of this strong ale.

Mouthfeel is medium with an aggressive carbonation that bubbles on your tongue like someone slipped some pop-rocks into your brew.

I personally couldn't drink too many of these in one sitting though.

Morey's Bottom Line: If you're a fan of the style....this is a must try. A well made beer without a doubt. For me, it's a bit sweet though.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 00:27:40 | More by Morey

Proteus93

Virginia

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

A: Nice amber hue, slightly dark. Head is nice and foamy. Retention and lacing are both pretty nice. This good looking brew is off to a good start.

S: Pine, some notes of bark and maltiness. Certainly a big hop profile with just the softest sweetness.

T: Big hoppy flavour.... lots of piney tastes, some bitter citrus rind (grapefruit without the sugary flavours). Some tart fruit notes come out and make a nice addition. Quite tasty.

M + D: Sparkling and rather assertive carbonation. Medium body, with a slight bit of chewiness and a lasting flavour. This is a pretty good beer, and I would be happy to have another.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 03:15:41 | More by Proteus93

BearsSox

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into my Surly Darkness goblet.

Nice head, creamy, looks like froth on a cappuccino, but dlisappears quite quickly.

The smell is interesting - piney hops, some sweet caramel, and boy, some alcohol. Reminds me a bit of brandy.

Wow, this beer is something else. There is a strong hop character, but it seems as if the hops are swimming in a pool of brown sugar and bourbon. Whoo-hoo! This beer is hot. Which I like - 9.0%+ abv beer should taste that way.

I love the texture of this beer. Really fine carbonation, and the flavor seems to gently coat my tongue.

I could drink this beer a lot, but I shouldn't drink a lot of this beer, if that makes sense. It's boozey, but the flavor and smoothness make you want to pound quite a few back. Probably not a good idea.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2009 20:04:57 | More by BearsSox

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%
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

Kraken

Maryland

2.75/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 3/24/09
Loved the story behind why this was brewed, had to pick up a 6'er. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a 16oz pint glass. Exceedingly firm pour yields 1/8 inch head, bright white in color. Head fades quickly leaving no sign of lace. Color is a clear copper amber.

Nose- Piney, pithy grapefruit. Some pronounced caramel notes. Very dry, with some brown sugar sweetness. Plenty of bitterness in the finish. Very Hot. Kind of a hopped up sugary hot mess.

Mouthfeel- Very dry, and bitter.

Drinkability- Very strong, and confused.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2009 01:19:13 | More by Kraken

itcomesnpints

New York

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bronze, clear, could be more head, residual glob on glass.

NW hops lay heavy oils. Strong herbal, pine aroma. Very close to a 5 for smell.

Taste is filled with hops. The bitterness might be out of your jurisdiction. Just enough malt to ensure balance. Sweet finish.

Exceptionally well-hidden abv. Creamy smooth finish.

A fantastic American Strongle Ale/DIPA that deserves more recognition than it's getting.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2009 01:23:58 | More by itcomesnpints

SeanRedd

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another sugar bomb. A marshmellow merengue head floats atop a burnt amber body. The aroma is faint, but cookies and hop spice jump out the pint. The body is crisp for a heavy ale, bubbly thick syrup with plenty of residual sugar lacing. Light caramel, mineral, blood sap, and confectionary sugar. A balanced center that goes candided hop imbalance toward the end. The bubbles help to scrub out the booze. Interesting but I wont be stopping by for another.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 02:01:44 | More by SeanRedd

JRed

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear amber with fizzy white head that leaves some lacing. A strong hop presence in scent: aggressive on pine notes, some alcoholic sting, slight fruit tang. Alcoholic booze bullies around the hops in taste from start to finish. Some notes of citrus poke their heads out from the chaos and then hide when big bad ABV comes back. Hop bitterness lasts in the aftertaste. Carbonation is on the attack as well stinging the tongue until it is swallowed down. Drinkable but a bit mouthfeel can be rather annoying.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 01:19:33 | More by JRed

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Okay, whats the deal? Only 5 reviews of this stuff nationwide? I picked up an unassuming bottle in a mixed sixer not even knowing what it was and wow I am blown away!

Pours viscous, this is a high gravity beer based on its pout alone. Nice dark amber/golden color with nice carbonation and a nice looking thin white head.

Smell is super fresh hops, I was NOT expecting a super hoppy beer when I popped the cap but then again most of the Lagunitas beers seem to be slanted toward the hoppy end of the spectrum. These hops are super piney wow! Lots of resiny goodness eminates from my glass, it kills any other smells that might even be thinking of coming forward.

Wow, what a beer. Lots of piney hoppy goodness followed by some powdered sugar and caramel flavors and a nice malty backbone.

This ia very well balanced strong hoppy beer. I am very much in awe of just how good this beer was as I had no idea!

By far one of the best beer "surprises" I've had in awhile!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 03:20:29 | More by indiapaleale

optiontwo

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. poured into pint glass

Appearance: Clear orange with streaming lines of carbonation and a one inch white head.

Smell: Bitter citrus hops and some thick sweetness and a little bit of roasted caramel malts.

Taste: A lot sweeter than I would have expected but still with a good amount of bitter. Lots of grapefruit and pineapple flavors from the hops that almost comes of as resinous.

Mouthfeel: Not too thick and not too light.

Drinkability: Fairly high. I was surprised at how easy it was to get through this DIPA.

Overall: I'm really enjoying this one. This is something I'll definitely be picking up another six pack of.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 18:47:39 | More by optiontwo

Buebie

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a sixer of this today. Poured from a brown 12oz stubby into a tulip.
Forming an inch of white fizzy head, settling to a colar of retention. Nice drageage of lace lines the glass walls.
The color is a darker orange copper, mostly transparent with some chill haze. Nice even carbonation rise.

The aroma is a bready sourdough with sweet caramel, pine and fruity hops, with a hint of some spicie hops.

Oooh, lala this is delicious. Hoppy up front, with a bit of carbonation zing. Sweet through the middle, citrussy rind, pine bittering into the swallow. All the while a nice bready semi sweet flavor, pairing with butter scotch sweetness.
Finishing dry, minerally and full of hop linger.

No alcahol warming at the knose or in the taste. Outstanding beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 21:14:34 | More by Buebie

rowew

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz short bottle, label matches the other Lagunitas offerings, including the tiny description around the label. Date code is cryptic, but this just showed up in Colorado (and I suppose with that ABV it isn't a concern).

Appearance: Clear amber in color, thin head but good lacing.

Smell: Tons of sticky hop, with quite a bit of malt sweetness. Just a bit of dark fruit. Smells like half way between a barley wine and a big double IPA.

Taste: Strong hop flavor, with a good malt backbone behind it.. again, this is about half way between a DIPA and a BW, but its very drinkable.

Overall impression: Dangerous - the alcohol definitely isn't hidden, but its smooth and flavorful - I could drink several of these, but it would probably be a bad idea.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 18:07:09 | More by rowew

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, bronze appearance, slim whitehead.

Mild fruit in aroma ,apple mostly, a little spicy, minor bitterness. Nice and malty. A little sour.

Tasting, it really feels like a good dark English malty mild ale, but one with a beast in it's belly. You can feel the fire coming up. Really gentle, mellow...and then a nip,a bite...a 9% mild? Here we go...

Very nice, well done, but don't think I could have more than one. Are mild supposed to be 9%?Not sure...not...sure...

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 08:45:11 | More by feloniousmonk

GilGarp

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Differerent from the "Sneak relase" version in some ways. Labeled as an "imperial mild" on their website, it's best described as a very hoppy strong ale. Darker and richer than a DIPA but not as big as a barleywine.

"Limited release" on the bottle along with all the important information: O.G. 1.092, 9.03% ABV, 72.41 IBU. Strangely, all three statistics vary from what is printed on the six-pack carton.

Pours a dark amber red color with great clarity. I can even see my own fingerprints on the other side of the glass! Great sticky white head that leaves all sorts of lacing down the glass.

Aroma is very hoppy and sweet with a brown sugar quality to it. Lots of pine and honey too.

Flavor is big hoppy bitterness with a healthy dose of malty sweetness. It's almost barleywine but the hops take center stage on this one. There is lots of great west-coast style grapefrtui and piney hops in there.

Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with sweetness up front followed by a bitter dry(er) finish. Good lower level of carbonation.

Drinkability is hindered only by the strength. It's a great beer that I will probabaly be buying another sixpack of just to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2009 04:54:18 | More by GilGarp

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

Alextricity

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at One-Eyed Betty's in Ferndale, Michigan.

I haven't had many strong ales in my life, but I've decided that they tend to be more malt-forward than hop-forward ... a lot of hops in this one, but the beer is never overly sweet or malty. This beer has a nice copper color with a good little head on it -- the smell and taste are similar in that they offer a lot of malty flavors. The taste has a very slight alcohol burn on the finish, but it doesn't come out much in the taste. Aftertaste has a somewhat copper-malt flavor... odd description, but I can't think of a better way to do it. Solid feel with medium carbonation, making for an easy-to-drink beer, regardless of the high ABV.

Lagunitas hasn't let me down, and this one keeps the streak going. Not their best beer, but a hell of a lot better than a lot of breweries' best.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 04:05:24 | More by Alextricity

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Three pour bartender on this one. Lots of head and what was left on my glass lasted a very long time, leaving a blanket of lace. Deep, dirty copper color and very clear.

Predominant grapefruit rind aroma. A bit of candy sugar to the nose also.

Starts off malty with lots of Crystal and mild sweetness. You cannot anticipate the hop explosion that comes with the swallow. Both pepper and alcohol warmth show up in the aftertaste. Full bodied with low carbonation.

In short, this is an unexpectedly complex beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 18:23:52 | More by smcolw

kylehay2004

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -23.8%
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

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Red-bronze color. Hardly any head formed. Clarity is a plus.

Boozy nose with red caramel malts, citrusy orange and grapefruit hops (a la Lagunitas), and a light tinniness. All in all, a nice aroma.

Barleywine-like strength with well-kilned grains and citrus hops. Lots of ruby red grapefruit, toffee, light vanilla extract fume, and red grapes. Fruity with a flair of Angostura Bitters flavor. Light metal note that is extended by a breathy alcohol finish. Warming as it goes down. Sticky body with a hefty medium viscosity. Carbonation is well-checked. A little scrub at first and a little late.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2012 02:23:07 | More by thecheapies

Glibber

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one of my favorite seasonals from Lagunitas. Red amber color with copious amounts of chapagne bubbling. Small white froth that laces the glass quite well. Sweet, Tangy smell, with noticeable hops. A floral, sweet, and creamy front end with a bitter piney aftertaste and some alcohol warming. Very enjoyable, but might be tough to have more than a few due to the hoppiness- and at 9.7%ABV, probably not a wise move anyway. Usually I like to enjoy one beer- and this is a good one that even gets more complex as it warms.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2012 03:51:52 | More by Glibber

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served into gorgeous glass. (Stemless white wine glass?)

A: Scattered lacing. Clear amber-excellent.

S: Malty-strong, but hoppy-excellent. Caramel and hops.

T: Good. Smooth, sparkling, strong citrus, buttery malt. An interesting sort of 'Imperial Red'. Fine finish...Yum.

M: Substantial and pleasant. Chewy-sweet.

O: Excellent. I like it. Recommended. Bitter hops, sweet citrus, caramel malt.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 02:54:09 | More by AgentMunky