New DogTown Pale Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Company

a lagunitas great, and hey! a pale that is actually pale. this came up in the era where every pale ale was basically an amber, the blonde ones like this were really uncommon, and while it still has some malt heft, its drier than most and fully hop first. clear and well refined looking, over an inch of fluffy and pure white head atop a lighter than brass toned body, high carbonation is also apparent. nose of both piney and noble type spicy hops to me, bitter and fresh and woodsy and kind of old school northwestern, spruce, gin, grapefruit, beautiful with a simple pale malt profile, not sweet at all, but supportive, and the same not quite neutral ale yeast they seem to use for just about everything here. the flavor has great balance but is hops in front of grain, herbal and bright, bitter and snappy, fresh and crisping, lager texture to this when its caught right. great carbonation, subtle dried lemon zesty and white grapefruit pith, fast finishing, good weight, ipa adjacent, a sort of precursor. love everything about this, they should bring it back in 12 pack cans! a little old school, but not in the malty way, timeless!

 

 

 

355 ml bottle, from Ølkonsortiet, Aalborg. ABV not mentioned on the label. Deep golden colour, moderate but lasting white head. Lovely hoppy aroma, notes of tropical fruits, hints of orange marmalade. The flavour is distinctly hoppy throughout, but not too bitter. Notes of grapefruit and tropical fruits up front, pine needles in the aftertaste. Very good and moreish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From old, undated notes. Poured from a bottle.

Clear orange-yellow liquid; ample sediment.

Bright white head; nice lace.

Wheat bread & mild urine nose.

Thin mouthfeel.

Lager malt flavor up front, subtle grapefruit middle & a slight hop bite on the finish. Drinkable; bland.

 

A clear, amber ale with a one-finger white head that dissipated rather quickly. Nice amount of effervescence. A fresh fruity, malty aroma. The taste is hardy with a nice combination of sweet and bitter. I notice significant malt with pepper undertones. I really enjoyed this beer. Definitely in my top 15%!

 

 

 

 

It's a decent IPA but a little too pine forward me to really get into. Cheers! B-

July 27th, 2015 - New Dog Town looks a great deal like Sumpin' Sumpin', but it conceals a dramatically different flavor profile. For one, it's much happier and deeper on the nose, with a much sweeter depth to it. For another, the flavor has a lighter palate, and comes across as significantly sweeter, anchored in a brown sugar and cinnamon taste. More sipping shows off some grapefruit juice and strawberry too. It's a sweeter drink, and based on the beer descriptions I'm beginning to suspect I mixed up the Sumpin' and the New Dog Town. Hmm...

 

12 oz bottle into tulip. No date.
Look is fairly cloudy golden orange. Nose is hoppy light fruit. Taste is fruity front then grapefruit bite at end. Feel is light. Overall a good IPA but maybe not my style; wouldn't turn down.

 

 

 

 

Look: Somewhat dark yellow, lager-like clarity. Normal head.
Smell: Peach and papaya sweetness. There's something resinous, almost glue-y, a bit of citrus as well. Malt is somewhat there but rather undefined.
Taste: Relatively complex hops character: there's juicy tropical fruit, peach, resin, and grapefruit (both zest and pulp). Malt is a bit less than expected per style. With a bit more aggressive hoping, it could pass for an IPA.
Feel: Medium to light bodied, moderate carbonation. Finish is dry but not harsh. No alcohol warmth (let alone burn) detected.
Overall: not extraordinary, but very, very good. I will definitely repeat.

Nice taste. Just misses being great

The clear bright golden yellow colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 3/4” ivory head that recedes slowly to first become a cap of foam and then a thin irregular island on the surface and a ring around the glass while leaving a sheets and rings of lacing on the sides. Sipping creates a couple of arches of lacing with lots of patches and legs of lacing.

The aromas are mostly about the citric/grapefruit zest and resin from the hops against a background of light biscuity malt. There’s also a bit of floral character.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose and mostly about the hops with lots of grapefruit zest and resin showing. The biscuity malt sweetness and some light floral character remain in the background but sweetness is there and making it’s presence known. The bitterness is solidly present, smooth and nicely dry.

The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium bodied and prickly crisp from the carbonation. The finish begins as both the hop flavors and the light sweetness begin to fade to leave a solidly bitter, slightly floral and dry crisp ending.

I’ve found this an enjoyable beer and one that is quite drinkable. I’d certainly be willing to have another, either right now or in the future. On the whole, a good solid APA with lots of hop presence. That all said, this beer won’t be bumping some of my locally brewed favorites from my regular rotation.

This is a hoppy, strong pale ale that almost drinks like an IPA. If you like more bitter beers, but plan to enjoy a few (rather than just one or two), it's a fine choice.

(As always, I rate "look" for label/container design, not the look of the beer inside; I'm an artist and designer.)

Crisp and great bitterness. Usually after that sweetness is quite limited.
If you like prolong bitterness, this is it !

 

A: Pours a 2 finger head. Bright shiny crisp gold. A good amount of lacing. Beautiful.

S: Immediately get scents of sweet citrus, bitter grapefruit, and piney oily hops.

T: Initial sweetness is almost instantly taken over by grassy bitter hops. The bitterness takes center stage and has a prolonged bow out. Alcohol is hidden very well.

O: A bitter pale ale with some character. Would drink again, but not a go-to for me.

 

Not my favorite beer from Lagunitas.
The look is excellent. Cloudy golden color without a 4F head, with good head retention.

Mostly earthy aroma with some citrus.

Not much in the taste: emphasis on earthy citrus.

Nice finish, quite hoppy.

Overall, a good pale ale, but lacking strong citrus flavor.

 

Living in Chicago, Lagunitas is close and I like to try something different every time I go. So I haven't had New Dogtown in a long time so I had one. I hear this is one of there originals but the recipe has changed a bit. I know it's been reviewed a ton but heres one more. It has a clear pale amber color and after the initial pour settles it has just a slight off white foam then little or no carbonation off the bottom of the glass. It has a slight bread smell. The taste is a mild bitterness with a gummy or resinous feel but not in a bad way. And it finishes dry. Nice lacing. Of course having it at the brewery you know it fresh. A little different with the mouth feel and dry finish but I like it enough to take home a 6 pack. Nice.

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a bright, golden yellow color and a clear consistency. There was a massive, creamy, extremely long-lasting head. Excellent lacing.

S: A good aroma of hops, malt, citrus fruit, and pine resin.

T: Tasted of a decent shot of citrus fruit (grapefruit, in particular), some bready malt (most in the finish), lots of hops, a tinge of pine resin and some tropical fruit (mango). A very hop-centric flavor, but not overwhelmingly so. At first it seems like the hops dominate everything, but as you go along the fruit elements kick in and everything seems to work.

F: A solid amount of carbonation with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, this is a solidly made APA. Easy to drink and likable.