Lagunitas Stoopid Wit

Ah, Lagunitas. I don't care that you're not technically a craft brewer anymore. Yes, I was scared when Heineken acquired a 50% steak in you, and I thought that you might let your standards slip or become some kind of commercial juggernaut, but you still come up with off-the-wall names, goofy labels, and experimental beers. I can't quit you.

The beer is kind of a straw yellow with a bit of orange. The sticky white head is pretty much exactly what I would expect from a Lagunitas beer. I mean, they have some kind of template that their beers have to follow, and that sticky, beautiful head is one of them. Points for them! The aroma is heavy on the grains with maybe a hint of citrus.

First sip is vibrant. It's heavy wheat and barley, and I think it needs to calm down a bit right about now. I can tell you this is no sipping beer. The flavor is too bold and sharp for this kind of thing. I know I should probably write about the sip a little more, but I'm going straight to the gulp - come with me.

Tip-in is carbonation burn, light citrus, and heavy wheat. The middle comes with its stabbing wheat and barley surrounded by a cocoon of burning carbonation. There is bread making up the difference and trying to soften matters. It does a pretty good job, but it eventually finishes with a harsh wave of bitterness and grains. The trail-off is grassy bitterness, and it summarizes the beverage well.

Bottom Line: I like Lagunitas, but this one was pretty rough.

2.0/5