That Lagunitas "tropical" flavor

I feel the same way about Lagunitas. It's not that I dislike their signature taste, but it's not something I want in every beer I have. I think Sierra Nevada is similar, but their signature is a little less sweet/malty. I get this with most of Victory's lineup as well. All great companies, but very rarely will I have multiple different beers by them in my fridge.

 

Long Trail has a common thread across all their beers that makes most of them undrinkable. I always imagined it as the yeast, but I'm not well versed on yeast so I could be wrong.

I like that Lagunitas flavor that crosses over their brews

 

For those with discriminating palates that have been drinking Lagunitas for longer than I: Has this signature flavor always been present or has it become more pronounced over time? I didn't notice it years back, but it may just be that my recognition of it arose from increased exposure.

 

Sadly around here it is very hard to find fresh Laugunitas stuff. Almost always old and dusty. Never really sure if what I am tasting is what it tastes like fresh....

 

I started a thread a few months ago wondering the same thing. Although I don't get a "tropical" flavor. I think the person who said it is the yeast is correct. I've since sort of acquired a taste for it. It seems most prominent in Hop Stoopid and Maximus.

 

All Lagunitas beers taste the same is the ongoing joke, and to be honest, I agree. I was super excited to try Sucks for the first time, and then I realized it tasted like the other beers I tried from them. They remind me of a formulaic rock band that has the same sound in every album, but they write great hooks, so you love every song.

Let me say this -- I ordered a largemouth mason glass from Lagunitas, and when I opened the box, they gave me refrigerator magnets, bumper stickers, coasters, and a hand-written "thank you" (even wrote my name) ... that means a whole hell of a lot to me. I will always, always support this brewery because you can tell they care. They are huge, they don't need to do this. Oh, and their price point is incredible!!! Yes, I am a big fan. If their flaw is their formulaic style, I could not care less, because at least it's good.

 

Theres no way its the hops guys. none of their core beers use hops that people would attribute to tropical flavors.

As superspak said,

 

Why would you want Lagunitas to "branch out?" What they do is phenomenally good and has a signature that they only produce. There are plenty other brewers out there to supply you with other flavors. I hope they never change.

 

I've tried many of their beers and don't taste much difference between them, but I do tatse enough that I can like one more than the other. For example, I enjoy Sumpin' Sumpjn' but not really Sucks.

 

i was so sure you were going to say you opened the box & .... everything inside had that same ole' Lagunitas aroma & flavor all over it.

anyway on all points i agree just wish they were a bit more diverse. DfH is another brewery i generally can identify as soon as the lid comes off a bottle. my interest in their product suffers because of it too.

 

nobody said stop doing what they already do, so what's wrong with them branching out further? i'd say if there's something wrong with some of us suggesting they branch out -- there's equally something wrong with someone sounding so opposed to the suggestion or possibility.

 

I wouldnt say either thing is wrong to think or say. Though, I personally love a brewery that focuses on what they are good at. I don't need every style from every brewery, in fact that would over saturate the market with subpar beers. My least favorite thing is to see a new brewery making every common style instead of doing what they do well.

 

The only brewery I know that has a flavor I don't like is Speakeasy. All their beers have this funny aftertaste to me that I think comes from their house yeast. I get a bit of the tropical from Lagunitas, but honestly I enjoy it. It doesn't come through much in their non-IPA/pale beers so it works fine for me.

 

^^^^^

It's almost always the yeast and esters--certainly the other ingredients to an extent and different styles (i.e. their hoppy beers) will accentuate that, but that "signature" you speak of (IMO) is yeast related.

Wicked Weed in Asheville is another that has a unique tastesand nose that I pick up off the bat.

Love them both.

 

This seems odd to me. They scratch the same itch for me, more or less. I'm not sure i could even decide which one i prefer. But i can certainly discern the differences between them!

 

All of the bigger craft breweries have a house flavor in my opinion. Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, and Lagunitas each have very distinct flavor in most but not all of their brews.

 

This is a really interesting thread - because I thought the same thing, but couldn't put my finger on it. They do have a similar thread in many of their beers, which I also agree is tropical. I think it is a couple of things. Their primary offerings are hoppy beers including 3 regularly available DIPA's, plus an IPA, session IPA, a wheat that drinks like an IPA, and even their barleywine, and strong ales are very well hopped. Since they don't have too many sweet maltier offerings like a porter, a milk stout, a witbier, etc. - you are not going to get major departure of flavor profile from their most popular offerings. So you are naturally going to pick up on similarities in such similar styles. With that said I do agree there is a noticeable similarity that goes beyond similar styles that I agree seems to be their house yeast. I personally love it. The tropical notes in Night-time are so wonderful, which I rarely get in a Black IPA and I think it works so well. Even with all the coffee, burnt malt I get that signature tropical, fruity hoppiness.

Another Brewery I get this from - much more than Lagunitas - is Deschutes. It is a fruity, not tropical but a stone fruit(?) type of fruitiness that I really get with all their hoppy offerings and even in some of the malty stuff, particularly their Jubelale. I know it is a different brewery - but same topic, right? Anyone get a very distinct flavor from Deschutes? I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

I had never really considered that a "tropical" IPA would ever be seen as a bad thing. And if it is, someone ought to tell that to Sculpin's rating.

 

I'm sure we're all thinking of the same flavor, but I'm another one of those that would not describe it as tropical...it's really not a fruity taste to me at all, just sweet.

 

Whatever it is, it's good.