Lagunitas IPA- AMAZING!

Brewer-Lagunitas Brewing Company

Beer- Lagunitas IPA

Style- American  IPA

ABV- 6.20%

Description- Lagunitas IPA pours a clear golden organ with a frothy white head that lingers and leaves a pleasant lacing on the glass.  The aroma is an extremely pleasing bouquet of hops with notes of grapefruit, pine, and floral being the most dominant; subtle hints of sweet biscuit malts are also in the background giving the immediate impression that this is a well-balanced beer.  The first sip hits the palate with a hop explosion with citrus fruit being the most dominant before restrained hints of pine dance around your tongue.  The malts also make their presence known with light biscuit notes that hold the hops but never dominate or go too far to the sweet side; instead the malt highlights the perfect hop selection.  The bitterness in Lagunitas IPA is absolutely perfect and can be enjoyed by all, whether this is going to be your first IPA or you are a true hophead.  The body is on the light side, but still manages to have a creamy texture with perfect carbonation that makes for a clean dry finish to an absolutely perfect beer.

Food pairing – This west coast IPA is an absolute perfect match with Mexican food, real Mexican food!  Try pairing this with a delicious carna asada with hot sauce and avocadoes, the spiciness will fuse with this beer and the avocadoes will accentuate the creamy texture of this wonderful IPA.  Also try pairing this with Indian food, specifically chicken tikka masala, the combination of spicy and creamy sauce is a dream match.  The light body of the beer also makes it a great one to have on hand for many lunch dishes like hamburgers, sandwiches, or salads all make a great companion for Lagunitas IPA.

The Final Word – Lagunitas IPA is one of the best IPA’s available on the market today.  This beer has been a staple for Lagunitas since 1995 and while the IPA market has changed a lot since that time this IPA still holds its own as a world class one.  The fact that it is not an overly bitter IPA makes it a perfect recommendation for anyone looking to try this style for the first time, however be warned that if this is your first IPA, there are many others out there that fall short in comparison.  Do yourself a favor and track this beer down, you will not be disappointed.

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Where can I get it? -  Available on draft at Grady O’s- Philadelphia, PA; Resurrection Ale House- Philadelphia, PA; Iron Abbey- Horsham, PA

Available in bottles at Grady O’s- Philadelphia, The Wardell Pub- Phillipsburg, NJ; Nicoles Ten- Randolph, NJ; Craft Ale House- Limerick, PA