Field Trip: Lagunitas Brewing Company [Petaluma, CA]

Greetings from California! After an uneventful flight (aided by a spirited game of Civilization V and some barrel-aged aquavit I smuggled onboard) I've landed here on the West Coast and am preparing for 13 days of strenuous beer and wine tasting. Aside from a few days at a cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore, most of my time will be spent in the wine country, conducting interviews and learning about wine (and trying a lot!)

On Saturday we took a trip up north a bit to Petaluma, California - home of Lagunitas Brewing Co. Founded in 1993, Lagunitas is a prolific brewing company, producing just shy of a million barrels of beer per year. Their beer is distributed across the world - thanks to a recent buyout by Heineken - and I've reviewed their stuff a few times on here, including their "Cappuccino Stout" (and an aged version, enjoyed in a snowdrift) and their "Hairy Eyeball" ale. They also make a really cool, super dank, 11.30% ABV IPA called "Waldo's Special Ale" which it definitely worth getting. And although I've been drinking their beer for years - and have been to the Bay Area about a half-dozen times - I've never been able to make it...until today!

We took a nice trip through Marin and Sonoma Counties, through the scenic Point Reyes / Petaluma Road, past tons of dairy and nut farms. It's been about 15 years since I've been up this way, and it's just as lovely as I remember.

Joined by my aunt, my mother, and my brother Dan, we arrived at the brewery's sprawling property and got situated. It's huge! There's a massive shipping / receiving area, the size of a Costco, and a several outdoor areas coupled with a permanent gift shop (called the "Schwag Shop") and a hybrid indoor bar / outdoor beer garden area called their "Beer Sanctuary". They have live music each night, and are obviously doing a spectacular amount of business. We took a seat outside, and immediately made friends with the Shar Pei at the table next to us.

OK, down to the goods - let's order beer and food. My aim here is to find beers that I haven't tried before - as is the case with most brewpubs, there are usually special releases available only at the brewery. So I am on the hunt for that!

"Barrel-Aged Aunt Sally" - sour ale

Served with a jalapneo, Monterrey jack, and guac burger, this beer is a barrel-aged variant of their usual "Aunt Sally", a 5.70% sour mashed ale. Today's version is almost double the alcoholic strength of the original and is made with Gewurztraminer grape juice, interestingly.

There's no foam, even when agitated, and I don't see a lot of bubbles.  Initially, the beer presents an interesting and refreshing apple taste - like a nice dry apple cider. As the beer develops, the dryness comes out and the wood sour really presents itself....there's strong notes of oaky wood, a touch of boozy alcohol. It tastes like a really crisp apple cider, with a touch of apple cider vinegar on the finish. Good if you like sours and can't find a Lactobacillus-made Flemish ale to drink.

***

"Super Cluster" - IPA

Here's a new one - a supercharged 8.00% ABV Citra ale made with lupulin powder. Whoa! Very bright OJ notes, but with a strong edge of hops not present in, say, a beer by Aslin or Tree House. The hop bill really adds lively bitterness, balanced out by the juicy fruit from hops. It's clean, crisp, and just hoppy enough to get my attention, but not enough to make it overly bitter, Nicely balanced, and in retrospect it's probably at the hoppy end of how I take my beers. Tasty nonetheless and great if you like citrus and bitterness from hops.

***

"Fudge and Sicle" - imperial stout

After all those hops, I needed something sweeter. My brother Dan ordered this and I tried some, and was glad I did. It's their "Fudge and Sickle", a 10.10% ABV imperial stout with chocolate fudge, toasted oak, and roasted malts. I believe this is a special variant of their usual "Imperial Stout."

There's a faint nose with not much aroma. Has some brown lacing. Upon drinking, the beer presents some baker's chocolate flavors, with a strong emphasis on powdery dark chocolate. There's a long lingering finish of roasted chocolate and coffee, which lasts for sometime. It's not sweet at all, and not as dark as I was expected. It's deeper and softer than their regular stout, and similarly, presents an aftertaste of full, dark, bitter chocolate (coupled with a little bit of dark roast espresso) which is not present in the regular release. Overall quite good and a nice option for someone looking for dark beer without the sweetness. 

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"Tart Swan" - grape ale

I've had their "Dark Swan", a sour ale, which I assume is related to this variant. The "Tart Swan" is a purple beer, about 6.50% ABV, and fermented with red wine grapes, which gives it its color. 

This is quite fizzy with a really substantial grape taste - more like grape meat than grape skins. Very juicy. It's on the sugary end of things, too, which works pretty well with the texture and weight of the beer. It's very easy drinking and refreshing, with a nice little burst of flaked wheat on the end. This would be great for anyone who likes wine coolers!  

"Crush Sally" - ale

Holy berry explosion! This is fantastic. It's a 5.80% ABV ale made with acai berries, Boysenberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mint spears, and mint leaves. I don't know how they incorporated the fruit - either in the brewing process or through a firkin - but man, this is super refreshing and bright. Tons of juicy berry flavors and probably the most pronounced mint flavor I've ever had in a beer. The finish and aftertaste is strongly of mint with some sweet fruit notes throughout. Probably one of my top 10 beers, ever - I could drink this all day during the hotter season!

That's enough for today - I'm wrapping up my Napa Valley tours today and will be posting more as I can. Lots to look forward to!

KEG MAN