Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

LaCoursiere

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a wine glass. It formed a thin white head that receded to almost nothing fairly quickly. The color is somewhere between brown and amber. There is not much if any lacing.

S - Wow, it was sitting 16 inches away and I could smell it wafting. When I got my nose up close it was a great balance of floral, citrus and pine notes. You can definitely tell they must have used a complex hop profile.

T - Brown sugar and lemon pepper up front fades to caramel malt with resinous pine and some more fruity notes. The bitterness kicks the door in midway through the finish and stays around until the next sip.

M - Smooth yet slightly chewy with a a little bit of alcohol warmth

O/D - This one is really good. It's not much to look at but it makes up for it in the other categories. If they ever make beer air fresheners this would be one to emulate. The drinkability is high from a taste standpoint, but the abv keeps you in check. I will definitely be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 01:50:45 | More by LaCoursiere

BeerMaverick

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Brown and clear brew with about an inch of off-white head. Good amount of lacing that lasts throughout the session.

S - Some hoppy citrusy tones come through and are backed by a malty sweetness. The alcohol is also detected here.

T - This beer is on the sweeter side. A good amount of brown sugar and caramel are present with the malt character. The hoppy bitterness plays with the alcohol, but doesn't cover it up.

M - A full-bodied brew that definitely coats the tongue in a layer of syrupy malts.

O - A good beer overall. I probably won't get this again because there are many other beers I'd like to try and better ones that I've had. Had one of these while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops...fitting, but really started to mess with my gameplay once I was through with it. Only recommend one of these in a sitting due to its sweetness, heavy character, and high abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 15:59:47 | More by BeerMaverick

turnstile

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a deep reddish-brown with an impressive, one-inch rocky head. Retention is decent with no lacing.

Smell: Sweet raisin aroma up front with Belgian yeast and caramel notes in the background. Hop aromas struggle to get through.

Taste: Tart red apples, spice, and brown sugar are the dominant flavor characteristics; very cider-like and sweet. Mild/moderate hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and quite slick. Carbonation is minimal and almost flat, but doesn't leave any residual syrupy-ness.

Overall/Drinkability: A little too sweet for my liking, but goes nicely with the Belgian yeast note (whether or not Belgian yeast is actually used - I'm not certain).

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2011 04:07:27 | More by turnstile

Bizz88

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours dark amber with an eggshell white finger and a half head that dissipated quickly to very sticky lacing down the glass.
S- sweet hoppy malt to the nose with a spicy hint.
T- a nice hoppy bite with a brown sugar sweetness.
M- Smooth,medium body light on the carbonation.
D- Very drinkable. Down two of these back to back, just be at home.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 21:46:41 | More by Bizz88

challenja

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

F*ck You.. this beer is good. real good. no beer snob here. Just a hardcore IPA head. This one was legendary in status. Longest lingering aftertaste of all time and it was lavender.. silky smooth..
Sweet, mighty tasty DIPA. Better than Maximus. Closest in taste and quality of Double Jack by Firestone..

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 18:23:26 | More by challenja

GregPearson33

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a dark copper color with a thick 2-finger beige head of tightly laced, thick foam that held amazingly well (4.5)The aroma is heavily citrus-hop based (sharp grapefruit) with a sweet caramel background. (4.0)

Taste starts out bready with malty caramel tones that give way to a sharp hop bite. I think its extremely palatable but the abruptness with which the hops appear and disappear is strange - there is relatively little mouth coating and no weighty lingering aftertaste as I've come to expect with strong ales (or is this a IIPA?). (3.0)

The body is somewhat thick and there is low-moderate carbonation. Taking into account its ABV I'd say that one of these would be pleasant, but plenty. (3.0)

Would say, "you should definitely try that" if it were available, but probably wouldn't actively seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 00:34:14 | More by GregPearson33

dheacck11

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
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

andyfrancis

California

3.33/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Deep red-amber color with off-white head. sweet malty aroma. Whoa. The alcohol makes its presence known, though not unbearably. Bitter with a hint of a sweet finish to balance it out. Could use a bit more carbonation. Would make for a good sittin by the fireplace nightcapper.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 00:16:42 | More by andyfrancis

jsp2

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into wine goblet. Golden amber with white foamy head, good retention.

Aroma is dominated by resiny hops with wonderful grapefruit, orange, floral aromas. There is a subtlety to it that seems vanilla. Very nice.

Taste is hoppy attack, followed by vanilla and wood, with a wonderfully sweet malty paired with bitter finish. There is a bit of fruitiness in with the vanilla/wood, and more wood on the aftertaste. Alcohol is present and there is something complex to it like licorice/tobacco that counterpoints the hops very nicely.

It is a very sweet beer and will be well suited to sipping, you could spend an hour enjoying this beer. I think a year in the cellar would be nice as well but it was enjoyable now. Carbonation is moderate.

For me, this one delivered on flavor. All the complexity I would expect from this style and I love the strong hop counterpoint. I will definitely buy this again. Good on all counts and excellent on flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 01:05:49 | More by jsp2

WrathsU

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Brilliantly clear amber body with moderate white head that recedes quickly. Lacing looks good.

S - Very malty up front. Strong honey and floral/perfume-y smelling hops, moderate lemony citrus, and slight tinge of alcohol swirl around in the aromas.

T - Very very intense sweetness up front. Mostly malt derived sweetness with caramel notes and molasses. Bitterness towards the end helps round out the flavor profile, finishes with just a touch of alcohol.

M - Light-medium bodied with good carbonation level and no alcohol warming which is surprising given its almost 10% abv.

O - A very drinkable beer which is a problem considering just how strong this monster is. Lagunitas did a wonderful job hiding the alcohol though and the beer is a clear winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 19:49:50 | More by WrathsU

FatSean

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a English-style pint glass.

Ruby-gold color, head the color of bone. The head was only a finger in height but it has hung on for several sips...slowly diminishing but not disappearing. Much of the foam seems to remain clinging to the glass.

Smells of sweet malts and tangy, orangey hops. The smell hints of complexity to come.

The hops are quite present but well balanced by the slightly weaker malt flavors. Upon finishing my sip, the sweet caramel/molasses malt flavors linger on the tounge along with the spicy alcohol. It's not till the finish that one is warned of the potency of this brew.

Mouthfeel is very nice. Solid and hearty. Perhaps a bit too syrupy, so I only gave a 4.

Drinkablity, for style, is very very good. If not for the aformentioned syrupy clinginess of the sweet malt flavors, this would be a 5.0 (as far as American Strong Ales go, anyway).

The sixer is a bit pricey by me...$10.99, but if you like strong ales you should definitely try this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2009 23:08:22 | More by FatSean

jorg2619

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I bought this bottle on a whim. Beer pours a clean amber with some head that recedes into a ring of white bubbles. I smelled booze and malt from the glass. The boozy smell is strong yet not off putting. A smooth American strong ale yet still tastes best in small drinks or sips. Boozy front end on this beer followed by citrus like hop flavors some sweet malt notes with a boozy aftertaste. Undercover Shutdown is a powerful ale. I think the boozy notes are a good element of the beer that lets the drinker know that this beer is no joke yet still pleasing to the palette.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 19:00:20 | More by jorg2619

d4114

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Reddish copper color, very clear. 2 fingers of off white to light tan head.

S- Big sweet malt with a piney hop aroma. Also a pretty big nuttiness.

T- Nutty malt sweetness is up front across most of the palate but is balanced out by the piney hops.

M- On the lighter side of medium; Doesn't totally match the bigness of the rest of the beer.

O- Similar to a american barleywine but instead of caramel or toffee notes it has nutty notes more like a brown ale. It also has a pretty big hop presence. For almost 10% it drinks really easy and i enjoyed it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 05:28:58 | More by d4114

BigDRS

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle to pint glass.

Appearance - Pours a clear copper/amber color. A bit of carbonation is present visually. Head pours 2 fingers and leaves a film that sticks around leaving a moderate amount of lace.

Smell - Very west coast like citrus/pine smell. Has a bit of malt on the end of the nose.

Taste - Fairly strong hop character with quite a bit of sweetness that I wasn't expecting.

Mouthfeel - Mid bodied. Has a moderate amount of alcohol present ... to be expected at nearly 10% I guess.

Overall - This beer goes down pretty easy for nearly 10% ABV. Very solid strong ale/DIPA

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 00:47:00 | More by BigDRS

genitempo

Texas

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Once again, consistency with labeling always is a good strategy. Lagunitas shows this with trademark dog and choice of label paper. Decent pour. Rich, copper body with minimal head. Practically no lacing whatsoever.

Smell - on the cusp of stronger hops, but not overbearing.

Taste - nice hoppy and rich flavor. Really strong up front, then ends abruptly (a beer that would go with a good meal to prevent taste overlap).

Mouthfeel - medium body. a little too much carbonation.

Overall - This is middle of the road for Lagunitas (which is still a level above most attempts made by other breweries).

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 03:02:16 | More by genitempo

zimmerbloke

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Blind Beers BIF:

Really interesting beer! As soon as I opened the bottle, I was smelling *something*... it definitely took me a while to work my way into the beer to figure out what, exactly. Poured into a New Belgium globe glass (as with the rest of the blind beers) with a good inch of off-white head. Aroma is even stronger and very sweet. Caramel, definitely, with a little bit of dried fruit. Some citrus... really enjoy the hop profile. Reminds me of a double IPA, but malt is too presently strong/sweet. More like an American Barleywine/Strong Ale. Taste is good, but doesn't expand much on the aroma. Some hoppy flavor, but predominantly sweeter malts and a bit of alcohol, in a nice way. This is definitely stronger, probably close to 10%. Definitely sits on the tongue and coats the mouth a little bit, has a very pleasant aftertaste. I would be happy to drink this regularly, but I can't imagine getting through more than one bottle in a sitting.

4.0/4.5/4.0/4.0/4.0

Felt like I was really close to nailing this beer! Also really enjoyed drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 20:54:12 | More by zimmerbloke

shaunb81

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured a copper, almost red body with a decent white, 1" head. Medium lacing coats the glass.

Smell - It's definitely fruity (mango or peach). It's also got some sweet malty aromas, some florals and it smells a bit sour after about 10 minutes or so.

Taste - Sweet and fruity malts make it pretty yummy, but it gets a little funky after about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes though, there wasn't much to grade.

Mouthfeel - Balanced, medium density, and a little creamy. I like it!

Overall - This will definitely put you on your ass after a few of them and it is pretty easy to do so. The hops are nice and I like the fruitiness to the brew as well. Tread carefully, though!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 23:56:44 | More by shaunb81

TheNightbird

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Nice dark reddish color, with a nice fingers worth of carbonation.

S- Lots of carmel and hop aroma. The hops aromas are citrus, pine and floral. There are also some lingering aromas of other fruits. Piney bitterness is also very prevalent.

T- Nice carmel profile with a balanced bitterness. Then the hops take over with a nice touch of grassy and citrus come through. The amount of alcohol is well hidden until the end, the aftertaste is mixed with hops and booze.

M- The mouthful is moderate for the amount of alcohol that is in this beer. Nice carbonation.

D- Overall this is a really nice beer, the strength of the beer could hold down the drinkability to under a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 23:50:04 | More by TheNightbird

afrokaze

California

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having this on tap at Wine Affairs in SJ

A- deep golden amber, 1/2 finger of head with great lacing

S- sweet maltiness, brown sugar, floral & fruity hops, toffee

T- copper sweet malt up front, followed by floral & fruit hops, moderately bitter, lots of brown sugar/toffee. Alcohol is warming but really balanced. Maybe a little herbs or anise

M- medium, on the heavier side with lower carbonation that works well

O- hard to pinpoint why, but this beer is really hearty & satisfying. Unbelievably drinkable for almost 10% abv

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2011 03:31:00 | More by afrokaze

gillagorilla

Maryland

3.34/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz. bottle into a Flying Dog goblet (0819942231)

A: A deep, slightly hazy/cloudy bronze that is bordering on reddish, with ok lacing that only had a one inch head that diminished rapidly.

S: It is a very citrusy hop smell that smells like a great IPA. There is a bunch of sweetness in there as well. The smell is amazing on this one.

T: The hops try to assert themselves but are quickly overwhelmed by the strong malt profile that powers through it all. I can't really place the flavor but it feels all malty. Not a good aftertaste for me, all malt.

M: Quite smooth with a slight bit of carbonation.

O: I know a lot of people like this, but I am not a fan. I got it for the limited release nature and because I have enjoyed their other stuff. I won't be finishing it, but will be making beer bread with it instead, where the malts will give it a nice sweetness. There will now be more for others to have.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 02:38:08 | More by gillagorilla

mnphish

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Tumbler.

Appearance - dark orange/light red with a three finger foamy head and tons of lacing.

Smell - brings on lots of pine and citrus hops along with a big malt profile and maybe a hint of booze and darker fruits

Taste - I'm having a hard time explaining this one. It's got that fresh hop thing going on mixed with a lot of caramel malts, so similar to an IPA i guess. There is some toffee in there and the alcohol is very well hidden. The finish is mildly bitter although very well balanced.

Mouthfeel - light to medium body. Highly drinkable for the 9% abv. Lethal and delicious.

Another winner from Lagunitas. Really enjoying how fresh these hops taste right now but I would imagine it would balance out even more so with time.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 21:14:07 | More by mnphish

HaysAmerica

Kansas

3.58/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a snifter glass. No bottling date or best by date. It is a limited release but nothing else other than that on the bottle. Pours a deep, golden or maybe very burnt orange. Not quite red, not orange for sure, not ruby by anymeans. Looks like tea actually. Has about one finger head of white color before fading a little too quickly.

Very floral hop nose! Served @ 53F. Makes me think of pine needles, which automatically makes me think of an IPA. Although this is listed as a Strong Ale. Has a very clean hop forward nose. Malt is not detectable in the nose at all for me.

Very carbonated, quite hoppy (the bottle has the word hops 5 times on it) & some malt coming through. Pretty standard for this brewery. Great lacing on the glass by the way. Pine needles, a little spicy but very restrained, slight acidic taste. Sticky & long lasting bitter taste. This one stays w/ me as far as the after taste goes. Quite mouth coating. The 9.87 ABV is hidden well. There is some warming due to the alcohol but this is not distracting nor unwarranted.

Overall, I'm impressed. I'd have it again. The $$ is right on for this as a sixer. Not that I'd really want to drink all 6 in the same night. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 21:24:16 | More by HaysAmerica

flexinwext

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear, dark gold/brown color. Thin frothy head that sticks to the side of the glass. Aroma is of pine hops and lemon peel. At first taste this is quite the bitter brew. Tart on the tip of the tongue with a grapefruit-esque finish and after taste. I think the high ABV is hidden pretty well in this one. This one seems to cross many different style genres.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 00:09:23 | More by flexinwext

sbxx

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into FFF Teku glass.
Bottle code indicates a bottling date of 3/14/13

Appearance - Pours a deep amber. 3 fingers of fluffy yet dense khaki foam. Thick lacing.

Smell - Caramel malt. Slight alcohol. Pine. Tad bit of citrus lurking beneath the surface.

Taste - Astringent pine bite balanced out with thick caramel malts. Well balanced for the most part. Goes down easy. Bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, medium carb, semi-dry finish.

Overall - A solid offering from Lagunitas. It's a limited release, so it's a nice pickup, but I can't say I'm as excited about it as something like Brown Shugga.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 07:37:54 | More by sbxx

ccm414

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the 12oz bottle...

A- An interesting look... brownish with some amber and a little golden in color. Pours with a 2 finger head that settles down evenly leaving a nice lace around the entire glass.

S- Fruity, floral, and piney hops. Hops, hops, hops and I love it. The aromas this brew gives off are great. True to the Lagunitas Brewery. Some brown sugar and caramel notes are also poking through from the malt.

T- First comes off rather sweet with a nice bitter/hop balance and finishes with a nice slight bitterness, but still with some sweetness from the malt. The taste almost flip-flops while savoring it.

M- A medium bodied beer with a slightly lighter carbonation. The 9.70% abv does poke through with a little alcohol warmth.

D- Very drinkable. I really enjoyed this beer. Nothing special to look at, but the aromas and flavors it gives off are rather nice. I will be looking for this again.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 00:38:09 | More by ccm414