Seasonal Release that is. One of my favorite local breweries (with a wide distribution) is Lagunitas. The IPA is their bread and butter, and while I have grown bored with it, the brewery still appeals to me with the other brews they release from time to time. I’m sure many of you have run into their wacky Frank Zappa inspired brews, but that day has passed. Winter brings new releases. This year, Cappuccino Stout in 22 oz bottles and 6 packs of Brown Shugga.
So these brews have been out there for a while. Lagunitas says they were released in October. So why write about them now? Well, I finally found the Brown Shugga in a 6-pack and knocked back a couple this weekend.
First let’s do the Cappuccino Stout. This stout is brewed with Bad Ass Coffee from Sebastopol, and I love the idea of using quality coffee in making a coffee stout. Lagunitas gets a bad rap for their stouts I’ve noticed. Some say their stouts aren’t stout enough and fall more into the porter category. This one is definitely a stout. Black as night, the cappuccino is the dominant flavor, exactly what you’d expect from a Cappuccino Stout. What I love about this beer is the balance. Coffee and stout are a great combination and this brings out the best of both. It carries a bit of a kick which comes forward as the beer warms, but is generally masked well by the strong flavors.
Second, is Brown Shugga. One of my favorites. This is a big beer. I took the tour at Lagunitas a few months back and one of the questions asked was about the roots of this brew. I had a few beers in me, so the recollection might be hazy, but I believe this was a GnarlyWine brewed with brown sugar when the brewer was in a pinch. The result was nothing short of wonderful. Super sweet, but hopped to balance, and it packs a punch, 9.9%. This about as decadent as a beer can get. Definitely go out and grab a 6 pack of these brews before they are gone.
Lagunitas has yet to announce their next rounds of seasonal releases, but I’ll make sure to stay on top of it. Happy drinking!
