Lagunitas DayTime IPA Review

Big flavors drive American craft beer geeks. But often, the booze in an Old Ale or Double IPA seriously limits our intake. Putting back a few bottles of the delicious Apocalypse Cow on a Sunday of NFL viewing, can lead to a brutally hungover Monday morning. Presuming the palate fatigue from the all that bitterness didn’t do you in first. And that is a critical factor for hop heads, or anyone that has attempted sampling scores of double IPAs in a row. Bitterness builds on the taste buds, eventually becoming the only discernible element to the beer. The opposite of what people who enjoy craft beer want; a worsening of taste cured only by quitting complex ales for the night.

Thankfully, brewers have taken up the challenge to brew big time hoppy ales, without all the alcohol and bite. Victory, with their Summer Love, a hop-forward ale with only a 5.2 % ABV, has made a lawn mower beer for hop fans. Founders All Day IPA is another light bodied, well hopped brew that will not wear you down.

TASTING NOTES

Now, from the west coast, America’s piny hop capital, comes Lagunitas DayTime IPA stepping into the category. Super dank, pine and citrus nose, this beer exudes the perfume of their standard IPA, even the DIPA Maximus. The taste reveals Lagunitas did not let us down. This limited release beer has a clean, slightly citrus hop profile to match the nose. Massive dry-hopping has done amazing things here. Crisp and bubbly, the body adds to the quaffability of this IPA (really more of an American Pale Ale). Malts are very present here, passing off a biscuity sweetness that nearly blocks out the super subtle hop bite in the aftertaste.

CONCLUSION

Funky nose, balanced big hop taste with almost no lingering bitterness. This beer is a dream to drink. But is it “sessionable” ? Sure, and not only because of the low ABV, but the lack of bitterness in the finish spares the mouth from that build up of acrid flavors that begin to overwhelm the ales that come after the first. Lagunitas has created a masterpiece of an ale, one which you can enjoy from the kickoff of the early game until Costas’ recap of the Sunday Night game. Try this beer now!!!

9.5/10