Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

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

A: Pours a clear, deep orange-bronze color with some tiny bubbles of carbonation. The head has a tannish tint and is moderately tall when first poured, with a thick, frothy texture. Retention is solid, with some irregular lacing.

S: Fresh hop aromas - pink grapefruit, pine, and surprisingly robust herbal notes abound. A sweet, bready malt backbone is present as well. Hints of sweet alcohol are also noticeable.

T: Sweet brown sugar up front is greeted by a firm wave of hop flavors and bitterness. Pine sap and grapefruit pith are most prominent, with some herbal hints in the background. A second dose of bready malt sweetness and an interesting yeasty character occurs after the hops make themselves known. The alcohol is flirtatious. One second it's there, the next it's gone without a trace.

M: Sticky, resiny medium-full body with light, tingly carbonation. A big wave of dryness becomes apparent at the very finish.

D: Another nice interpretation of a Strong Ale/Barleywine/DIPA from Lagunitas. Honestly, they have so many, it's a minor miracle they can manage to keep them from blending completely into one another. A strong, surprisingly drinkable big beer. Drinks more like 6.5-7% ABV, so be forewarned.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2009 22:12:03 | More by Clydesdale

natasharai

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Poured with a large foamy off white head consisting of large/medium bubbles that dissipated quickly leaving a lot of lacing at the top of my glass. The beer is completely clear with a dark orange gold color.

Smell: Citrus hops, very sweet malt, brown sugar, and caramelized nuts.

Taste: Citrus/floral hops, sweet oranges, brown sugar, nutty malt, a bit of an alcohol taste, and a spicy taste at the end.

Mouthfeel: Light/medium body, slightly syrupy, some hop bitterness, a small alcohol burn, and leaves mouth a bit dry.

Overall: Good drinkability, nice hop flavors and really sweet syrupy flavor/feel to balance it out. Not very complex, just hoppy and sweet, but still a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 04:47:16 | More by natasharai

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a nonic pint glass. The ale appears a crystal clear rich crimson amber color with a finger of creamy off white foam. No lacing to speak of. Aromas and flavors consist of citrus notes like lemon, grapefruit pith, orange peel, quite bitter, sweet bready grain, and a light dose of caramel. A notch better than medium bodied and amply carbonated. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 18:42:43 | More by ClockworkOrange

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

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

C'mon, what's up with the name? It's far too silly.

Nose is hoppy - citric, floral, and bright - with some softer malt. Smells good.

Pours a medium amber/copper color, good clarity, mild head with dogged retention. Looks good.

Hops are in charge - lots of citric and floral juices with resinous pine, herb, and spice galore; good shot of bitterness and tartness to the feel. Notes of alcohol tie in nicely with the unruly hoppage. I get some moderate pungentness before I note any malt. There is some nice sweetness to contrast - grainy malty and soft. The sweetness also goes nicely with the alcohol. Finishes fairly clean - just a hint of nutty maltiness and bitter hops. Tastes & feels good - a nice kick in the mouth on both fronts. Good drinkability.

From the name I'd guess Barleywine, because they didn't want to call it a Barleywine-style ale, but the flavor lands closer to Imperial IPA due to the soft malt and subsequent hoppy unbalance. Okay, fine, so it's an American Strong, that's cool. (I don't see any reference to them not wanting to call it a BW, I thought I had them on that one.)

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 01:44:58 | More by MrHungryMonkey

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear red with an inch of sticky tan foam. Nose is tangerines, grapefruit and a hint of pine. Huge hoppy flavour right off the bat - lots of resinous grapefruit with a healthy dose of orange. There's a lot of sweetness is this one, but balances well against the ridiculous hoppiness. Body is appropriate - not too heavy and not too light with a medium-hard carbonation. I'm really liking this one - I would describe it as very smooth and very, very hoppy.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 23:14:11 | More by allergictomacros

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Twist off bottle poured into a tulip.

A-Deep copper, brilliantly clear. Low eggshell head that falls to a lace.

S-Some toasty malt. Mostly hidden behind the hops. Definetly one of the "C" hops. Not as over the top as the flavor. Kinda mild actually.

T-Full on bitterness. Some citrusy hop but very little. Very unbalanced but I think that's the point. Some toasty malt but hidden behind the hops. This beer is very much like arrogant bastard. I know this isn't oak aged but there is some oak like astringency in this.

M-Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Bitterness is boardering on being astringent but its good.

D- at 9% alcohol and with this much bitterness I would have trouble having more than one in a sitting. That said, the beer isn't hot or offensive or anything so I guess it is pretty drinkable for the type of beer it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2009 19:35:21 | More by organicbrewer

GRG1313

California

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

ON TAP at STONE; Pours a dark honey orange color with light orange edges. A nice white head with very heavy lacing.

Assertive orange essence and orange flowers in nose, very floral and elegant with hints of apricot.

Nice balance and fruity/hop character. Fruity, stone fruit flavors with hints of malt and underlying stone fruit flavors; hints of Belgian malts but with a big grapefruit hop finish. Good with food.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2009 00:19:08 | More by GRG1313

Docer

Washington

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

Found a six-pack of this at Whole Foods...

- Dark, clear, amber-ale colored... thinking nugget nectar... lacing all about.... mild off-white head..

- Little bit of caramel malt, sweet brown sugar, and hop stoopid extract... seems Lagunitas is just spitting out a huge selection of mass-produced extract brews... hey, at least they are hitting the shelves everywhere at a decent price!

- Strong IIPA taste... little bit of Stoopid w/ a tad flare of Rich Copper... but strong... bit warm.. sweet and very citrusy all at the same time.. they really went off with the flavor they encountered a while back w/ the hop stoopid... the same over-use of extract to get a very citrusy hop flavor without the bitterness.... but hey... it tastes great!

- Little chewy and dry but overall very pleasant..

- Drinks well and warm... I got a 6 pack... and maybe on a good night I could finish it! Rather sweet though!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 06:21:02 | More by Docer

leedorham

Washington

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

A - Pours a darker amber. Thick off-white head that lasts quite a while.

S - Very sweet smelling syrupy/carmel with a bit of hop aroma.

T - Tastes much the same as the aroma. Full malty profile with a ton of carmel character. Alcohol is really much more in the background than I would have thought.

M - Sipping beer for sure but goes down easily for 9%+.

D - Definitely not a session beer for me. I imagine it pairing nicely with stew, steamed vegetables, mexican food.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 04:41:16 | More by leedorham

ZAP

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Deep golden color

S-Bready at first but then a big wave of multidimensional hops...citrus (unsweetened grapefruit), pine, and even some herbal notes...

T-Hops are in front but there is also a sweeter, caramel bread maltiness that emerges...alcohol adds a spicy kick...

M-Medium to full bodied...carbonation seems tight

D-Interesting ale with a strong yet flavorful hop presence. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 04:41:35 | More by ZAP

billybob

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours deep amber with a two finger beige colored head that holds up well and a sticky web like lace. smells of sweet tea, sugar, hint of spice, and floral notes in the nose. sweet taste, bitter tea hides alcohol well, lingering bitter tea after taste finish. medium mouthfeel smooth with a slightly slick feel. all of lagunitas beer tend run to the sweet side which i do not care for.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 16:21:59 | More by billybob

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Stub and Herbs on 5/15/09

Poured into pint glass.

Color is a dark golden copper. Left some splattered lace.

Aroma: Darker hops, more dry. Some citrus notes that reminded me of an IPA. Bready like the Surly 16 Grit. Kind of sweet.

Taste: Bready malts. Massive floral hops. Nut brown nuts. Maple brown sugar. Citrus. A lot like an IPA.

Mouthfeel: IS very bitter, but smooths out. Medium bodied good carbonation. Ends very hoppy.

Overall at 9.02% this was pretty decent. Alcohol is hidden very well. Reminds me a lot like an IPA/DIPA. I could easily have more of this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2009 15:55:07 | More by mothman

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a coppery color and a slightly cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of fairly long-lasting, foamy head and some good lacing.

S: A sharp aroma of hops, malt and sweets.

T: Tasted of malt, caramel (kind of like a barleywine) and really bitter hops in the finish. Not exactly what I expected, but pretty tasty.

M: A highly-carbonated beer with a surprisingly, bitter smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is one of those beers that probably won't please everybody, but is definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2009 15:54:42 | More by avalon07

rayjay

Hawaii

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

12 oz release.

Deep copper colored ale, great head and lots of legs. Close inspection reveals a haze with large particles, but far away its a virtually brite beer.

Strong ale nose, with lots of hops, some alcohol (even isopropyl), and carmel malt. Loads of fruitcake esters.

Deep strong malt flavors, with lots of carmel malts, couples with a strong hop presence. A deep rich IPA-turning-barleywine type ale. Fans of Sierra Nevada's bigger beers will like this one. Alcohol isn't as detectable here, and no heat. Finish is mild with carml sweetness and gentle lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel leans toward the creamy end, and isn't too thick or sticky.

An interesting full-flavored ale. Good to switch things up a bit. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2009 22:34:55 | More by rayjay

HopHead84

California

3.55/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Taproom during game 5 of the 2009 Lakers/Rockets playoff series.

Copper with a small head and little lacing.

The beer has a lot of sweetness in the nose. The malt is caramel, bordering on bready. Alcohol is prominent. There's not a lot of hop character, but what exists is of the grapefruit persuasion. Mostly alcohol and malt.

The flavor is sweet caramel malt. Traces of citrus hops linger within the malt and alcohol. The bitterness is aggressive, and so is the alcohol. The finish is bitter sweetness with lingering alcohol burn.

The beer is medium bodied with high carbonation. This is a decent strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2009 05:38:33 | More by HopHead84

BeanBone

Texas

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

Appearance: A beautiful red-orange body with two fingers of off-white head that leaves good lacing.

Aroma: There's a flood of hops the second the bottle is opened. The hop profile is intense and smells grapefruity, piney, and almost candied. Underneath all of this there's lots of sweet, almost syrupy, malt.

Taste: It's much the same in flavor. A hardy does of grapefruity and piney hops over a big, sweet malt backbone. Most of the alcohol is hidden rather well, and what remains is pleasant. The aftertaste keeps the hop-fest going.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with good carbonation and a little alcohol in the throat. It coats the mouth well, allowing for some great aftertaste retention.

Drinkability: Despite the high ABV and large flavor profile, this still goes back relatively fast, giving this above-average drinkability for the style.

Verdict: Since Laguintas has quite a full lineup of American Strong Ales, one would expect them to be pretty good at crafting them by now. So, it's no surprise that Shut-Down is a solid example of the style. It's may not be the most intense or interesting Strong Ale out there, but it's tasty, quite drinkable, and features an interesting focus on hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 15:46:14 | More by BeanBone

srandycarter

California

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

I thought the name was slightly different than the first time I tried it so I bought it thinking it was a new beer. Glad to have tried it again, though. 5.22.2011

A - Clear amber, nice near white head, fast to leave to ring. Plenty of spotty left over cling.

S - Booze and sweet malt.

T - Deep malt, hot, and pretty aggressive hops at end.

M - Medium body, creamy, good carb, nice balance with something that could be so sweet.

D - Tasty, but couldn't go too far with it.

~~~
Review from 5.12.09 a4 s3.5 t3.5 m3.5 d3.5
Breaking with traditional form here. Deep caramel, not much head, leaves a ring. Not much lacing. Not much in smell - actually almost a sea brine to the malt. Taste is malty but not much there otherwise. Average mouth and drinkability.

All, in all, a decent beer, but not much to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 04:26:17 | More by srandycarter

jjanega08

Minnesota

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

A= pours a deep brown with amber highlights and a paper thin head with no lacing on it. The head quickly falls to a ring around the glass.
S= some citrus hops covered by a blanket of carmel malt. A little soapy for some reason.
T= the hops are there but covered by the carmel malt. Pretty good but not very interesting
M= very dry and a clean finish.
D= decent. Pretty average brew. Glad I got to try it but average prolly won't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 02:51:54 | More by jjanega08

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -24.5%
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

berkey

California

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

Pours a clean, lucid, caramel body with high carbonation. Large off white head with beautiful rings off bright white lacing.

Nose is very sweet. Partially because of the sugary malty alcohol sweetness but much of the sweetness is from the perfumy and fruity citrus hop aroma.

Initial flavor is also sweet but not as much as I thought it might be from the smell. Citrus hops are very much present here as well but are joined by a bit of slightly dry hoppy goodness. This additional hop flavor helps take the edge off the alcohol and keep things from getting too out of balance. Mouthfeel is surprisingly clean, half expected it to be sticky or syrupy because of the sweetness of the smell. Fairly drinkable for the style but still a little too sweet and boozy for
more than a few.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 08:59:08 | More by berkey

mmcary

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I am becoming a big fan of this brewery's beer. Hop Stoopid is just amazing and this one is pretty good as well.

A- Pours a deep red with a one finger head and some pretty good lacing on the glass.

S- I love the smell of this beer, citrus, hops and sugar with a hint of malt. Very similar to Hop Stoopid, but not as hoppy, a little more malt presence as well.

T- Not bad at all, alcohol up front, then the citrusy hops hit followed by a malty sugar cane taste. Very complicated, hard to describe, complex and sweet.

M- This beer is smooth, it goes down very easy, the alcohol is present and it can be a little overpowering, the hops though are fantastic.

D- The alcohol up front makes this go down a little rough. It is really tasty and I am glad I had it. Not sure if I could drink too many in a row, but for a one and done it is not bad.

So far I have had 2 from a sixer, and the second was much different than the first. The first I did not like as much, the second was sweeter, more citrus and the alcohol was in the background. I love the story behind this beer and think it is a good one to have at a bar, not a session beer, but very solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 20:30:41 | More by mmcary

MithosYggdrasil

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -18.8%
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

KarlHungus

Minnesota

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

This beer pours a reddish bronze color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes slowly into a firm quarter inch of foam. The aroma is pine resin, grapefruit, and lots of caramel. The taste is like the aroma with the addition of an alcohol presence in the finish. The mouthfeel is full bodied with lively carbonation, and a velvety texture. Overall, this is a nice beer. Although I cannot find anything wrong with it I have a hard time finding what distinguishes it from other American Strong Ales. I would certainly be willing to drink this beer again, but something tells me I will quickly forget it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 21:12:12 | More by KarlHungus

belgbeerdrinker

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: copper color with little head, white ring around the edges, nice ring of lacing, bubbles around edges
s: mix of sweet malts and citrus hops
t: soft, sweet malts to start followed by a hop burst that finishes crisply along with some alcohol
m: soft and nearly smooth, medium body with carbonation more around the edges
d: actually a pretty smooth brew, just nothing too memorable

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 01:17:39 | More by belgbeerdrinker

AVDeuph

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -24.5%
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