Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale

Why I tried this: I honestly don't remember. I can tell you that the name of this beer is quite the mouthful. I probably saw it in the bottles book and picked it out because of the name. However, I generally have enjoyed Lagunitas beers before, so that probably played a pretty big part as well.

Smell: Has a very slight spice scent to it, but mostly has a malty and floral hop smell.

Taste: Not quite what I was expecting. There are some very light spice and citrus flavors, but mostly it's an epic battle of sweet malts versus mildly bitter hops. Normally, I'm not a fan of hoppy beer, but the malts are able to keep things balanced to the point that I actually really enjoyed this mix. The slight bitterness at the end was fairly nice, giving it a modest crispness.

This was a pretty good ale. It was very strong at nearly 10%, but you couldn't taste any of the alcohol. Instead, you got a nice balance of sweet malts, light citrus, some spice, and floral hops that added a bitterness to the end of the beer. It smelled nice, and went down pretty easily. Overall, I'd give this beer a quarter full glass. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good ale and wouldn't mind trying it again.

--Jeff

Lagunitas Lil Sumpin' Sumpin'

Why I tried this: This is the Beer of the Month at World of Beer and the awesome name caught my attention right away.

Smell: Slight Citrusy scent, medium hop scent

Taste:  I dont typically like beers that have too much of an overpowering citrus flavor but I thought this beer was delicious.  The citrus and hop flavor combinations were great and worked together great.  I really enjoyed this beer and it is the one that made me want to try the rest of the Lagunitas line of beers.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this an 8.5.  This beer had a great flavor and I really enjoyed it.  It was very drinkable and light, and definitely something I could drink all night.

--Jon