Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip.

The pour is a mostly transparent, full golden yellow color with straw edges. A regal off white froth bellows up from the beer upon pouring. Levels of lace remain where the beer rested during my glass.

The biggest compliment I can pay to the complexity of this beer is that it seems nearly impossible to identify all of the aromas and flavors, so I am reduced to using general descriptors to do the best I can. The aroma has a spicy pine hop base, with a nice amount of grapefruit, apricot, and tangerine as well. As the sweetness comes through, I get some light pale malts, honey, and some caramel.

The flavor blend nicely together and roll in complexity. Up front, biscuity bread and honey, some light caramel notes, and then a nice wave of hops that never goes off the bitter end. Spicy pine, grapefruit, lemon zest, apricot, and assorted other citrus notes roll on the tongue as the sip concludes.

The hops are strong, but not totally overwhelming. The oil residue mostly clears away from the mouth after each sip, and the hoppy flavor and crisp carbonation mean it scrubs the tongue clean after sip. The overall feel is simple, clean, crisp, and refreshing.

Not an absolute hop bomb, but this was quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:16:55 | More by KickInTheChalice

Mountainmanjl

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +13.9%

06-20-2013 01:45:14 | More by Mountainmanjl

clemson14

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-20-2013 00:54:11 | More by clemson14

ha-sheem

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-19-2013 20:57:12 | More by ha-sheem

t_carterb

Georgia

4/5  rDev -8.9%

06-19-2013 15:49:00 | More by t_carterb

StlHopHead77

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-19-2013 14:39:46 | More by StlHopHead77

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -8.9%

06-18-2013 23:09:08 | More by taylor714914

MMAJYK

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-18-2013 20:50:36 | More by MMAJYK

Auztan

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -20.3%

06-18-2013 19:28:04 | More by Auztan

Jacob007

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

06-18-2013 16:31:01 | More by Jacob007

Matthewpakula

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-18-2013 15:54:13 | More by Matthewpakula

Jpirkle2715

California

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-18-2013 01:56:18 | More by Jpirkle2715

richj1970

Alabama

4.01/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from cask into a tulip glass.

A: Poured vibrant orange color with nice 2-3 finger head that slowly settles to a thin lacing.

S: Strong hops, mostly pine but also some citrus like grapefruit and orange, mixed with a solid malts

T: Big hops while remaining suprisingly balanced. Blended hops up front but a very smooth full malt underneath, with a hint of sweetness to finish.

M: Medium bodied with fairly light carbonation that I attribute to the cask.

O: Very nice beer. Enjoyable IPA, being both hoppy & big malt but everything is unbelievably well balanced. I liked Dogfish 90 a bit more, but this one is solid nonetheless.

Serving type: cask

06-17-2013 02:42:03 | More by richj1970

swinyeju

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-16-2013 15:52:43 | More by swinyeju

mdcrouser

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks like a near perfect pour to me, with a finger of head to begin, which is torn down as it sits, leaving a full bracelet of white lace. The beer itself is golden with prisms of amber, lots of floating sediment - looks chewy.

Fresh citrus, some green apple - nicely hoppy on the nose.

Much of the same on the tongue, with a crisp juiciness to it. Bitterness sits heavy on the back of the tongue, but without the expected depth.

Crisp, almost sharp to the tongue, bracing it with a throat-filling hoppiness.

Easy-to-enjoy hop bomp. Good, but nothing exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 03:47:19 | More by mdcrouser

anson42

California

3.5/5  rDev -20.3%

06-16-2013 01:26:27 | More by anson42

stogirelli

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

06-16-2013 01:13:02 | More by stogirelli

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance:
The beer itself is a clear and golden amber while the head is white and creamy. The head dissipates fairly quickly but leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Smell:
The hops smell grapefruits and hint of malty sweetness to balance out the hops. There may also possibly be some sugar in as well.

Taste:
Grapefruit and citrus hops with malty sweetness and possibly some sugary sweetness as well.

Mouthfeel:
Heavy bodied with biting carbonation. The feel is sort of right for a DIPA but to me it feels little heavier and not as crisp as other DIPAs that I've had.

Overall:
A pretty good DIPA and well worth getting. I had seen this beer before but I didn't get until this year. I will definitely be picking up a six-pack of this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 17:51:03 | More by HattedClassic

jaxon53

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-15-2013 10:31:14 | More by jaxon53

ACB

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-14-2013 22:01:11 | More by ACB

blt2646

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

06-14-2013 21:32:57 | More by blt2646

TheGoof

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-14-2013 14:55:24 | More by TheGoof

KWMiles

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-14-2013 12:59:47 | More by KWMiles

schwinn140

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -14.6%

06-14-2013 03:05:57 | More by schwinn140

Canada_Dan

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-14-2013 01:42:23 | More by Canada_Dan