Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale brewed by Lagunitas Brewing -
Petaluma, California
Lagunitas brewed this especially bitter ale in remembrance of the 2005 St
Patrick's Day Massacre and in commemoration of our 20-day suspension that
followed. The ABC conducted an undercover investigation of our brewery,
finding us guilty of operating a "Disorderly House." as well as "Moral
Turpitude'... we had to look that up... it is defined as "devoid of social
morals" -- we disagree! Do the crime. Do the time. Get the bragging rights. ABV: 9.75%. IBUs: 66.5.
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Appearance - The pour yields an amber colored body with a small tightly knit
bright white head on top. The head has excellent retention and leaves behind
random spots of lacing.
Aroma - The nose here is big, bold, and very hoppy. grapefruit just bursts from
my glass.There are other citrus fruits present as well, like orange and a little
bit of pineapple.The little bit of malt that i can detect comes across as
bread-like and sweet caramel.
Taste - The taste starts out with more of the bready and sweet caramel malts
that I could smell. Then I pick up one something that vaguely reminds me of
something belgian. Candy sugar maybe? After that it becomes all about the hops.
Very strong on the grapefruit front. there is also some pine, orange, and just a
touch of pineapple.The alcohol comes through a little stronger than I was
expecting.
Mouthfeel - The body is a touch bigger than a solid medium. The carbonation is
just about right. There is a little warming form the alcohol. nice and bitter.
Overall - I regret passing up this beer as many times as I have. Lagunitas is
once again able to pull off a well hopped beer. This beer gave me a buzz after
just one, so I don't think that having a couple would be a good idea. It is
something I will continue to buy until my store runs out. Check this one out if
you havenot already.
Lagunitas Brewing History
The brewery was founded in 1993 by Tony Magee in Lagunitas, California and moved
a year later to nearby Petaluma, California when they quickly outgrew their
original rural West Marin location. Lagunitas has been one of the
fastest-growing craft breweries in the United States, increasing from 27,000
barrels in 2004 to 106,000 barrels in 2010. As of March 2011, the company has 92
employees and sells its beer in 32 states. The brewery announced a $9.5 million
expansion slated to begin early 2012 which will increase its brewing capacity to
600,000 barrels. On April 9th, 2012, Lagunitas announced plans for a new Chicago
based brewery equipped with a 250 barrel brew house which will also have a
600,000 barrel capacity. The brew house is to be completed by July 2013 with the
first mash in slated for Q4 2013.
