HotSide Sour Mashed Daytime
Lagunitas Brewing Company

wrongly listed as a wild ale here. one of the early lagunitas sours, a riff on daytime back when it was a glorious session ipa, one of the best, not a soulless low calorie abomination, so this one started from a great place. i like the sour mash, lactic and tangy without being overly acidic, and its really clean, natural lemon to it which is brilliant with the hops, citra mostly i believe, so juicy and fresh, this is subtly complex, definitely mouthwatering, and still has that familiar lagunitas fermentation profile, even though its also sour, way cool. the flavor rules, meyer lemon and lemongrass, the citra and lacto together is great, simple malt base, lightly crackery, maybe some pils in this, subtle green gooseberry, tangerine, and tart yellow plum notes here too. great carbonation, dry to finish and light bodied, but with a surprising amount of lingering hop bitterness, unexpected but agreeable, keeps this ipa-esque which is cool. a little ahead of its time overall i think, a whole wave of dry hopped kettle type sours followed this a few years later, but this was one of the first, certainly from a big brewer. really well proportioned and not too sour to also be crushable! nice. they should run this back, but definitely with original daytime...

 

On tap at Trappeze. From note. Reviewed 31 October 2015.
4/4/4.25/4.75/4.5
Clear yellow. Smells hoppy and slightly lactic. Tastes crisp and lemony and forresty and perfect. Incredibly refreshing and drinkable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In an attempt to build maximum complexity and effortless drinkability, Lagunitas runs their session pale ale through a sour mash ringer for the bitter taste of hops and the sour tang of lactic fermentation.

Brightly of gold and a hint of haze, the turbulent ale pours with a racing stream of carbonation and a fluffy, arid from structure. Bright and tangy aromas leap right out with the sharp citrusy scent of lemon, grapefruit and under-ripened orange. Lightly biscuity, caramelized and toasted, the malts are supple and lay a thin foundation of sweetness.

The middle palate is a curious citrus lead soon after the bready malt sweetness dissolves. The dry tanginess of lemon and lime couple with the normal hop flavors of bitter white grapefruit and juicy orange peel. But when the premiere hop bitterness is expected, the piquant sourness of crabapple, lemon and lime step in instead. With a finish of burlap and vinous white wine, the ale takes a drastic turn from the session pale ale and toward a berlinerweiss in closure.

Incredibly dry and effervescent, its light and peppery finish fulfills its effortless promises as the beer is highly refreshing, crisp and clean on the palate. Its afterglow of caramel and biscuit brings the beer full circle. Oddly enough, as its sourness replaced bitterness and the finish is more caramlized than its upstart, the ale somehow tastes backwards.

 

I enjoyed this on tap at Champps. A golden brew with a finger of soapy head. Nice retention and lacing. The aroma is herbal and mild hops. A bit of apricot too. The flavor brought out even more of the apricot, which was nice. It is pleasantly sour on the backend. Not over the top sour by any means. Just nice and refreshing. Something I'd give to someone not that into sours. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side, with moderate carbonation. Overall, I really enjoyed this brew. I'd buy bottles of this from Lagunitas or Heineken.

 

Appearance -slightly dark gold in color. Smell - smells like an IPA with pine but also fruit like pineapple. Taste - slight sour taste with an IPA background. Overall - it's alright, wish it was more sour though.

 

Pours clear, gold, with moderate carbonation and no head. Taste is pineapple, mango, pine, and sour mix. Nice fusion between an IPA and a sour ale. A sipper, that is different. Really liking Lagunitas's one hitter and one off beers. This is no exception. Great sessionable hoppy beer.