Tuesday, April 06, 2010

LAGUNITAS' "BROWN SHUGGA"

This is a theoretically "big" beer from a Petaluma, CA brewer who probably deserve a bit more respect than they typically get - they've earned mine in spades on the basis of beers like IMPERIAL RED, MAXIMUS, their PILS, etc.. I'm not convinced respect is necessarily earned on this one, however. LAGUNITAS BROWN SHUGGA is nearly 10% in alcohol, and fits into no true discernable style. "Strong ale" is what these boys are going for, and in terms of approachability and drinkability, they've done very well for themselves.

BROWN SHUGGA's made with brown cane sugar (hence the name, you know), and I can taste that along with molasses and something vaguely smokey, One has to strain to pluck these tastes out of the mix - it's just not that flavorful of a beer, you know? It's still and silent, with very little head to speak of after the initial pour. Not a heavy beer, but likely a dangerous one. I've had better offerings from the gang at Lagunitas, and just picked up a bomber of their "Roger Wilco Foxtrot" or whatever it's called and will share the results of said beer in the near future. Meanwhile, Brown Shugga = 6/10.

3 comments:

J T. Ramsay said...

Bought a sixer of this at Xmas and thought it was pretty good. Bought a case when I got back to Pa and found myself wondering why I bothered.

SC said...

Have you tried their Censored Ale? I've been told that it's a little like a livelier and more sessionable version of Brown Shugga. Can't attest to that since I haven't tried BS but I remember being pretty impressed by Censored when I tried it a year or so ago. Excellent brewery overall, love their Pils especially...

Mario (Brewed for Thought) said...

Brown Shugga is fresh in November. When fresh it's a big kick of Cascades and sweetness, perfect for winter sipping. In April the hops have faded and you're better off holding on to it for another 6-12 months.

Censored is their "Copper Ale" (Amber Ale) and is meant to be a session ale.

As you'd expect from a hop-driven brewery, fresher is better.