Maximus
Lagunitas Brewing Company

MaximusMaximus
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From:
Lagunitas Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #1,679
ABV:
9%
Score:
89
Ranked #10,524
Avg:
4 | pDev: 10%
Reviews:
1,680
Ratings:
5,886
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Sep 22, 2001
Wants:
  143
Gots:
  1,485
Our Colossal take on a Double IPA, full of Simcoe, Mosaic, CTZ, Cascade & Centennial hops balanced against tons of rich malted barley.

There is a tide in the affairs of big IPAs which posits that a flood of hops leads to a fortune in liquid. In our XXV+ years of brewing big IPAs we've learned this to be mostly true, with one big caveat: balance is everything. We believe Maximus to be exactly that. Et tu?

60.5 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Scotchboy:
Photo of Scotchboy
Reviewed by Scotchboy from Idaho

3.91/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into an oversize nonic.

An aggressive pour yields a ton of rocky off-white head that sticks magnificently to the glass. Appearance is a light honey/golden orange, with a tiny amount of haze in suspension although the beer appears completely clear.

Smell is rich, ripe tropical fruit, orange/orange peel, and I don't detect a ton of malt, but the hops aren't overwhelming. There are some fruity alcohol esters.

There is a tiny bit of bitterness up front but this is a fairly well balanced beer. There is some malt sweetness, some metallic citrus and bitterness, some floral characters as well. Decent taste. None of the flavors jump out but the sweetness, bitterness and breadiness dance together well.

The mouthfeel seems right for this beer, light and a tad oily. Drinkability A+, it feels close to an IPA but its noticeably bigger as well.
Mar 12, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by Zachboyd3334 from Indiana

Mar 10, 2024
Photo of TLWalsh
Reviewed by TLWalsh from New York

4.31/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 19.2 oz can into standard BA pint glass (it does NOT all fit in one pour). A clear crisp honey hue with modest head that dissipated pretty fast. Aroma is full of hop crispness and piney. Taste is full and malty with a very clear citrusy hops POP. Mouthfeel is in the middle and a fairly crisp finish that lingers with a tart full aftertaste. I would definitely look for it again.
Mar 07, 2024
Photo of whitro17
Reviewed by whitro17 from Florida

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - clear golden, creamy, fluffy white head, very good lacing
Smell - malty, piney, resin, orange
Taste - sweet malt, pine resin, citrusy, candy orange
Feel - med body, moderate carbo, soft
Overall - This is a great brew to me. Colossal WCIPA. Very resinous with a lingering pleasant bitterness. Sweet malt, candy orange on the palate is delightful. Pairs well with Fighting the World by Manowar.
Feb 15, 2024
Photo of NateGamer
Reviewed by NateGamer from New Mexico

3.86/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
12 Oz Bottle poured into a Mug.
Had literally no head, 1/3 inch or something, must have been a flat batch?
No lacing on mug with no head....
NIce Deep burnt orange color....
Smell of hops and pine..
Taste, nice burst of BITTER HOPS off the bat! This is what an IPA should have that hop bitterness, beats alot of others in same category...
Sweetness on malt with bitterness, wild...can't figure out what the sweetness consists of yet? I'm going for sugar cookies and vanilla creme wafer cookies? The Bitter hops dominates though, and hides alcohol taste miraculously.
Mouthfeel is good carbonated dry finish
Good packaged Imperial IPA, with good Hops, I'll take over Stone Imp and Sierra's Imp.
Feb 11, 2024
Photo of HipCzech
Reviewed by HipCzech from California

4.09/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Serving: 19.2 oz can (“072423”) poured into a 9 oz Libbey Embassy snifter.

Appearance: Pours clear, pale golden yellow with a modest froth of white foam.

Smell: Forest aroma of pine needles and resin, citrus, fruit, and dark caramel.

Taste: Flavor follows with more pine resin, lemon citrus, mixed fruit and a balancing malty caramel base. Spicy, earthy bitter hops lend a good balance.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth feel and moderate carbonation.

Overall: Big, malty, hoppy and boozy all at once, remains nicely balanced and surprisingly smooth drinking.
Dec 26, 2023
Photo of Crazy4hazy
Reviewed by Crazy4hazy from Oregon

3.96/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Heavy lacing on glass that stayes the whole time. Beer is a dark amber in color with a pine needle , hop cone and a mild pineapple flavor. being a double colossal ipa it was very approcable and not as heavy as you would tink. If you like big ipa beers you will be trilled with this beer as its bite is mild and this is a great smooth brew. The body is simular to a red and you never can taste the 9% ABV of the beer. A very friendly IPA and I would recomend highly.
Dec 02, 2023
Photo of FreePal88
Reviewed by FreePal88

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
My favorite malt liquor IPA (which is officially a style now, whether you accept it or not), easily beating Sierra Nevada's possibly overly sweet Atomic Torpedo, Voodoo Ranger's possibly overly bitter DIPA, and various other gas station mainstays. A little pungent but very balanced and smooth for what it is, with minimal alcohol heat. Subtle spiciness. Goes down pretty sweet with a little fruitiness and lots of sweet malt; finishes piney, resinous and dry.
Nov 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by coolasice from Oregon

Nov 05, 2023
Photo of Hops_Monster
Reviewed by Hops_Monster from California

3.3/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured out of a bottle into a goblet glass. Beer is 1 Month old almost to the day. Not a great head, which soon evaporates to nothing. Nose is much like the taste. Hides the alcohol well, very sweet. I personally don't like IPA this sweet, but i'm not going to nock it because of my personal taste. Although the malt is very prominent it is also very bitter and dry. It is a great beer. Just be weary about the malt if you have the same taste I do.

solid 3.5/5
Oct 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.43 by AndyGG from California

Oct 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by MEnoMoney

Sep 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by jvgoor3786 from Arkansas

Sep 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.03 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Sep 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by TonyStarks2231 from New York

Sep 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.29 by ChaosUncaged from Illinois

Sep 12, 2023
Photo of TheAwkwardBanana
Rated by TheAwkwardBanana from Washington

3.66/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Malty and sweet, too sweet for me honestly. Almost reminds me of a hoppy malt liquor. Little to no alcohol burn, goes down easy. Not my favorite.
Sep 09, 2023
Photo of Grax
Reviewed by Grax from Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aroma is a reliable pine and stonefrui, flavor's a great follow-up. Body's a solid, no-complications bitter pine, stonefruit, and cantaloupe. This is straightforward and strong, a good everyday drinker.
Sep 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Wilkolaczek94 from Connecticut

Aug 18, 2023
Photo of MobBarley
Reviewed by MobBarley from Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Delicious and noteworthy for how well balanced is, as the brewery notes. Lovely deep golden color with a healthy, itinerant head. Pretty straightforward nose here dominated by hops. This also has powerful hop flavors that are craftily balanced with sweet bready malts. A little thin on the mouthfeel maybe. Really really tasty and gets right on top of you thanks to the well masked alcohol notes in the 9-percenter.
Aug 06, 2023
Maximus from Lagunitas Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 5886 ratings