Brown Shugga'
Lagunitas Brewing Company

Brown Shugga'Brown Shugga'
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Lagunitas Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #86
ABV:
10%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,073
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 11.17%
Reviews:
1,685
Ratings:
6,036
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 17, 2024
Added:
Dec 13, 2001
Wants:
  316
Gots:
  1,481
IBU 51.1
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by siege06nd:
Photo of siege06nd
Reviewed by siege06nd from Virginia

3.69/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Bill for letting me bum a bottle off of him. Poured into my Sweetwater standard pint glass...

A. This revered beverage pours a moderately hazy, caramel amber color. Lacing is about a quarter finger of slightly offwhite stuff that deposits some speckled lacing across the glass.

S. Quite a bit going on. Piney and citrusy hops balanced almost perfectly by caramel, nutty, and fruity malt. It all rolls up into a bread, hoppy bouquet that is near perfectly balanced. Really nice candied fruit notes, but the unmistakeable spice and zest of the hops reigns supreme. An interesting and tantalizing nose on this beer.

T. Very hop forward, with waves of the citrusy, piney, herbal stuff hitting first. While assertive and straightforward, the hops retain a lightness and buoyancy that keep them from being overwhelming. Present behind all the spicy zest is a light, nutty fruitiness. Mostly stone fruits, this provides a counter balancing sweetness and an interesting counter melody to what is mostly brash, bitter hopping. The finish is all booze...bitter, hot and not altogether pleasant. Would be interesting to see how this one settles down over a year or two.

M. Carbonation is fairly heavy for the style...the spritziness of the beer covers the flavors slightly, to my disappointment. Otherwise, it is a blast of hops, sweet malts, and booziness. I couldn't imagine having more than one of these in a sitting, it's just too polarizing.

O. A solid beer, but not one I would seek out again and again. Out of a fresh bottle, it is bitter, juicy, sweet, hoppy, and boozy. While these characteristics are fairly well integrated, the boldness of the flavors kinda knocks you back on your feet. I think age would do this one well, helping to refine some of the brashness that is apparent when it's fresh. Solid and certainly worth a try, but not a repeat visit for me.
Nov 25, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.69 by Danzifer from Ohio

Feb 17, 2024
 
Rated: 3.94 by h4ger from Connecticut

Dec 03, 2023
Photo of weseaststream
Rated by weseaststream from Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
rich with enough bite to be interesting
Aug 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by rpmello81 from California

Mar 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.61 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Jan 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by trdant from Missouri

Dec 30, 2022
Photo of DrOfGolf
Reviewed by DrOfGolf from Delaware

3.58/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Local beer store had this as a single and I took a chance. First of all, I couldn't find any dates or date codes anywhere on the bottle.

Poured cloudy brownish color with a tan head. The smell is sweet and almost of a maple syrup. The flavor is sweet and has a warmth boozie feel. A decent beer, if you like sweetness in your beers. Not my kind of beer but hey, it was a one off shot.
Aug 08, 2022
 
Rated: 4.1 by Sinister from New York

Jul 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.15 by cold_beer

May 06, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by vickersspitfire from Texas

Mar 11, 2022
Photo of izraelc
Reviewed by izraelc from New York

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy amber. Thick foam. Malty aroma. Big flavors. Bitter hop body followed my syrupy malt sweetness. Light brown sugar finish. You can taste the alcohol. Complex but well balanced. An excellent strong ale.
Mar 05, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by ryand14 from Michigan

Feb 14, 2022
 
Rated: 4.16 by mikerieder from South Dakota

Dec 05, 2021
 
Rated: 3.94 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Nov 21, 2021
 
Rated: 3.65 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Oct 14, 2021
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle

One of my old favorites, this is a big boozy sugary drink with a decent scent and look, and dangerous drinkability. I used to get sixers of this for $8 back in college, and many a blurry night were spent in its embrace
Jul 31, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by Burg from New Hampshire

May 05, 2021
 
Rated: 2 by jeschaefer from Texas

Apr 18, 2021
 
Rated: 3.69 by Myboymi from Kansas

Mar 08, 2021
Brown Shugga' from Lagunitas Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 6036 ratings