Beer Review: Lagunitas IPA

Lagunitas Brewing Company India Pale Ale

After that blueberry ale I think it is time for a beer that reminds you why you enjoy beer. A beer that is about the union of malt and hops. A beer that shows the innovation of the west coast and the hops they love. This IPA pours a surprisingly light copper color with a short lived head. I was worried until I got some aroma. Pure floral and citrus goodness.

Flavor is very nice. The hops flavor really comes out immediately charging your tongue while the malt flavor soothes out the sharp flavor. Classic west coast IPA. My only criticism lies with the malt. I taste a cereal like flavor in it. I am not sure of the cause but it does distract and take away from the hoppy flavor.

This is a good IPA but it isn't a masterpiece. They nailed the hop flavor and aroma but the malt still needs some improvement. I wonder if the light color is related. Either way you will get your hop fix from this. A cleaner, richer malt would have made this a world class IPA. The hop addition needs no fiddling. Definitely worth a shot if you are craving an aggressively hopped ale.

Final Score: 81% (Hop Flavor Is Great. Cereal Malt Flavor Is Annoying.)