DayTime - Lagunitas Brewing Company

dasenebler

Maine

2.43/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Lagunitas Daytime
11/28/12
12oz. packaged 8/30/12

Very pale with some nice orange highlights. Touch of haze, but pretty good clarity. Head is great, retention is solid. (4)

Aroma is vaguely hoppy. Not very citrusy, but rather grassy, vegetal and borderline garlic-like. Not digging it. (2)

Flavor is bitter and very light bodied. Reminds me a bit of Peeper from Maine Beer Co., though not nearly as clean or hoppy. Weird vegetal bitterness. No malt flavor. Hops are piney with maybe a hint of orange. Body could use some improvement, though the carbonation is refreshing. (2.5, 3)

The session-IPA can be a great style, yet this beer is a poor example. Maybe this bottle is too old, but Lagunitas packaged beer should still be good at three months out. (2.5)

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 22:32:34 | More by dasenebler

chugalug06

Colorado

2.68/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Nice thin (er) white foamy head. Color is "bud light" yellow with medium viscosity and great clarity. Chunky lacing.

Nice centennial hop aroma! Citrus and apple stand out.

Off flavored.. Bready, floral, wet, high carbonation, medium bitterness, mild sweetness. Very apricotty... Can't get into the flavor or feel.

Like the label says, this one would be best expierenced during a day, not a night. It's crisp and kinda refreshing, but far from well put together. I've experienced many better IPAs. I've also experienced many MUCH better brews from Lagunitas. Can't recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 01:23:48 | More by chugalug06

Arbitrator

California

2.75/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: Pours a clear peach body with a finger of off-white head. It retains for about a minute and leaves some lace as it collapses. As the beer recedes in the glass, a few tendrils of lace are left behind, as well.

S: I drank several bottles of this and was disappointed to find almost no aroma in any of them. What does come out is a small weed-like presence with a touch of grass. I was expecting bright, billowing hops as per Lagunitas's style, but no such luck.

T: The taste is quite a bit better, but I wouldn't call it bright. There are some melon elements; pine and grass are also noted. Bitterness is mild to nonexistent; the emphasis here is on flavor. But as the hops seem to have faded out (?), the flavor is relatively mild. Not much malt backbone, as befitting a light beer like this: only crackers.

M: Light-bodied. Good carbonation. No bitterness.

O: Priced a bit oddly at $10 / six-pack; that's several bucks more expensive than the regular IPA. I could m-a-y-b-e understand a dollar premium, but seeing how cost generally increases with ABV, I expect it to decrease with ABV here.

A separate issue is the lack of aroma and mild flavor. I suspect this six-pack was mishandled, or maybe it's even old. There is no bottle date on the neck (where they usually are), but I do see a date on the BOTTOM of the bottle that begins with 208 (corresponding to July 26 by the Julian system that Lagunitas uses). A fragile beer like this being over a month old could explain what I'm tasting -- but I thought they brewed it pretty recently. Mystifying.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 04:34:29 | More by Arbitrator

tewaris

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Crystal clear golden colored with a medium off white head and decent retention. A little too clear maybe. Faintly malty/grainy aroma with very little hoppiness. Light hop flavor on an appropriate malt backbone. Light, crisp and dry mouthfeel. This is a good beer but its also very unremarkable. This beer's claim to fame is apparently its low alcohol content, which is indeed unusually low for Lagunitas but it's not a 2.5% ABV beer either. And for an under 6% ABV IPA, it is not tenth the beer Masala Mama is. But it is sessionable for sure, and being so light in flavor, this is pretty much the perfect gateway IPA. That's about it.

3, 2, 3, 4, 3

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 03:54:14 | More by tewaris

ShamasUVA

Connecticut

2.93/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Brand new (at least to Connecticut) "fractional IPA" from Lagunitas. I have to assume it's fresh. Pours golden, very clear-- in fact a little too clear for my liking but it is definitely an appealing beer by appearance.

Aroma is awesome. Mostly fruity hops, big on peach, some citrus, and a tiny bit of pine. No malt aroma. Minimal yeast esters noted.

Taste is strange, and is a bit of a roller coaster. Beer starts bitter, then fades quickly, then comes back with a toasted malt flavor (victory malt?) which leads again into a bitter aftertaste. No sweetness to speak of at all.

Mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side, even for a sub 5% ABV beer.

I found I grew to like this beer more as it warmed up which is not uncommon for hoppy session beers. I do think overall this beer could be improved with more residual sugars in the beer. If I were the brewer I would add some crystal malt to increase both the OG and the FG and keep the ABV right where it is in the mid 4's. There are not a lot of these hoppy session beers around but I found this to be slightly inferior to 21A's Bitter American. Better than your average American Blonde Ale though.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 00:58:47 | More by ShamasUVA

beertunes

Washington

2.98/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sensible 12oz bottle poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a clean, clear medium gold color with under a quarter-inch of white head that had OK retention and lacing.

The aroma was all pine and pot hops, no malt or grain showed through. The taste, while OK, was the same story. No malt or grain to provide contrast or balance, just hops.

The body was decent, but on the expected thinner side of the style, probably what you're looking for in an all day drinker. Drinkability was good, the beers goes quickly and easily. Overall, a decent enough little beer, I just would like some grain flavors to play off the hops. Then I could see actually drinking these all day. Still, probably worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 00:06:07 | More by beertunes

kojevergas

California

3.1/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California. Expectations are above average; this brewery is growing on me - especially their IPAs. Acquired as part of a six pack at Cap N Cork Liquor.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a four finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention. Colour is a clear pale yellow. Vibrant and appealing, though traditional and common. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Standard for the style, though quite light.

Sm: Floral hops. Some bitterness creeps out. A light aroma. Surprisingly light for the style. No alcohol or yeast is detectable. Somewhat dry.

T: Well balanced floral hops, with some emergent dry hop bitterness about the climax. Clean malts form a nice unobtrusive backbone. Some grapefruit. Somewhat watery, but it's hardly noticeable. It does feel a bit toned down for the style. That said, I like the floral and slight citrus (mainly lemon) notes. It's tasty for what it is, but does suffer from simplicity. Little subtlety or layering here. The body should be stronger.

Mf: Slightly coarse and wet. Good thickness. Too watery - even though it's slight, it does detract significantly. Has moderate presence on the palate. Nicely crisp.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but a bit mundane nonetheless. Lagunitas can do better. I wouldn't get it again, but it's a nice little IPA. If you're after a clean, refreshing, sessionable IPA, this won't disappoint.

C+

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:20:40 | More by kojevergas

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.14/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

First had: bottle, threw in on a trade from DoubleSunshine. Thanks!

Poured into an Earth Bread + Brewery glass, a crystal clear golden-yellow color with a moderate foamy white head that quickly sank to a ringlet, leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. Fresh hop aroma was apparent as soon as I opened the bottle; lot of pine, lots of citrus zest, lots of goodness, definitely the highlight of this beer. Usually the aroma is an indication of a similar taste in the beer, but for this one, I just wasn't getting it. Disappointingly bland and grainy, grassy, a slight hop blast up front quickly faded away, leaving a super dry bitterness in the mouth. Light body close to medium, weak and watery, but crisp and clean...this is definitely a drinkable beer, and refreshing for the summer, but taste-wise it just doesn't stack up to a lot of the other IPAs out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 17:47:32 | More by Rifugium

mschind

California

3.18/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- 12 oz bottle, no freshness date. Thin fizzy head that disappeared quickly. Some lacing on the glass. Clear to slightly hazy light gold color.

S- All hops, pungent pine needles and marigold. Almost overwhelming.

T- Some malt comes through in the middle and then the hops take over leading to a moderately dry, clean finish.

M- Thin and watery, not a lot of carbonation.

O- This seems to be an attempt at a "lite" IPA. An interesting experiment but not my idea of a balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:17:01 | More by mschind

Beaver13

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours clear straw yellow with a big frothy white head that retains well and laces the glass some.

The aroma is dank, piney, resiny hops and some tropical fruits.

The flavor is a bit mild - some tropical fruits and dank resiny hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation and is a bit watery and washed out.

Overall, I like the lower ABV hoppy beers. This has good bitterness and hop profile, it just seems a bit watery and washed out. I recall liking Founder's All Day IPA better.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 22:06:07 | More by Beaver13

FosterJM

California

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

1561st Review on BA
Bottle to Speiglau small tulip
12oz

Purchased @Misson Liquors, Fremont, CA for $1.99
Didnt see a stamp on neck. Mustve rubbed off.

App- It was more of a liquid gold in the glass. Bright gold with yellows intermixed into it. The head was a good 1-1/2 fingers and off white. It fell pretty slow and left a good amount of cling on my glass. A unique color for a IPA.

Smell- JESUS!! Who in the hell put weed into my beer!!! This thing was damp, dank and some sticky nugs. I really got nothing else more than pine, resin and a little bit of floral and herbal. Really overwhelmed by the aromas.

Taste- Well only some of the flavors of the aromas carried over and made this drinkable. It was more of a buttery, floral IPA with some deeper citrus notes and a little bit of sweetness intermixed into it. The flavors seemed to be competing a bit more than working together.

Mouth- This was a fuller medium body with a full carbonation. A little sweet and not really like a IPA I have had. Just seemed a bit unique to me.

Drink- It was okay. Better than average but thats about it. Dont think I couldve done a 22 or a 6pk. 1 was enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 15:09:36 | More by FosterJM

davey101

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Pours a very light golden body. Small one finger head settles down to thin edging. Light lacing and retention.

S - Fantastic aroma that certainly emanates a larger beer profile. Papaya and mango, bitter grapefruit, and some light caramel malts. Very strong hop aroma.

T - Falls a bit flat against the aroma. Traces of tropical fruit over a large crackery malt base. Not particularly bitter. Has a light almost watery finish. Mouth feel is well carbonated but quite light.

O - I'm not sure whether I want to hate or love this beer. It certainly succeeds in its goal of a tasty and hoppy session IPA. That seems to be its downfall though. For me a $12 sixer of an IPA should just pack more flavor than this. I could easily down an entire six pack, but I think a beer like SNPA is just more practical cost wise.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 02:55:19 | More by davey101

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serviceable IPA on tap at The Cannery Row. Some European hop, citrus fruity, citra like aroma. Spicy which lends taste at this surprisingly low abv. Little sweetness, this is bitter heavy. Medium bodied. Cloudy yellow with some retained head. Not so drinkable, even after it warmed, but served too cold.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 13:34:19 | More by northyorksammy

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear gold with 3 fingers of foamy bright-white head. This retains with a frothy ¾ finger or so, leaving back rich sticky lacing that dots the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of grass, lemon, herbs and a fresh zesty bitterness. Just some light backing sweetness sits back rear of the nose. This has a nice lively freshness to it in the nostrils.

The taste more fresh and zesty character on the palate, with tart lemon, a crisp bitter citrus presence and a touch of very light herbal or even fruity qualities on the edges. The malts do add some balance to this but mostly serve to give something for those hops to bounce back off of. The finish is dry and bitter with a touch of lingering tartness. The mouthfeel is lighter to medium bodied, with a firm crispness to it that snaps those flavors around in the mouth. This has a nice overall quenching feel to it.

This was OK. I didn’t find it overly complex in any way but it certainly was drinkable. I’m just not sure what makes this a “Session IPA” and how that differs from a regular APA. At any rate, I picked up a six-pack of this and won’t have any problem finishing them.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 14:35:51 | More by Kegatron

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - clear, gold with a thin, white head that has decent retention

S - herbal, faint citrus, big floral aroma

T - floral, herbal, faint malt, a nice clean bitter hop finish

M - light bodied, well carbonated

This is a very light, easy to drink beer but ultimately it's boring. The hops are there but don't do much for me. I'll pass on this.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 23:57:28 | More by tdm168

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a straw yellow, with a half inch of white head, leaves some lace. Smell is mango, tangerine, pine, and grass. Taste isn't as big as the smell, but still nice with everything in it from the nose. Body is light, plenty of carbonation, a little dry, and obviously incredibly drinkable. This is a solid light IPA, would enjoy more from June until September.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 21:26:01 | More by SawDog505

n2185

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear yellow-gold with three fingers of white head that fades into a rocky cap with great lacing.

S: Lots of sweet citrus on the nose--tangerines, pineapple, and melon come to mind. The finish has some slight herbal notes.

T: Citrus up front with pineapple and grapefruit followed by some resiny pine. The finish is lightly bitter somewhat lacking.

M: Medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer could use a bit more carbonation to avoid being watery.

O: A pretty solid IPA overall, especially for only 4.6%. Unfortunately the taste lacks the depth that the aroma has and the body is a bit thin.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 11:46:10 | More by n2185

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a golden brassy color with teo fingers of very white head. Very good head retention with solid lacing.

S- wonderful bouquet of resiny woody pine and tropical fruit. Floral with a biscuity malt on the finish.

T- much lighter on the palate. Short lived yet intense hop flavor up front with a woody pine. Tropical fruit notes in the middle. Very low bitterness for an IPA with a biscuity dry malt flavor on the finish.

MF- slick mouthfeel with a light body. Average carbonation.

D- very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:29:44 | More by Viciousknishs

yamar68

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale straw gold... clear as a bell, a paper white head swells to fill the glass leaving plenty of lacing.

Subtle juicy hop aromas, earthy and citric, some sweet caramel malt notes, nothing too exciting but well executed.

Faint orange peel bitterness, enough malt presence to call it an English... meh...

That said, it's extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:46:35 | More by yamar68

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.64/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

A - pours a pale honey/straw color and wells up a finger of pure white billowy head that fades quickly, fed by heavy and steady carbonation

S - more hops than I thought would be there for a "Fractional" IPA. Not the hop profile of a hop bomb, the hops must seem stronger because they are the only aroma. No malt or adjunct competition.

T - The fractionality is much more evident in the taste than the aroma. But its very intentional, it doesn't drink like a watered down IPA or a "Lite" beer. But a weakened, or fractional IPA (a perfect adjective).

M&D - can you say session beer? A cold case of these, on the front porch on hot summer day of yard work would be perfection. It's light,effervescent, and easy without losing inherent quality or taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 23:30:46 | More by sinstaineddemon

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a tulip. Big thanks go to Kegatron for gifting me with a bottle of this. The brew appears a very pale yellow color that displays a brilliant polished clarity. There is nothing hanging in suspension of this brew, it is perfectly clear with a finger of white head that slowly fades leaving a wall of webby lacing effect on the glass. Rising bubbles of carbonation maintain a thin film atop. A light swirl revives more than a finger of froth back to the surface.

The smell of this brew has some nice citrus elements: lemon and orange zest, pulp, rinds, a touch of grass and herbs. Very minor tropical fruit aspect overtop of a somewhat straw-like grain base. When swirled, there is a bit of sulfur and faint cheesy aspect like some other ipas display. It is a very nice, mild smelling brew. Not quite to hop amperage I would expect for an ipa... perhaps just a "fraction" of the hops were used?

The taste includes just enough herbal to grassy hop bitterness and flavor to let it blend effortlessly into a straw grain base that blurs the lines between grain and hop flavors. The aftertaste has a bit of grain sweetness that is minorly cereal-like in character. The hop flavoring is herbal for the most part with suggestions of pulp, zest and cheese. A sulfur aspect rounds things out and lasts inside the mouth long after the swallow.

This is a very light bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It finishes quite snappy and crisp that is this brews quite enjoyable aspect. It certainly lends itself as a brew that could be thrown back in quantity quite effortlessly. However, I think it comes up short overall across the board. If someone can tell me what the distinct difference between a fractional ipa and a staple pale ale, I would be very grateful.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:43:25 | More by stakem

scottfrie

California

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

12oz bottle into snifter.

A: Pours a light golden with a couple fingers of bright white sticky head that slowly faded into a wispy film leaving patches of spotty lace.
S: Strong floral character with a good dose of tropical fruits and citrus. Maybe a bit of pine as well.
T: More malt than the nose. Lots of dry crackers and bread crust come through beneath notes of lemon peel citrus and pine. The finish is lightly bitter and the aftertaste is crisp and clean.
M: Medium-light body, clean and light mouthfeel, with bubbly but smooth carbonation.
O: A very easy drinking light hoppy beer. Crisp and clean. Well worth a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 23:36:33 | More by scottfrie

nimrod979

Maryland

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

12 oz bottle poured into my Lagunitas jar.

Appearance: POured a pale straw color. One finger white head. Moderate retention. Very little lacing.

Aroma: Wow. Big juicy citrus hop blast. Underlying pine notes. Some pale malt. Huge aroma for a beer that isn't trying to be huge at all. Very surprising and welcome.

Taste: Quick Citrus and pine hop blast before letting up ever so easily. Plenty of Grapefruit and orange zest. Tends to lean towards a Czech style Pilsener towards then end. Pale malt and hop profile. IPA Lite!

Mouthfeel: Obviously, it's a little thin and watery. Decent carbonation and a great crisp finish. Gotta give it some props though as this beer is doing exactly what it says. Light and easily drinkable.

Good job for Lagunitas on this one. It's pretty much IPA Lite and it's pretty good. Don't get me wrong, there's better IPA's out there. but probably none as sessionable as this. Would have loved to have gotten this early in summer. Would knock a few of these back no problem.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:09:46 | More by nimrod979

SteveMi

North Carolina

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

A - Pours crystal golden with a one finger off white head. Head dissipates quickly into lacing. Carbonation is obvious as bubbles rise quickly to the top.

S - Flowery hops hits right away with some lemon mixing inside. There is also some sweetness as well.

T - Tangerine sweet followed by orange and grapefruit hops blend. Reminds me of grapefruit based drinks. Pretty tasty!

M - Light bodied with soft carbonation on each sip.

O - Very refreshing and easy to drink. If you like grapefruit and are looking for a sessionable ale this is one to try out.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 00:05:11 | More by SteveMi

dmatsui

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip from a bottle. The brew itself is a beautiful, light golden color and super clear much like a lager/borderline pils.
There's some nice carbonation streaming up the sides of the glass and there was a 4-finger fluffy, bone-white head that stuck around for a while and left some nice lacing. It's definitely an interesting looking beer.

Sweet, fruity hops dominate with a strong hit of Lychee and dank. There's a slight peppery spiciness in the nose, and a swirl really brings out a nice nuttiness. Very floral and grassy.

The nose is better than the flavor. There is a hint of some nice fruity hops for a few seconds before they bitter out and get lost in the malt bill which is in my opinion a little thin.
Maybe i'm just used to the earth-shattering hop slam you usually get from Lagunitas, but I feel like this one didn't really deliver.

I should note however that I'm really not much of a light beer drinker. I think Daytime is what Lagunitas was aiming for. It IS very refreshing and it's definitely good, just a very different offering from Lagunitas. I also like the fact that they're promoting daydrinking. This is definitely a functional/fractional IPA and would make for a decent session ale.

*** Note: A few months after I wrote this review Daytime slowly grew on me. Maybe it's the hot weather or perhaps an increase in day drinking, but I enjoy the freshness and crispness of Daytime. I get more citrus characteristics than I used to.

-10/22/12

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 20:17:42 | More by dmatsui