Lagunitas Maximus

[chazwicke]

This is one big IPA. With an IBU of 72.41 and alcohol at 7.5% I was expecting big and was not disappointed. It poured with a tight creamy head that dissipated to a nice Belgian lace and a cloudy copper colored beer. A very strong hops nose that smells of grassy, citrussy pine. The hops are the first thing that you taste and that taste lingers. The alchohol is fairly concealed but is detectable. There is also enough malt to keep the hops slightly in check and enough so it is not just hops that you taste. Almost but not just. The hop taste that lingers on my tongue is complemented by a sweetness. But mostly hops. I would like to say this is more balanced than some uber hopped beers but it is not. It is not quite the all out hop assualt of some I have tasted but I do wish there was just a bit more malt and this would be a better beer. To be fair I am drinking it straight out of the fridge and if left to warm a bit the malt would probably be a more pronounced and so would the alcohol. It comes in a bomber so maybe I'll let the 2nd half warm up a bit. Give me an Alpha King anyday.

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by chazwicke
It is not quite the all out hop assualt of some I have tasted but I do wish there was just a bit more malt and this would be a better beer.

well its for hopheads thats for sure!
a good west coast ipa (maximus is probably closer to a double ipa) with a nice malt balance , yet still hoppy enough to make you say "Damn!" might i suggest ballast points big eye ipa?
btw , where the hell did you get lagunitas on the east coast? or are you visiting us on the west here?

[Stodbrew]

Lagunitas generally makes some really great beers. I'm not sure if I've tried this one or not.

[Tweek]

Originally posted by hopjack13
well its for hopheads thats for sure!
a good west coast ipa

You said it man. I think the IPAs we have here on the west coast make the rest of the countries IPAs look like malt driven little weaklings.



Flame on.

[hopjack13]

ditto! it's those northwest hops my man!

[Stodbrew]

Couldn't agree more! :D

[Beaver]

Avery's IPA was just as good as any West coast IPA I've had. I'd like to sample their Eleven soon...from what I've head that is supposed to be a hop monster. :)

[steveh]

Originally posted by Tweek
You said it man. I think the IPAs we have here on the west coast make the rest of the countries IPAs look like malt driven little weaklings.

Flame on.

I think it's time for you boys to try a 3 Floyds Dreadnaught. Perhaps even from cask.

It's clobberin' time.

S.

[chazwicke]

Yards makes a pretty good one too.

We can get several Lagunitas beers here. I got it at Whole Foods. I would not think of sneaking to your area without letting you know Hopjack. I'd love to quaff a few pints with you.

[Tweek]

Originally posted by steveh
I think it's time for you boys to try a 3 Floyds Dreadnaught. Perhaps even from cask.

It's clobberin' time.

S.

thems is fightin words! just tell me when you want my address and Ill be the judge of that! :D

[steveh]

Originally posted by Tweek
thems is fightin words! just tell me when you want my address and Ill be the judge of that! :D

Heh heh heh - I figured if you could quote Johnny Storm, I could quote Ben Grimm!

S.

[lubricated]

If hopdevil and eastcoast IPA is considered some kind of pinacle, then eastcoast are weak on the hops.

[steveh]

Originally posted by lubricated
If hopdevil and eastcoast IPA is considered some kind of pinacle, then eastcoast are weak on the hops.

Go midwest... Dread - Naught! ;)

'Course, that Dominion Spring Brew ain't no slouch in the hops department either. Just not Cascade, or Chinook, or Willamette...

S.

[chazwicke]

We on the right coast prefer to have all bases covered. Not just extreme beers. Finesse is key!:D

[lubricated]

but with dread naught we enter the imperial ipa category. Different category altogether. Can't comment though cuz I haven't had it. Though I enjoyed i2pa more than 90 min. Again the east coast 90-min was less hoppy.

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I would not think of sneaking to your area without letting you know Hopjack. I'd love to quaff a few pints with you.
copy that good buddy, when you get out this way give me a shout! i know of some great beer places....nothing like the brickseller (sp?) but still up to par!


I think it's time for you boys to try a 3 Floyds Dreadnaught. Perhaps even from cask.
i've had the thee floyd's dn ipa, tis an excellent beer...a real hop monster for sure, but afa as east vs. west three floyds seems to be the exception, although i have yet to try the hopwallop.
soon though very soon ;)

[chazwicke]

The Brickskeller is a fun place with an amazing selection of bottled beer. It has played a BIG part in my quest for good beer. It was there in 1976 that I began my quest in earnest. The only problem with the Bricks is that it does not often have draught beer. They do have casks sometime and the special odd draught but they really specialize in bottles. The new RFD owned and run by the same family has a good selection of taps. DC and environs are a pretty beer friendly place.

[Theakston]

Originally posted by lubricated
If hopdevil and eastcoast IPA is considered some kind of pinacle, then eastcoast are weak on the hops.

Well the East coast won the Lupulin smackdown at RFD!
I think it was the Dogfish head 90 / 120 minutes thru the Randal that finally had the judges crying for mercy.:eek:

Victory also produced a "Hop Wallop" that was much more hoppy than the devil.

So the East Coast can go hophead crazy if they want to. They just don't go hophead crazy quite as often.

[lubricated]

Originally posted by Theakston
Well the East coast won the Lupulin smackdown at RFD!
I think it was the Dogfish head 90 / 120 minutes thru the Randal that finally had the judges crying for mercy.:eek:

Wasn't the luplin slam in DC(on the east coast)?
Didn't dgh win only because they made that impractical device to hop right before serving.

So the East Coast can go hophead crazy if they want to. They just don't go hophead crazy quite as often.

What I'm saying is that East Coast IPA's skimp on the hops. I'm not talking Imperial IPA's. I really haven't had enough of these to make a general statement about of east vs. west. It is a relatively new style. Besides none of them could be session beers whereas a normal strength IPA is definetly a session beer.

Compare West coast IPA's
Stone IPA
Bridgeport IPA
Rogue Brutal Bitter(yes it's an IPA depite the name)

East coast
DFH 60 min
Victory Hopdevil

The east coast ones should just reclasify themselves as British IPA's or maybe old ale.

No reason to get defensive, you east coast guys just happen to like hops as much, thus your IPA's are weaker.

Imperial IPA's aren't meant to be drank pint after pint, in fact I'm not sure it's even possible.

Recently on my trip to portland, I went to the horsebrass which was the only american pub recognized by CAMRA. Half of the beers are IPA's. That's pretty normal around here. Beer=IPA and the IPA is the basis for which the whole brewery is judged on.
When describing a brewpub the first sentance is usually.
"They have a really good IPA" or
"Their IPA wasn't so good, but some of their other beers are worth a try"
"The IPA over there is quite nice a real earthy quality, it's worth trying"

and if you don't start of with that someone will say. "How was their IPA". This here is IPA country and there isn't a single craft brewery that doesn't make one. If they don't make one it probably isn't a craft brewery.

The PNW is to American IPA as what Germany is to lagers and Belgium is to Belgian beer. They were invented in the PNW in Yakima by Bert Grant.

[lubricated]

note about Imperial IPA's.

They don't really do it for me. For example this Lagunitas Maximus.

7.5% abv and 75IBU. So we can probably infer an OG of 1.075 or thereabouts. Basically a BU:GU ratio of 1:1. While these Imp. IPA's are big on hop flavor they really skimp on bitterness. I really can't taste it. I've had IPA's with 50 IBU and 5%. The bitterness should taste approximetly the same in both beers. It's the gravity to IBU ratio that matters. A beer that promises hops and delivers in the flavor and aroma department shouldn't wimp out in the bitter department. 100IBU's should be the minimum for an imperial IPA and with todays High Alpha hop varieties(Y. Magnum, Chinook, Warior, Zeus, Simcoe) there isn't any excuse.
To me most of them taste sweet at the back of the tongue and not bitter.

[hopjack13]

all this ipa talk is making me thirsty! a fave with a nice round maltyness of mine (and nobody has mentioned thus far) is the ruination from stone! also i liked the alpha king too, but isn't sold out this way. the alesmith makes a damn fine ipa as well. alpine brewing out of alpine ca has an excellent ipa called pure hoppieness, my absolute fave! also the exponetial hoppieness is good too.

[steveh]

Originally posted by lubricated
but with dread naught we enter the imperial ipa category. Different category altogether...

Geez, I didn't realize hopheads were such a nit-picky lot. Okay then, Alpha King! ;)

S.

[chazwicke]

I'm afraid they are limiting themselves to one or two hoppy styles. IPA and Imperial IPA. What a shame to miss out on a well balanced or subtle brew. Again I think a ltlle finesse is a nice change from an all out assault beer. But then again, there is Dreadnaught . :D

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by lubricated
note about Imperial IPA's.

They don't really do it for me. For example this Lagunitas Maximus.

7.5% abv and 75IBU. So we can probably infer an OG of 1.075 or thereabouts. Basically a BU:GU ratio of 1:1. While these Imp. IPA's are big on hop flavor they really skimp on bitterness. I really can't taste it. I've had IPA's with 50 IBU and 5%. The bitterness should taste approximetly the same in both beers. It's the gravity to IBU ratio that matters. A beer that promises hops and delivers in the flavor and aroma department shouldn't wimp out in the bitter department. 100IBU's should be the minimum for an imperial IPA and with todays High Alpha hop varieties(Y. Magnum, Chinook, Warior, Zeus, Simcoe) there isn't any excuse.
To me most of them taste sweet at the back of the tongue and not bitter.

You were nearly right on about the OG It is 1.080. I was getting ready to pitch the bottle and noticed the OG on the label.

[hopjack13]

Originally posted by steveh
Geez, I didn't realize hopheads were such a nit-picky lot. Okay then, Alpha King! ;)

S.
not this hophead i'll take all the hops i can get!
it's nice to have a malt balance too, but i think it's a weather thing?when it's cold i like malty & high abv brews, imperial stouts, scotch ales/skullsplitters ect.
but when its hot out (it's almost 90 degrees out now) i like a lighter bodied brew with hops galore! less malt.

[Beaver]

The Maximus pours a cloudy copper-orange with some big floaties in it (tons in the second half of the bomber pour). It has a big pillowy off-white head that has great retention and lacing.

Its aroma is piney, floral hops with some citrus notes and some light malt. Not as strong smelling as I would expect.

Its flavor is strong on the hops (spicy, piney and resiny) with a pretty strong bitter taste throughout. It has some sweet and citrusy malt initially. At first the hops dominated, then the sweetness became a little cloying, but as it warmed it balanced out fairly nicely. The mouthfeel is a little thinner than I expected, with a sticky lingering bitterness.

Overall, this is a nice solid DIPA.

[chazwicke]

Uh oh, Your gonna start the whole Right coast / Left coast thing again. ! Your review sounds very similiar to mine when I started this thread. I'm voting for the Mid West because of my favorite brewery Three Floyds. Makers of the EXCELLENT Alpha King, Dreadnaught and Gumballhead. A home run with each!

[hopjack13]

Best coast / Least coast :p

[Beaver]

East coast vs West coast is all moot. After all, everyone knows that Colorado has the best beers! :D

[chazwicke]

England has the best beers!:D

[steveh]

Am I gonna have to moderate you guys? ;)

S.

[the4th]

Back to the topic at hand....

I didn't find the Lagunitas Maximus to be very maximus at all. It was hoppy with a good malty backbone, but it wasn't "all that."

I will admit that I do prefer well hopped American Pale or Golden Ales to IPA's, but this was ok. I much preferred the Arrogant Bastard (which wasn't arrogant at all). Amusing, playful, perhaps a bit snobby, but far from arrogant. Perhaps the arrogance is the pretentiousness that they are more than they really are. ;)