Beer Review: IPA from Lagunitas Brewing Company Beer Sessions

Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
updated May 2, 2019
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This beer has become our talisman for warmer weather. It’s everything we love about summery IPAs: namely, a hop-tastic brew with a sturdy backbone of toasted malts. We’re convinced that as long as we sip it, winter will continue its fade into distant memory. Think it will work?

Beer Details: India Pale Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA (IPA, 6.2% ABV)

Appearance: This ale pours a very clearn golden-honey color. The cap of pure white foam dissipates quickly, but leaves behind some decent lacing.

Aroma: The hops are strong with this one, but a touch of brown sugar adds a mellowing factor.

Taste: The hop flavors swing from citrus zest to ruby-red grapefruit juice to bitter pith. That aroma of brown sugar takes on a bread-like flavor here, and does a nice job of bracing those bright malts. We found the aftertaste to be surprisingly dry and a bit musty, the only unpleasant note in this otherwise fine brew.

Overall, this is a solid IPA. It might not stand out from the crowd, but it’s definitely a fantastic everyday brew to have in the fridge.

Food Pairings: This is the beer we’ll have in our hands when the first cook-out of the season rolls around. It would be perfect with grilled veggies and marinated steak kabobs.

Have you had this IPA? What do you think?

Related: How Cold Should Beer Be Served?

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