Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

SBCBUCA21

Connecticut

4.74/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Another amazing creation from Lagunitas. This brewery is another one that can do no wrong. Almost overpowering is the double imperial IPA that also "SUCKS" come winter time. The colder the weather, the better this beer tastes. Pucker up.!

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 21:53:57 | More by SBCBUCA21

paultierney1

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Brothers: Are you kidding me? There's a 9 point difference between you and us and you're on the wrong side of history. SUCKS is amazing. And factoring in the very reasonable price and the fact that it can ACTUALLY BE FOUND on shelves, it's one of the best. The nose: 5. Taste 5. For hopheads, the battle is between Enjoy By and Sucks. And I'm from the Midwest. California: we give up!! You win. (Hate to say it.)

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 23:38:29 | More by paultierney1

deebo

Minnesota

3.91/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On tap at Williams $3 pint night. Served with a skimming of filmy white head this is a completely clear beer dark golden with a light orange tint. Big time hop aroma. Notes of tropical mango and citrus grapefruit. Taste is hop forward with a definite malt backbone. A smooth beer with a bitter but crisp aftertaste. This is a solid big yet not overpowering hop bomb. A nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 03:56:31 | More by deebo

CraftEyeDoc

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Nice clear copper with 1 finger head poured into a pint glass.

S: Great aroma. Lots of super amount of pine and citrus. This is the best part of the beer.

T: Not as bitter as I would like for IIPA. But def very smooth. I wish this had as much taste as it does smell. More of an tangerine/melon/lime with a little bit of resinous taste on the backend.

M: Nice feel on the tongue with a good amount of body. Well carbonated.

O: This seems more like an IPA to me than a double. Could have used more hop bitterness up front. I do like the backend a lot. Still a very solid beer. I see how lots of people could enjoy this beer because its mod bitterness and smooth easily drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2013 03:52:29 | More by CraftEyeDoc

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had this on tap at Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg PA, served in a pint.

Golden shade with orange hues and thick light beige head with tiny bead and good retention. The smell is fruity and dank with hop aroma that brings to mind orange rind and tropical tinges with mild grapefruit ester and juicy element with perhaps a hint of pineapple odors. The feel is very good also with a semi-bitter entry w/ slight malt sweetness up front and juicy resinous hop with moderate acidity and full feel as a result of oils with moderate carbonation and mildly astringent quality with a hoppy bitter finish.

The taste of this is juicy with tropical hop flavors w/ slight herbal component and gentle malt accent in the background which hints at caramel with mild pine element in the hop flavor coming out mid taste with a slight fruity yeast essence in the finish. Overall a very good ale, I actually prefer this to Brown Shugga, a little less dry than some west coast Imperial Ipa's, however it is very fresh and has a full hop taste from beginning to end with emphasis on hop flavor rather than just bitterness which I like compared to others of its ilk.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 22:21:28 | More by Slatetank

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.44/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a golden amber color with a one finger white head. The head slowly fades over time to give a light level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is a nice mix of citrus hop and tropical fruit. The tropical fruit is a nice mix of pineapple, mango and tangerine with the hop being mainly of a grapefruit aroma mixed with a hint of pine hop.

Taste – The taste begins with a nice bready and tropical fruit flavor of mango and papaya and some tangerine mixed within. With these flavors is a lighter caramel flavor which grows stronger more toward the middle and end of the taste. Also as the flavor advances, some hop flavors, mainly of a grapefruit nature, come to the tongue. While the hop flavors grow stronger in nature as the taste advances further, they never really drown out the sweeter and malty flavors as they seem to keep pace with the hop. In the end, a sweeter and malty hopped taste is left on the tongue. It is very balanced and very nice.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the thicker and creamier side with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. The thicker body helps the hop flavors stand out and is great for the bready body of the beer with the lower carbonation accentuating these flavors and helping to create a very soothing mouthfeel.

Overall – This is a fantastic, slightly sweeter but very balanced IPA. A great drinking brew and one I will certainly seek out more often.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 01:31:16 | More by Darkmagus82

Moose90

Colorado

4.51/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

20oz Pint on Tap $5

A – Translucent bright yellow with orange hues. Head is 1" and has great retention and lacing.

S – Huge hops up front. Sticky grapefruit notes dominate, but some pine and lime/lemon come through as well.

T – Starts slightly sweet, but has nicely acidic and fruity hops to balance out. Grapefruit is huge again here.

M – Medium body, nicely carbonated and balanced. Refreshing.

O – Good beer here, very nice and unique hop character. Light malt is sweet and balancing. Glad I found it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2013 17:39:45 | More by Moose90

adjunctjonez

4.04/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had this one on draft where freshness always seems assured. It is a hop blast, what can I say. Almost felt like drinking cannabis mixed with OJ. The hoppiness dominates the beer a little too much, but tis all the rage I guess. Good to get it nice and fresh though and it is a fine beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2013 15:16:26 | More by adjunctjonez

houstoncarl

Texas

4.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

OK, I LOVE this IPA - I am signing on to this site again for the first time in 3 years only to let folks know TO TRY THIS IPA!!

I've tried it both on tap and in the bottle. I actually use a glass (instead straight out of the bottle to capture more aroma)

It bumped out Sweetwater IPA for my first place brew . It is just loaded down with Simcoe hops. The best nose I've ever smelled on an IPA (frankly, it's nearly identical to the IPA I homebrew but with a bright polish.

OK what is so damn good about this IPA?

1)- the nose is fantastic best I've EVER smelled on an IPA
2) the balance - they absolutely nailed the balance of the IBUs to the alcohol sweetness and nailed the combination of hops to the malt (a bit of biscuit malt in there?)

Enough Raving - HEY LAGUNITAS MAKE THIS BEER YEAR AROUND - THANK YOU!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 22:44:02 | More by houstoncarl

Amalak

New York

4.09/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had at Boulevard Tavern in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A. It is a dark goldish, light brown color. It has a good deal of bubbles and a big foamy white head that leaves behind a good deal of lacing.

S. Very hoppy and spicy.

T/M. It is quite hoppy with a kind of pine spiciness underneath. Some citrus flavor. It is quite carbonated. Medium bodied. A milt malt taste.

O. To be honest, I found it to be very similar to the Lagunitas IPA, with a hint more of spice. And that's a good thing, because I love that brew. Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2013 16:01:30 | More by Amalak

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Had while hanging out at Potent Potables with beermeX2! Served from tap into Lagunitas mason jar style glass (proper!). Poured golden yellow with a one finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, onion, onion hop, and subtle citrus. The flavor was of sweet malt, onion hop, onion, earth, citrus, and grass. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I was surprised at how easy this one was to drink and how refreshing it was. You would never imagine that this brew was almost 8% ABV by the aroma or flavor. I could definitely see myself drinking a ton of this before it was too late with no problem at all. A really well done brew that I would love to have time and time again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 18:43:29 | More by thagr81us

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Taste of Tops in Tempe, AZ on 11/22/11.

A - Clear, golden yellow with shades of copper & orange. Fluffy, bubbly, white head.

S - Awesome nose. Hops with hints of dried fruit, holiday spice, and toasted malt.

T - Hops dominate. Bready malt comes through in the finish with allspice and brown sugar. Really good but nothing unique.

M - Smooth with pleasant bitterness. Creamy with a slight tingle from the carbonation. Fantastic.

UPDATE: 2013 version purchased in a 6-pack on 1/25/13.

A: Beautiful clear, golden-copper-yellow with a huge, fizzy, soapy, bright white head that leaves behind great lacing and decent retention. Give it a quick stir in the glass and the super foamy head builds inviting you to stuff your nose in again.

S: Holy grapefruit! Massive citrus and huge resiny hop nose. Smacks you in the face with the strong, bitter, sappy, vegetal, earthy, and sticky hops. Almost stings the nostrils with hop aromas.

T: Just as sticky, resiny, and citrusy in the flavor. Tart and dry like an actual grapefruit. Juicy, piney, sappy, grassy, fruity...all the things to love about hops are present in this beer. Some slightly sweet malt shows up towards the end of each sip as the beer warms to balance the whole thing out. But wait, there's a bit of spice/zing to it that keeps this beer in Double IPA territory.

M: Bitter and dry, as it should be for Lagunitas. Earthy, grassy, fruity flavors linger in your mouth for a long time. And burps are pleasant. Very nice.

O: This is much less "Holiday" than I remember it on draft. Back in the Fall of 2011 when they released this for the first time, it had a Holiday theme with some spices and such. This is just straight up, high IBU, citrus-smack hop-explosion. If you're into that. In summary...sooo Lagunitas!

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 23:05:01 | More by Gatch

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

4.41/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Had this on tap at Mezzaluna Brick Oven and Tap House in Hendersonville, NC.

A: Beautiful golden honey color. Spectacular lacing.

S: Wow! Huge citrus notes right off the bat - orange peel, grapefruit, maybe a little lemon. Also some nice floral hoppiness and sweet malt.

T: I haven't always cared for some of Lagunitas hoppy beers because they didn't have the balance I was looking for between malt sweetness and hoppy bitterness. This is not one of those beers. I get a sticky malt sweetness right away with some citrus notes. The piney, floral hops come in next and it closes with some lingering bitterness. A well balanced double IPA - definitely one of the best double IPA's I've had!

M: Some stickiness, moderate carbonation, hoppy finish but not palate wrecking bitterness.

O: An incredibly drinkable double IPA and probably my favorite Lagunitas offering thus far! I was definitely worried that a double IPA from Lagunitas would be overkill on the hop bitterness, but this was very well balanced and delicious!

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 05:15:13 | More by FUwolfpacker

DocJitsu

California

4.76/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a clear classic golden color with a short white head. Not much head formed due to how carefully the beer was poured by the bartender. The bouquet might be the best of any beer I've ever had. Fresh grapefruit right up front with some underlying cannabis. Just a wonderful aroma. Mouthfeel is full, wet, and a bit oily. Carbonation bites just a bit on the finish. The flavor is magnificent. Grapefruit! A lot more pine in the flavor than appeared in the bouquet. Just enough rye in this beer to set all the flavors and aromas off in a more vibrant fashion. A remarkably well-engineered brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 21:39:09 | More by DocJitsu

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.49/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz tall on tap at the golden nugget

smell is pine, grapefruit, citrus, all dialed up to eleven. taste is like freshly squeezed mango juice. frothy, chunky feel; like a pulpy smoothie. lots of grapefruit, mango, pine, pineapple, citrus. some sweet buttery malts, and barely a hint of alcohol.

had this beer on tap today and it blew me away. had it later in the bottle and it wasn't as impressive. seek it out on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 07:12:56 | More by jimmah120

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours out a nice, hazy orange/yellow with a thick white head.

The aroma is full of sweeter tropical hop notes, some piney notes and a hint of bready malt notes.

The taste is very, very hop forward with a decent amount of tropical fruit notes; pineapple, peach and some citrus notes like orange. There are some dank and piney hop notes followed by a little bit of bready malt notes. No alcohol taste or even a warming as it goes down.

The mouthfeel is pretty creamy and the body is the lighter side of medium.

This is very easy to drink and is more hop forward and less malt focused which I like in a Imperial IPA. This is a very good example of the style, but I have definitely had better. If you can find this, give it a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 00:33:37 | More by JohnnyMc

lordofthewiens

Maine

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

In a snifter this beer was gold in color. There was a thick white head and a lot of lace.

Nice aroma. caramel malt. Citrus and herbal hops. Sweet floral aroma

Caramel taste. Grapefruit, apricot. Sweet. A bit of herbal hops.

The beer was nicely balanced and very easy to drink.

I went back the next day for some more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 02:25:12 | More by lordofthewiens

mdaschaf

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Uber Tavern. Review from notes.

A: Served in a pint glass, Sucks was a clear golden color with a small white, foamy head on top with great retention and moderate lacing.

S: Extremely tropical, mango, tangerine, orange, lots of citrus in the aroma. Very faint grain malt aroma, but fruit flavors dominate.

T: A great tasting IPA, more tropical fruits - grapefruit, orange, mango, it was great. In the middle there is some fresh grass with minimal bitterness. Overall, extremely juicy. Has a slightly spicy finish.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Extremely drinkable, drinks easier than abv would indicate.

O: Could be the best Lagunitas beer I have had. Would stock this in my fridge all the time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 21:39:36 | More by mdaschaf

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.58/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Into 10oz snifter at Wild Colonial.

Great clarity, stunning in the glass. Active head spills over, snow white.

Nose is potent dank tank super hops. Smells like a big ol' bag of kind.

Taste matches. Super hop snap. Like diesel fuel, kerosene. Wowza. Little malt- this is total hop resin.

This is like the opposite of Lagunitas- while Maximus is syrupy this one is bone dry. Can't tell which one I like more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 01:22:59 | More by ShogoKawada

Lerxst

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a gold/amber with a fluffy two finger white head that has good retention and sheets lace all the way down. Nice looking beer.

S-Smells like a hop bomb. Loads of citrus bombard the nostrils along with whiffs of pine resin. Not picking up any malt to speak of, just a boatload of hoppy goodness here. Smells great.

T-Hops abound with an explosion of juicy citrus, a bit piney. Picking up a slight bready malt backbone that in no way makes a play for dominance, it just acts as a nice complement to the bitter, citrusy hop bonanza going on. Not extremely complex, but very, very delicious and enjoyable. This is an excellent DIPA.

M-Crisp with ample carbonation, yet feels a bit slick and oily mid palate but finishes dry. Medium body.

O-This is the best beer I've had from Lagunitas. An excellent DIPA that I will enjoy again and again. A job well done!

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 00:55:37 | More by Lerxst

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

On tap at the Apex in PDX the other day.

The beer pours a golden amber color with good head retention and lacing. I'm a little surprised by what I get on the nose, as I thought I recalled getting more tropical fruit then what i'm getting today. This beer smells like a hop bomb (not that I'm complaining), as I get considerable pine, lemon-lime, and some light dry citrus. On the palate, this beer is very dry and bitter, and I really feel this beer could use a bit more malt to balance all that bitterness. There's a hint of cherry and an intriguing light smoke flavor in the mid palate (I almost got something of a bean with bacon soup flavor, which completely surprised me), but it's really not nearly enough to counter and balance the avalanche of hoppy bitterness I get on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and the alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile.

A really well made beer from Lagunitas, even if a bit more tropical fruit would have been appreciated to better handle the bucketload of hoppy bitterness in this beer. Ultimately, I enjoyed the bottle I had of this beer last year as opposed to the uber fresh draft version I had at Apex.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 16:12:11 | More by johnmichaelsen

argock

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a Shaker pint at Beer Run (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Dusky amber with 1/2 finger of big-bubbled off-white head with average retention and a few scraps of lacing.

S: Big dry-hop aromas of pine, resin, and tropical fruit with some grapefruit aromas. The maltiness is light and crackery overall but with a bit more caramel than I remember from the bottle.

T: The flavor is big-time hoppy with orange, lemon, grapefruit citrus and a little bit of pineapple and mango also. THe maltiness is not quite enough despite the ABV to stand up in any meaningful way to this hops assault.

M: Slick but almost a little too dry with light-medium body.

O: I enjoyed my bottles last year more than this on-tap presentation. And while this is a solid beer and rightfully highly anticipated, I was a little let down by this on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2012 05:22:50 | More by argock

gustogasmic

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 10 oz. snifter at 8th Street Grille in Holland.

A: light amber copper that has a beautiful and slight orange tint to it. Bartender poured it to the brim, letting the head run off, but with a swirl later on, and the initial pour, I'd say it's a light and very temporary head with little retention. Tiny bubbles like you often see in hop-heavy stuff.

S: Intense citrus and flowers. Daisies. Exciting!

T&M: First I've had in awhile that I'd dub a true hop-trip, one that develops and rolls out slow enough with such pleasing and colorful flavors that it's downright psychedelic.
The mouthfeel is perfect for the flavor: it rolls it down the tongue and up through the mouth, with resiny honey on the tongue throughout. It's the type of honey I remember in 2010 Hopslam. The malts compliment and create the comfiness of this hoppy, comfy IPA. The complexity and richness is surprising for a 7.85% ABV, but I don't care; The light-to-little booze presence is appropriate. The flavors are all there.

Sidenote: my friend had a Avery Maharaja while I was drinking this. Alternating sips of the beers (right in a row, that is) created one of the most sublime beer experiences I can remember, a hop VOYAGE. Very oddly specific, but if you ever have these two beers or see them both on tap somewhere, do it. You will thank me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 19:28:04 | More by gustogasmic

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

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

16 oz into a pint glass.

A: Pale gold. Perfectly clear. Amazing lace.

S: Dank grapefruit. Sour pine.

T: Hops are delicious! A littel medicinal note (which I seem to get in a lot of Lagunitas brews). Slight sweet "honeyish" note. Menthol, pine, lemon zest.

M: THin but a slight oily note.

D: Not sessionable at 7.85% but really, really tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 17:39:20 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

TheCrowsNest

California

4.22/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a delicious rust-red with a thick white head that sticks around for a while.

American hops are the rage. Pine and citrus.

Tastes like a hop jelly sandwich. There's a little breadcrust that shows off the massive malt bill that you'd need to support the explosive hop flavors. Very nice citrus makes up most of the profile.

Medium-bodied with a crisp, dry finish.

Lagunitas, you don't suck. You rock. This is delicious. Keep 'em coming.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2012 17:03:35 | More by TheCrowsNest