Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale - Lagunitas Brewing Company

FosterJM

California

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

971st Review on BA
Bottle to Piraat Tulip
12 oz stubby

2011
Purchased a six pack from Mira Loma, Bevmo

App- A very clear golden orange with a good one finger white capped head. Not a big streaker of head or cling. A few whisps of bubbles on the top.

Smell- "Is there Mango in there, asks my wife" Three feet away from me on the couch. A lot of aromatics in this one from tropical fruits. Its mango, pineapple, citrus and a little bit of bitter and balanced by some mild malts.

Taste- I really liked this beer. It was right down the middle of the IPA profile I enjoy. It had great citrus flavors with a good backing malt. The citrus is more tropical as the nose suggested. A little bitter and pepper balance this taste out. It was a bit like mixing Sculpin, Pliny and Just Outstanding to create this one. For a almost 8% beer this damn thing was super drinkable.

Mouth- A great bit of a medium body with nice citrus and creamy malt residual flavors. The carbonation is very bubbly for the ABV and the profile.

Drink- It's very good. It wasnt mind-blowing but I really enjoyed the layers from the tropical to the malt profile to the low bitter level. I will be for sure drinking the rest of these alone with the shades drawn. My neighbors can't know I have this.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 04:56:30 | More by FosterJM

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a La Chouffe tulip.

A- Pours a light caramel color, with 2 finger white head that leaves a thin ring around the glass. Some lacing remains on glass.

S- Sweet, sweet malt. Honey, pineapple, grapefruit

T- Sweet caramel malt, honey, tons of sweet citrus in here! Has a nice citrus bitterness at the finish.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation with a slight dry finish from the bitterness.

O- Amazing beer! I'm not one to compare beers usually, but the first smell and taste of this beer I immediately thought....Hopslam! Lagunitas better make this at least a yearly release or their a retard.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 04:53:35 | More by kawilliams81

jsulko

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into tulip glass

Light gold almost orangish color with a white head that lingers slightly.

Smell is tropical with the citrus fruits coming through strongly.

Slightly sweet taste with the hops present but not over the top. A very smooth finish.

Right up there with Hop Stoopid in my book. If this never comes back I would be very disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:45:40 | More by jsulko

hmf05

Florida

4.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a crystal clear yellow color with a two finger head that sticks around. Aroma is perfect. Very reminiscent of LSS. I get tons of mango and papaya on the nose with some citrus as well. The taste is very similar to the nose. Tropical fruits all the way. Slight bitterness. Nice dry finish. Overall, the aroma far and away makes this beer for me. It's tasty, but the smell outweighs the taste. I prefer LSS, but this is not far behind. Great brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:39:51 | More by hmf05

omnigrits

Texas

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a straight pint glass.

A. Pale amber in colour with a white head that goes away pretty fast and leaves not a whole lot of lace.

S. Lots of hops with some sweet grains and even sweeter fruits in the background.

T. A decent hit of sweetness at first before the citrusy, orangey hops take over. Zesty. Lagunitas have piled a lot of flavour into this beer, and done it well.

M. On the full side of medium and with a nice dry finish.

O. A very good IPA and one I could drink at any time of the year, not just at Christmas. I hope they decide to make this 'limited release' again.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:18:49 | More by omnigrits

aorloski

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a thin, light orange with a tiny off white head. tight white bubbles, decent lacing. Looks more like a pils than an IPA, no hop haze to speak off.

Smell - HOLY SHIT, honestly probably the best smelling IPA's / DIPA's I've ever smelled. As soon as the bottle was opened it came screaming at me, i was amazed. Big orange peel, lemon peel, touches of mango and pineapple in this.

Taste - A little lighter on the hops than i expected from the aroma, but still an amazing tasting beer. I love how this beer balances a nice tropical hop profile and piney hop profile. Very sweet rather than tropical, bitter and bready. Oh i love it. Please make this all year round.

Mouthfeel - nothing amazing, decently carbonated, a little thin.

Overall - Really was impressed by this, at 11 bucks a 6 pack here in MA you can't go wrong, it smells and tastes absolutely amazing which i value more than appearance and mouthfeel. THANK YOU LAGUNITAS!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 01:17:20 | More by aorloski

Seanibus

California

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Delicious. Whatever they're trying to make up for here (not producing their usual seasonal, it appears) all if forgiven.

No, I take that back. Not all will be forgiven until you produce this beer year round, or at least promise to make it an annual.

Pours clear and orange with a medium head and some carbonation from the bottom.

The aroma surges out of the bottle - bitter orange hops, mostly.

The flavor is sweet and massively hoppy, with all kinds of orange and other citrus and a moderate bitterness on the finish.

The mouthfeel is smooth and the balance is so good that there is no hint of the hidden alcoholic power of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:09:40 | More by Seanibus

Yagman3000

New York

4.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 12 oz. bottle into a snifter.

Appears a light light peachy apricot with a hint of ruby to it. It almost looks like an apricot sucking candy. There's a very fluffy head, about half an inch, that is covering it entirely. I'm a bit surprised that a double IPA is coming in this light in color.

Smells Wonderful. Crazy tropical fruits here: pineapple, mango, and a little tangerine. Really nice and not too overpowering.

Taste is much more subtle than its nose. Extremely clean - maybe too much? I wish that its flavors matched up and were stronger.

Its mouthfeel is very crisp and short-lived. Here and gone in a second... like Kaiser Soze. :)

A god beer but definitely not what everyone is making it out to be. This is far from a Pliny and no where near a Heady Topper in my opinion. At the same time, I'd rather have this than a Brown Sugga.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 23:33:53 | More by Yagman3000

tapman

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light golden/orange body with a thin head that leaves a decent skim of head. YUM; nose is grapefruit and lemon zest, grapefruit juice with sugar, sour orange and some cat piss. Taste is same as the nose, but with a little caramelized toast. Despite the big nose and flavor bitterness is moderate and finishes surprisingly clean. While high in alcohol there is no burn. Mouth is a little chewy, but crisp. I like Brown Sugah, but I LOVE this brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 22:38:38 | More by tapman

Tone

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, copper color. 1/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of strong hops, slight floral, hint of grass, hint of wet hops, and hint of sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of citrus hops, slight floral, slight wet hops, hint of alcohol, hint of sweet malt, and a hint of grass. Overall, good appearance, blend, and body. Very reminiscent of other Lagunitas brews in flavor and aroma. The 'Holiday' in the name commonly evokes a certain spiciness. The spice is sadly lacking in this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 13:31:29 | More by Tone

timtim

District of Columbia

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

fairly clear, light amber with a white head that leaves some lace. nose is (kind of standard, but never gets old) grapefruit, orange and lemon rind with a piney character balancing them out, on top of sweet and pale malty notes that also are a hint spicy. taste follows suit. lots of hoppy character to it. drinks a tad hot, but a nice, warming, pleasant kind of hot it is. medium-full body. pleasant, prickly bitterness. apparently lagunitas doesn't suck. mostly everyone so far (including me) likes this one. a lot of reviews in a very short time, and i know it isn't even released in some markets yet. i can sum this one up by stating that it is remarkable how much it reminded me of Sierra Nevada's celebration ale... but on steroids. kind of like an imperial celebration. very good. hoppy holidaze.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 13:30:17 | More by timtim

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer! Served at a good temperature, with a nice, off white, foamy, frothy head that soon settled to a thin cover and plenty of lace. Color is a very clear yellow amber with lots of bubble trails. Aroma is hops on top, then pineapple, resin, tiny bit of citrus, leather, earth. Flavor is similar to nose, quite dry, good carbonic tang, a bit earthy. Body is great, ditto carbonation and a little chewy. Finish is like flavor, some alcohol warmth, and has good length

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 05:27:56 | More by drpimento

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle. Pours a semi translucent light amber color with a thin ring of head. Some lacing. Smells wonderful. Tropical fruits. Pineapple,mango, orange and some others. Taste is hoppy with the tropical fruits again. Definitely can tell this is a Lagunitas beer. Bitter orange near the end. Somewhat oily. Certainly one of the lightest Dipas I've had but I can't really hold that against it. Easy to drink, hoppy and tasty. Overall, I need more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 05:09:58 | More by PicoPapa

beercar

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Heard the hype and can't believe my local hole had a keg!!! Truly looks like any Joe Pilsner. Smell is awesome...piney yet sweet. Definitely an IPA....but different. Much sweeter....maybe oranges instead of lemon zest. Not dry. Very good!!! Lived up to the hype. Bring on the Pliny (never had it)

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 05:08:14 | More by beercar

blackcompg

Illinois

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

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Poured a good finger of tight eggshell head, color is a brite translucent lite gold amber color. Very nice webbed lacing.

Smell - Wonderful sitrus smells, grapefruit, pineapple, touch of wheat and rye.

Taste - What a nice complexity of flavors here. Grapefruit, pineapple, pear, white grape, touch of apple, and then I get a nice breadiness at the back, subtle wheatcrust, with some pepper/carraway/rye, citrus peel and pine long into the finish. This is really good.

Mouthfeel - This is nearly a medium mouthfeel beer, but also has alot of carb. So this starts out very smoooth, nearly a creaminess, then the carb breaks out over the tongue and cleans n clears things, adding a nice crispness near the end of the sip. Even though the carb is up there, its more of a smooth foaming feel vs. harsh and drying.

Overall - I find myself contemplative in every sip, a great complexity and a great balance of wonderful flavors going on here. Alcohol is completely hidden. I will definitely be purchasing more of this while it is still available. Great job again Lagunitas, two thumbs up from me, highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 05:02:11 | More by blackcompg

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly cloudy, pale golden orange color with a one finger white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lace left behind.

Floral hop aroma with a balance of citrus/tropical fruits, eathy pine and a pale bicuit malt presence. There's a subtle grassy pine character but the hop profile is mostly fruity with hints of pineapple, grapefruit and orange peel.

Medium bodied with a prominent dry and bitter hop presence up front that lingers over the sweeter notes and pale malt backbone into a dry, boozy finish. There's some sticky pine needle flavor which is countered by sweet citrus and tropical fruit, notably grapefruit, pineapple and lemon rind. The malt backbone provides decent balance without interfering with the hops, giving off biscuit and graham cracker notes before finishing with more boozy sweetness. A bit hot for my liking but still pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 04:24:39 | More by corby112

Luigi

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours our a light amber color slightly hazed with a few carbonation bubbles. Head starts from a three finger head to one finger when resting.

The aroma smells like Christmas because at first the strong pine hop flavor hits the nose. Hops are the dominate aroma.

The taste is strong with pine and citrus hops but sweet malt is present from start to finish.

This Ale is the perfect gift for a hophead. I give a thumbs up~~~

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 04:04:25 | More by Luigi

Naugros

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Frothy off-white head atop a golden amber ale...looks like an American IPA and smells like one too! Wow! Orange and grapefruit burst through immediately...sniff more and get the graham cracker of the malts, trying desperately yo catch up. The pine that is barely evident here comes through in the taste and dominates, but the citrus insists on hanging around in the aftertaste which is resiny and pithy at the same time. I was hoping the taste would copy the smell, but it doesn't...still nice. The mouthfeel could be a bit crisper and refreshing, but perhaps the citrus made me want it do that.

Excellent hop combination going on here and a great example of an American DIPA. Lagunitas are hops magicians.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 03:06:38 | More by Naugros

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass. Freshness dated Nov. 18th -- 18 days old.

A: Clear gold, w/ occasional bubbles rising from bottom of glass; 1-1/4" slightly off-white head that drops steadily (5 min.) and leaves a thin, consistent, sticky lacing.

S: Forest-floor pine and tropical fruits; tangerine, grapefruit.

T: Lemon, grapefruit, mango; sweet bread malt; piney bitterness.

M: Medium- body and medium+ carbonation; oily; alcohol warming; dry finish.

O: Very well blended and balanced; fairly straightforward. Hops are assertive, though not overpowering due to presence of malt baseline. A good value. For me, it ranks just above A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale as a favorite from Lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:16:07 | More by bierbrauer

prg1976

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a golden color with a small-ish off white head. Very slight lacing/retention.

Smell is citrusy hops all the way. Seems nice and light. Maybe a hint of caramel in the background.

Taste is super hoppy/citrus/floral...awesome. Love this. Clean, not too sweet, not too dry. Just a touch of sweetness behind all the hops.

Mouthfeel is good, nicely carb'd, medium body.

Overall, I love it. Right up my alley with a well hopped IPA. I can see it fading pretty fast though. I hope this isn't a one and done.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:03:58 | More by prg1976

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice, rich and smooth flowing hoppy offering.

Presentation: 12 oz brown capped bottle. Lagunitas branded label with the image of a Santa star shaped cookie. Title and tongue-in-cheek narrative acknowledges messing up with the regular seasonal offering and pushing this instead. Shows IBUs (63.21), gravity at 1.085, and 7.85% Alc. by Vol. Poured into a tulip glass.

A - Clear gold pour with a rich frothy head, sturdy retention, nice surface memory and lacing.

S - Luscious hoppy nose, grapefruit, floral notes, touch of caramel, herbal hint...

T - Nice follow though on the palate with the same floral, grapefruit, tropical, mango and pineapple, slightly grassy range… Remote sweet hint as it folds…

M - Medium to medium-light body with moderate carbonation and a very smooth feel with very subdued bitterness.

O - Delicious hoppy profile… Long complex notes, without much bitterness, very pleasing.

Notes: Nothing wrong with Brown Shugga, that is/was a nice brew. But this is surely much more up my alley. The overblown joke of an apology making it rather memorable around this new offering works pretty well… Very nice holiday offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 01:44:11 | More by Daniellobo

emerge077

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank countless bottles of this beer, time to put a review on paper.

Bright orange gold pint, perfectly clear with sharp clarity. Lasting head of foam that has a creamy texture on it's surface. Drippy lace is left behind over time. Healthy skim on the surface that never breaks.

Pungent citrus, orange mostly, sweet but also generally dank with hop-stank™. Resiny, lush, almost tropical with candied orange peel and green hops.

Flavor delivers more lush hop flavors, very citrusy again, moderate resiny bitterness, grapefruit and orange peel derived, some light pale malt notes in the middle. Dry and pleasant aftertaste of lingering hops. Medium bodied, and very sessionable despite the higher ABV. Pretty delicious IPA. Amped up citrusy hops with a great drinkability to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 01:40:24 | More by emerge077

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

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

EDIT- for the first time, I LOVE this in the bottle and thought it was "good" on draft. MUCH better in a bottle. Strange.

Enjoyed this at Armsby Abbey this evening. After all the chatter I was excited to see it on the menu.

Pine has a thin ¼ finger of head that faded fairly quickly but left behind a decent amount of lacing. Fairly bright gold color.

Very fruity aroma with some orange notes. Very bright and also a sense of sweetness here. On the edge of tropical.

A real hop juice here. I was a little surprised by the sweetness. Tons of fruit and again citrus, not all grapefruit but other sweeter notes. Perhaps some mango and a touch of white pepper. I have to admit that at one moment, I thought it was a little one noted. Very good, but I think the hype was making me really expect a lot here. In fact, I think I saw one thread comparing this to Pliny. Um…. No. Some green resin like flavors…

Light to slightly medium body with just a skant amount of carbonation. A bot of oily resin.

Good DPA. Not epic.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 00:31:04 | More by Reagan1984

specksnreds

Texas

4.33/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oh, Lagunitas. I just wanna drive you to a secluded spot, hop in the back seat and make out with you. You look ravishing in your amber-golden hues, but a little more head would be nice. I mean, your bubbles are bueno, but I like a bit more on top. Know what I mean? Your aroma is intoxicating. Just like a Christmas tree should smell, sans the tinsel that the dog swallows and has to be pulled out later. After a few minutes of tongue wrasslin', you're so much more than pine needles. Your sweetness shines through like a bowl of Kaboom. Exploding with color and fractal complexity. A delight of the highest order.

As we ride home (I called us a cab) with your x-mas tree-infused sweetness still on my mind and lips, I realize this: I love you and you might be pregnant.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 00:03:43 | More by specksnreds

lnashsig

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into DFH snifter. Pours a crystal clear orange/yellow color- decent head and nice retention. Visible small bubbles from the bottom of the glass. Smell- WOW. Just a blast of citrus, tropical hop aroma, mango, pineapple, lemon zest. Taste- just a tropical fruit sweetness- definitely mango, papaya up front, a wave of nice hop bitterness on the side of the tongue, a perfectly balanced sweetness to counter the hop bitterness. This is an absolutely incredible IPA- perfectly balanced, full of all of my favorite tropical hops flavors. Perfect mouthfeel, medium bodied, appropriate carbonation. This is one of the best IPA's I have had recently, and I would pit this up against any of the top West Coast IPAs. Bravo guys- you can make this instead of Brown Shugga any day in my book.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 23:50:48 | More by lnashsig