Cruising With Ruben And The Bretts - Lagunitas Brewing Company

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Served a dark black color with a thin finger of tannish head. Head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind a bit of lace.

S - Lightly sour cherries with some Brett, roasted malts, chocolate, and oak.

T - Starts off with some roasted and lightly burnt dark and chocolate malts and Brett funk. Through the middle, some sourness and bitter cocoa comes through with some more Brett and some oak. The finish is a mix of lightly sour dark fruits, chocolate, funky Brett, and some roasted malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sour and lightly sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nicely sour with a good balance between the funky and roasted flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2012 22:20:13 | More by ngeunit1

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap for Churchill's Renaissance at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a murky dark reddish-brown color with a tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Chunky swaths of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of funk, sour cherries, and some roasted malt aromas. Taste is of sour cherry, funky Brett, and roasted malt coming out on the finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is pretty interesting in terms of what the brewer was going for.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 22:00:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

jeffjeff1

California

3.55/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Lagunitas Brewery.

Appearance- black color, very thin head

Smell- very sweet smell

Taste- very sweet, tobacco, chocolate, dark fruit, bit of whiskey too

Mouthfeel- medium to full bodied

Drinkability- I thought it was pretty good but it was very strong. I was only able to drink half of it. It was way too sweet for me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 18:33:39 | More by jeffjeff1

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Lagunitas. Reviewed from notes.

A: Flat cola. Pretty much sums it up.

S: Whisky, oak, tannins. Dark fruits. Bunch o' Barrel.

T: Buttery, spicy malt. Whisky heat. Dark fruits and some light citrus from the hops. Malty and light hop finish.

M: Slick and warm. Very little carb.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 08:25:12 | More by Heavenisbeer

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Lagunitas. Labeled as Return of Ruben and the Bretts, but from what the bartender told me, this is the same thing.

Pours a black color with a thin layer of tan head. Has a nice bourbon aroma to it and plenty of tannic oak, cherry, and chocolate. A light tartness to it, too. The flavor is highly influenced by the barrel. Lots of bourbon, oak, and some tartness. A little bit of vanilla and quite a bit of chocolate. Semi-dry, too. Medium bodied and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2011 18:47:55 | More by womencantsail

Durge

Connecticut

4.48/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been holding this bottle for quite a while now so I was a little concerned about how it would "cellar". No worries! This pours a thick dark brown with a decent chocolatey tan head that holds on nicely with matching lacing. The aroma brings a very compelling cherry molasses and chocolate sweetness. There's a bit of juniper hop and creamy malt. Very fun and suggests a taste treat to come. This is a pretty big beer as it passes over the tongue bringing more of the thick sweet goodness detected in the aroma. I get licorice malt and more juniper chocolate cherries, somewhat of a cross between a brandywine and a Scottish ale blended in with an imperial stout. This is pretty viscous and does well to be joined by a nice slice of cheese to cut the sweetness a tad. It has a polite but very adequate carbonation that keeps it reasonably drinkable despite the viscosity and somewhat high ABV. Alcohol is detectable but does not mess with the luscious flavor at all. Heavy fruit nougat and some other dark fruits like prune and dates come to mind. Of course, there is a definite whiskey idea here but it is not the theme here, just another nice intriguing ingredient. It even finishes with a touch of charcoal I think. This is a taste treat though not something you may want to drink on just any occasion. For a late night flavor fest, and for those tolerant of the somewhat excessive sweetness, this is an easy winner. Choose this instead of the cheesecake for dessert. I love Lagunitas...and Zappa!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 02:27:17 | More by Durge