Lagunitas Brewery India Pale Ale - My Microbrew Review

This cool looking small brown bottle with the plain aged parchment looking label caught my eye in the local six pack shop cooler this evening. What's the microbrew I'm referencing you ask? It's Lagunitas Brewery's very own special IPA (or India Pale Ale) offering that's on tap here at the house tonight.

As I mentioned, the label was cool because it was so plain (although it features a small depiction of the famous Lagunitas brewery spotted dog in the top right corner of the label. It was sort or reminiscent of one of those old Wild West "Wanted" posters.

For those of you who may not know, Lagunitas Brewing Company is a Petaluma, California-based microbrewery with a somewhat famous and storied history and a very cool and entertaining website (Lagunitas Brewery). Anyway, on to the beer at hand in in the plain, brown, cold 12 ounce bottle.

As I poured the microbrew into my 12 ounce pub glass, I took note of the awfully clear, clarity of this beer which is not out of the possibility for an IPA but in my experience somewhat rarer than most for such a chilled brew. Hues of robust burnt orange copper and bubbles bustling everywhere and mostly upwards greeted my eye blossoming into a wonderfully foamy eggshell marshmallow two finger head which stayed and lasted a good three minutes or so.

Dryed citrusy floral aroma wafted strongly off the top of the glass and surrounded my drinking vessel with a "come hither" hoppy scent. Already I'm liking what I see and smell.

The taste of Lagunitas Brewery's IPA does not disappoint, whether you are a huge fan of hops or just an adventurous microbrew and craft beer sampler alike. This beer is well put together.

The first sip went down very crisp with a pretty extreme dry hoppiness tang. Extreme but not offensive as I put it if that makes any sense. This is a beer that will not leave you guessing as to its style if you were drinking it blindfolded in some sort of blind microbrew taste test.

There's a citrus sense of grated grapefruit peels and clove in the the far background that contributes to the drinking enjoyment. As the beer warmed at about halfway through the twelve ounce mug, the swallow became stickier but still with a welling up of hoppy "kaaa-chow" at the end the crawls up the back of the roof of your mouth. The beer finished with a mild ripe peachy pine aftertaste that left me personally wanting another bottle. Unfortunately, that's not to be the case tonight unless I get the energy up (and the wife's purse change) to ride back down to the store to grab another bottle.

Overall, I'd give Lagunitas Brewery Company's India Pale Ale a 7.75 on my 1 to 10 microbrew and craft beer rating scale. I have no idea on what the alcohol by content is for this beer but there's no warming or burn effect that I could perceive during my beer session. I'd say you could have a few of these just about any time without getting too out of hand and the flavor and visual of this beer in your glass will be interesting enough to have you wanting to keep them coming. Not an out-of-the-bottle sipping beer.

If you're lucky enough to pick up California's own Lagunitas Brewery offerings any where in your neck of the woods in the continental US, I'd recommend picking up a bottle or two of the IPA whether you're an India Pale Ale fan or not, this beer's worth cracking the cap for.

If you found any enjoyment in reading this microbrew beer review and if you love craft beers in particular, you'll find more craft beer reviews of both new and old microbrews and also fun microbrew and craft beer-related info at Microbrew Review or Best Craft Beer Reviews. Click the links above and please let me know what you liked or hated and let me know any beers that you might like to see me review next time. Cheers and please drink responsibly!

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Troegs Nugget Nectar: Nugget Nectar is Nectar of the Gods

What better place is there to stop by on a 70 degree Tuesday, March evening than at the local microbrew bottleshop? In the mood to pick up something good for embibing while watching the hockey game tonight, I picked up a few known good picks and then, out of the corner of my eye, spied a new addition in the cooler selection roster. Could it be?

Yes, it was, one of the microbrews I've been wanting to try but haven't had the $40.00 to cough up for a whole 24 bottle case (crazy Pennsylvania liquor laws). Troegs Nugget Nectar has been high on my wish list lately, and luckily my local bottle shop just got a supply in and decided to stock it in the general assembly section of the cooler row.

Troegs is an independent microbrewery located in Harrisburg, PA and has long been known, especially amongst us Pennsylvanians, to put out some very high quality and tasty microbrews over the years (one of my seasonal favorites being the Christmastime issued Mad Elf, but more on that one later).

Anyway, I picked up two 12 ounce bottles and, needless to say, by the second bottle I just had to post a few notes on this very impressive Imperial IPA offering (to be accurate, the label touts this as an Imperial Amber). Pouring my slightly chilled bottle into a standard 10 ounce beer mug I am greeting with pungent hop aromas wafting up, out and all around the mug, sink basin and nearly the entire kitchen area in which it was poured. This one really eminates an evident "have you been drinking?" clue even if you've only just poured one into a glass to sit and admire the sight of it.

The sight of it however is not its strongest pint...I mean point (Freudian slip there, sorry). It did boast a fairly respectable head of about two fingers that stuck around for maybe three or four minutes. But the thing that really struck me was the absolute clarity of this brew. A lighter amber color in my mug, it was essentially a crystal clear presentation, carbonated bubbles streaming everywhere. It reminded me much more of maybe a Yuengling lager than a finely produced craft beer.

When it came to actually finally tasting it, after all of the previously written thoughts swirling through my mind, it was heaven on earth. This is truly nectar of the gods. As I've sample many stronger IPA's in my time, and given the aroma, I was expecting a more standard run of the mill grapefruity type IPA. This one gave off the grapefruit flavors but not in a most astringent manner. There was a malty, almost creamy backbone there that very classily offset some of the commonality of the boasted high level IBU's (93ish IBU's as per the bottle label for those keeping track).

Lacing on my mug was highly prevalent and it transferred well to a somewhat slick feel on the palate but not in an annoyingly obtrusive way. A pleasant aftertaste of sip #1 quickly led to #2 and so on.

On the quick, I would say I could picture myself downing a six pack of these on a hot summers day while doing yard work. But upon closer inspection of the bottle, the 7.5% ABV rating would make me seriously consider otherwise. This one is extremely drinkable, almost to a sessionable point but it's due to it's incredible balance of all factors involved.

Despite my initial predispositions, and Nugget Nectar's predominant assault on the ol' olfactory, Troeg's Nugget Nectar doesn't evolve to obscene extremes in any one particular area except for it's highly overall enjoyable drinkability. My impression is one of a high expectation, leading to complete validation with some meandering surprises along the way, a microbrew with an amiable character and one that I will remember and look for in the months and years to come. I can honestly say that I will be seeking out an entire case (yes at the $40.00 price tag) on my next visit to one of my local area distributors and I will highly recommend that you do too if given the chance.

Troegs Nugget Nectar checks in as a 8.25 rated microbrew in my opinion. Go out and try it today!

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!

All I want for Christmas is Great Lakes Christmas Ale!

Alright, it is just a hair too early for Christmas beers (just one week until Thanksgiving). But, so what!

I was down at the local beer "distributor" this past Sunday (yes, they sell beer at distibutors in Pennsylvania on Sundays now) and had to pick up a case from their "New Arrivals" Christmas Beers skid (yes, literally a skid).

There were several selections of varying interest, but the one that caught my eye most was one from Great Lakes Brewing, their annual "Christmas Ale" offering. I'd seen this around the area a few times last season and passed on the chance to sample it. By the time I'd changed my mind, it was gone! I didn't want to miss out this time around because I'd heard some really good things about this microbrew and, plus, the label on this one is pretty cool (model train car full of shiny red christmas ornaments).

Other than the fact that this case cost me a fairly steep $39.99, and the fact I pumped a little financial support to our lifetime rival Cleveland economy, I am ultimately glad I made the investment.

I'm currently sipping on my second 12 ounce serving and wondering how I'm going to stretch the remaining 22 bottles out over the next month and a half or come up with the moolah pretty quick to go back and purchase the one remaining case on the "skid".

Anyway, this one is going to be a favorite for me for many holiday seasons to come (I hope!). This microbrew pours a clear orangish amber with just a slight twinge of dark copper. The head was surprisingly nice and billowy in my 16 ounce pint glass coming in at just under two fingers which lasted well over 5 minutes even after the first few quaffs. Very poofy and cumulus cloud-like.

The aroma is very sweet, almost sugary but in a good way. Something in this brew calls to mind mental pictures of sugar cookies to me. The overall flavor includes very little in the way of hoppy bitterness, but then again this is a "Christmas Ale". If you are very much into microbrews but really like the hoppy IPA styles, this one just may not be your cup of tea so maybe just buy a single bottle if you can to try it if you want before plunking down a couple 20's on a case. In addition to the sugar cookie impression this microbrew gives off in flavor, I noted some mild hints of honey and even fainter, but still present, cherry notes.

The bottom line for me on the Great Lakes "Christmas Ale" is that I would highly recommend it to anyone who is open to trying something seasonal. This is not a beer I would sit and drink many of at one time, nor do I see myself on the back porch on a 90 degree summer evening downing a Christmas Ale after mowing the lawn. But I do see this beer as being perfect for me for the upcoming holiday season, to enjoy responsibly while celebrating with family and friends at a Christmas party, family gathering, or just in front of the fireplace on a cold night with the wife. There's a window of time to enjoy microbrews like this and for Great Lakes "Christmas Ale" the short time is now. If you have the chance where you live, pick up a few to enjoy during the upcoming holidays.

I'll rate this an 8.25 out of 10.00 for the style (seasonal/spiced/winter warmer)

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!