Lounging Iguanas
Abita Brewing Co.

 

To me this could be described as a novelty IPA, i.e., a specific advertised taste target, in this case a pina colada. It might not match the ideal profile of a hazy IPA but it delivers on the advertised characteristics. First, it is barely hazy. I can easily see fine bubbles rising. The appearance is not classic "hazy" but it is a nice golden color, it has head of reasonable retention and it has a nice amount of lacing. The smell and taste are as advertised. I agree with previous reviewers that the coconut dominates the pineapple, but that works for me after drinking tons of IPAs with pineapple flavor. The mouthfeel is unexpectedly almost-creamy; somewhat heavier than I expected based on looks. I like this one. It is a nice change if you want something a little unusual in a hazy IPA.

Abita Brewing Co. "Lounging Iguanas"
12 fl. oz. can coded "21139 14:46"
$3.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, Nj

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a very hazy golden body beneath a massive head of bright white foam. The aroma clearly displays some coconut, and to a slightly lesser degree, pineapple, which is very nice. Is it real? Dare I even look at the label? It's got to be an extract, right? Apparently not! The label reads ""Piña Colada India Pale Ale with Pineapple & Coconut". Damn! I've got to give them points for that then. On to the taste... well it's not as exciting as the aroma might lead you to believe but both the pineapple and coconut remain, and it's nicely balanced with a very lightly sweet malt and firm bitterness. There's a slight background of orange but other than that I'm not finding any other tropical flavors which is OK, I guess, as they probably felt that that would have distracted from the focus on the Piña Colada thing. It's really well done in that sense, but at the same time I'm left looking for more. The first few sips were great but now I'm bored with it. Ahhh, I guess overall it's still pretty decent though. It's far from the most one-sided beer I've ever tasted, and a hell of a lot better than some of the budget beers I've sampled in Europe. Let's wrap it up then. The head retention was great and it left some very nice lacing throughout the entire glass. It was smooth and easy across the palate with a medium body and moderate carbonation. I'd give it another shot if I came across it but I wouldn't have two in a row.
Review #7,866

 

 

BOTTLE from a $10.99 USD sixer (that's a high price for Abita compared to most of their beers). Best by: 08/24/20.

"Hazy IPA." 6.5% ABV. Brewed with Citra and Cascade hops "with pineapple and toasted coconut." "Brewed with spring water."

The coconut really bursts out of the glass when you sip it, but the pineapple and hops are eclipsed by it. This doesn't play with Cascade as effectively as something like Sierra Nevada's pale ale does (whether we're talking pre or post the Magnum bittering addition) and it doesn't play with Citra as well as something like Kern River's Citra-hopped beers do. Lacks harmony of hop flavour; I expected a classic C-hopped IPA to have more synergistic hop flavours than this provides and the combination of the two varietals doesn't feel magical in the way that something like Mosaic and Citra tends to.

I guess they're trying to offer a beer for the pina colada drinker, but they don't really accomplish that inasmuch as the coconut is way more emphatic than the pineapple. Doesn't have the light-bodied effortlessly drinkable feel I'd hope for in a beer for the beach, but hey - Abita's squarely in swamp territory.

C / AVERAGE

***
07/12/20 another bottle from the sixer:

The fake coconut is surprisingly tolerable, but the hop profile is lacklustre and it's just too artificial throughout to recommend trying.

C / AVERAGE

Read the label.
If a Pina Colada flavored beer appeals to you then this is right up your alley.
Poured from a bottle into a Royal Gorge souvenir pint glass. Appearance is that of a New England style IPA. Hazy, dark yellow, white head that's moderately pillowy and leaves some moderate lacing.
Smells like a pina colada.
Taste: mild hop bitterness up front then the finish comes on strong. It's like someone melted a pina colada, mixed in a smidge of sun tan lotion and then blended that concoction with a mediocre New England IPA. Abita's website says this checks in at 50 IBU but I'm not sure where those units are hiding. Maybe behind all the coconut.
If I'd read the fine print in the upper left of the label I'd have seen the "pineapple & coconut added" then moved on to something I'd be more inclined to enjoy. I fully accept my responsibility in the regard that I wasn't sure what I was buying but my scores are reflective of my opinion of this beer relative to it's advertised style.
I don't ever want to drink this again, even if someone else is picking up that tab.

It pours a hazy golden color with a foamy white head. It has a tropical smell, pineapple and coconut. It is their take on a Pina Colada which to me is a good easy drink for the summer. It is a sweet yet mild tartness to it with mostly coconut flavor coming through. A nice and easy drinlk, it may not me someone's choice but ok for me.

 

 

My backlog of bottles is nearly depleted at this point, thanks to the quarantine. Frankly, I will not be at all saddened when the last bottle is emptied, rinsed & set out for recycling. This is one of a few odds & sods that have materialized as I redd up here at Chez Woody.

From the Bottle: "Limited Series"; "Hazy IPA"; "Ale with Pineapple & Coconut added"; "The beach is calling and we've got the answer with this hazy IPA. A juicy take on the popular Piña Colada, Lounging Iguanas combines Citra and Cascade hops with pineapple and toasted coconut to create a fruit forward IPA with tropical flavors and aromas."

Just as with the previous beer, I did some in-Bottle agitation before even Pop!ping the cap. Once it had been Pop!ped off, I went with a heavy-handed C-Line pour while continuing to agitate the bottle's contents as it flowed into the awaiting glass. I finally had to back down & off as it formed two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with excellent retention. Color was a murky, turbid Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose was redolent with the pineapple & coconut adjuncts & I just had to smile. I have spoken MANY times about the Tropical Fruit Life Savers rolls of yore, but this one REALLY made me think of those opaque white ones which were coconut. Most of my friends would trade theirs to me or just give them away, rather than wasting them. I love the smell & taste of coconut, even today & this beer smelled great! Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste was tough to quantify since it really did not taste like a beer, but as far as a Piña Colada? They had nailed it! I liked the way that the two flavors worked really well together since pineapple could have been overwhelming. Next, a check of this site's "Beer Styles" guide - this was all well within specs for the style. Finish was semi-sweet, not at all bitter (again, allowable in the style), with a lingering taste of coconut! Did they make this with me in mind? Wow. YMMV.

12oz bottle. Poured out a cloudy, golden orange color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled of coconut, pineapple and citrus. Overly sweet with very strong coconut taste.

 

 

 

 

 

L: Pours exceptionally hazy, one finger head. Fine, even lacing. Light in color.

S: Pineapple, coconut, and citrusy hops on the nose.

T: Definitely Piña Colada. Definitely IPA. I'm not a Piña Colada guy, but it's medium-bodied, hazy, and not bad. Fits into the category of "Read the bottle, if you like how it sounds, you will enjoy the liquid behind it." I'm fairly sure Abita is well-known for using additives in their brews. It's not daunting or overwhelming, it's not syrupy. It presents a flavor while maintaining a hazy ale profile (compared to liqueurs, anyway.

F: Smooth, coconut all the way down on the finish, with fruity aftertaste.

O: There are all kinds of IPAs. This one is a Piña Colada IPA. Pineapple sweetness offsets the hops while the coconut aids the finish. I like this more than Sierra Nevadas Hazy Little Thing, but not as much as Jacki-Os Lost Marbles.

 

From the neck of the bottle: "BEST BEFORE 08/25/19"

Appearance: The beer is mostly opaque with only a few shadows at the edges of the glass. The body has a beige-gold color and the head is white, fluffy, and large. The beer has excellent head retention and lacing.

Aroma: The beer smells like peaches, coconut, and pineapple.

Taste: The beer tastes like coconut that has just a light toast to it.

Mouthfeel: This has a light body, low bitterness, and very little texture. The aftertaste is a little more bitter than the beer mid-stride.

Overall: The beer label says this is an "ALE WITH PINEAPPLE & COCONUT ADDED." The aroma and flavor both highlight the coconut, but the pineapple only seemed to come out in the aroma of the beer. This is a departure from the standard New England IPA because it relies heavily on added flavors to make up the flavor and aroma profile. While there does seem to be some hop character to this beer, there doesn't seem to be much. As a whole this is an enjoyable beer and I would recommend it to those looking for a cocktail-like drink, but it is likely to leave New England IPA enthusiasts wanting more from the hops.