Lagunitas Brewing Co. - "Hairy Eyeball" ale

Today's beer is from Petaluma-based Lagunitas Brewing Company. I've long been a fan of Lagunitas, with having reviewed the crown jewel of their line, the Cappuccino Stout, last year. I picked up this beer at Costco, where it was being sold for the low low price if $4.99 (normally $9.99 at Whole Foods.) I guess that's wholesale pricing for ya.

It'sa 9.4% ABV American strong ale billed as a "roasty, toasty, malty, hangover-halting beer." Well, I don't know if I'd be drinking anything other than water for a hangover, but that's beside the point. Let's try the Hairy Eyeball.

Pours a gorgeous reddish-brown, and puffs up to a buff-colored head. It's also very aromatic - strong scents of alcohol, vanilla, and maple. I'm really digging it.

The head subsides into the cool amoeba-pattern which lasts a few minutes. It appears reddish-brown in the glass, with lots of little carbonation bubbles in there. Candled, it's root beer color.

I was pleasantly surprised at the taste. It was smooth, almost milky, with almost no hops to speak of and a strong caramel taste that reminded me a lot of Peak Organic's "King Crimson." I'm disappointed the vanilla doesn't carry over, but in total, there's a three-way mixture of delicious flavors that I can discern; top-quality malts, dark fruit tastes, and caramel. The taste is somewhat surprising, but not in a bad way. I wasn't expecting the vibrancy of flavors. It's very pleasing, smooth mouthfeel, and very approachable. So, yeah, great stuff. I'll definitely be buying this to have on hand!