StereoHopic Vol. 1
Lagunitas Brewing Company

RB transfer

 

not my favorite in this series, i had higher hopes that the nelson would sing a little more, but this is another characteristic lagunitas beer i every respect, including being another mosaic forward type that could be a pale or an ipa depending on the eye of the beholder. its good beer of course, hoppy, clean enough, objectively well made, but i thought this series was going to get a little more exotic right off the bat. this sort of plays in that luponic space from firestone, rotating hops, pairs in this case, but the mosaic outcompetes the nelson to my palate, still tasty. brass colored beer, not quite all the way clear, and an average soapy white head on top, looks like a whole lot of others these guys do. the nose is fresh pineapple, a little of that catty thing, subtle kiwi fruit, green strawberry, and honeydew, some generic hop greenness, and a touch of something metallic before the familiar lagunitas ale yeast, some minerals, a little biscuit and toasted grain thing, more heft than it needs. the flavor is similar but less clean and dynamic on the hop side, bitter most of the way, malty too for being pale like this, and i dont think it benefits by being over 7% abv, i think like a 6.5% abv or thereabouts would flatter the hops more, its not grainy or heavy per se, but its a little bigger without any real purpose. good carbonation, some oily slickness to it, more greenness and an almost grassy thing than anticipated from these two varietals, and it almost seems like freshness is an issue right from the start. this is good beer, but its a little generic overall, and while i can still appreciate the nelson, i want a lot more of it in this. not exactly starting the series with a lot of intrigue, but fully serviceable, if a lot like a bunch of other lagunitas beers over the years...

 

 

 

Dark and clear amber brew with plenty of foam in the New Belgium snifter. Tastes of Bing cherries and peach with a hint of cucumber. Less citrus-flavored than so many IPAs lately, but there's a hint of tangerine in the aroma. Some melon and peach fragrance as well.

Lively carbonation with a substantial body. Overall this is quite flavorful with a big dose of dark fruit. Not very bitter, but a dose of sharp fruity astringency. From the 12 oz bottle purchased on the West Coast. The date code is meant to confuse, but the first three numbers are the day of the year. In my case 343 is Dec. 9, as we're assuming it's 2021.

 

 

 

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1+ finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a thin cap; nice lacing;

S: floral;

T: garlic and floral from start to finish; moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: not at all what I expected from this hop combination, but it's interesting;

Lagunitas Brewing Company "StereoHopic Vol. 1"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle coded "033 1 2 5067 0511" (whatever that means!)
$2.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: This beer combines Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin hops. I love Mosaic but I'm not so fond of Nelson Sauvin so we'll see, although I won't let that affect my judgement. It's poured a lightly hazy golden body beneath a short cap of white foam. I can smell the Nelson Sauvin but not the Mosaics. Of course who knows how old this beer is given the ridiculous coding system they now use. Overall it smells good, there's some nice bready malt to it, and it's tropical/citrusy with some stone fruit, a bit of melon, and a hint of "dankness". I think there's a little bit of berry in there too which is probably coming from the Mosaic. It's not a real strong aroma, but it doesn't seem to be oxidized yet. The flavor reveals pretty much what the aroma suggested with some added floral, herbal, earthy, and piney notes, particularly in the finish. Again, it's not super hoppy but that's cool; I'm just wondering if it is old. There's a nice balance of bready, sweetish malt and smooth bitterness. Anyway, the head didn't hold up too well, and the lacing is just about average. In the mouth it's medium bodied with a gentle crispness that leaves it smooth in the finish. I personally like this beer a lot, and I'd certainly go for it again if they ever re-release it.
Review #7,346

 

Nice bright gold with a decent pure-white bubbling head. A fairly high level of carbonation. Mosaic beats Nelson to the taste punch, as flavor was predominantly berries and pine. With the double hop approach, I expected more differentiation and complexity. Instead, a pretty simple, straightforward, dank and refreshing IPA.

 

 

Bottle. Clear golden color. White head with lace.

A really nice ipa from lagunitas. Pine and some fruit notes. A bit of citrus mixed in. Nice level of bitterness. Very flavorful and easy drinking.

Pours a clear golden color with a big white bubbly head which stick around. Pine, grassy, hoppy nose and taste. Additionally some tropical fruit notes of berries.