Why we picked it: Purely a selfish reason. I wanted lil' brown sugga' and a beer with a high alcohol content on my birthday. Happy Birthday to Me!
About Brown Shugga': Brown Sugga'...How Come you Taste So Good?? Boatloads of Pure Brown Sugar in Each Batch, That’s How! The Rich, Roasty and Mysteriously Drinkable Ale might best be described as... Irresponsible. It Leaves a Lot of Stories in it’s Wake.
Brown Shugga was originally a failed attempt to make our Olde GnarlyWine Ale way back in 1997. Boatloads of Brown Sugar were added to the boil in an attempt to rescue the batch. The result was quite different from the Olde GnarlyWine we were looking for, but the Accidental Release of Brown Shugga that year was the beginning of an annual rampage caused by a beer that follows no style guidelines and can best be described as.... Irresponsible. Cheers!
Say "LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS"
IBU: 51.1
ABV: 9.9%
Case cost: $35
*web site: http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/brownshugga.html
Ho, Ho, NO!
ReplyDeleteIn the past I liked Lagunitas's beer but this one to me was all over the place in flavor, too much spices bitterness from the hops too sweet, ginger… the all thing is not very well balance and the finish is bitter and sharp. Extremely disappointed with beer will never buy that beer unless they change the recipe! Rated 2.8/10
9.9, Right up joe's alley. And good news for tony too, I predict he'll get to have 2 of these, which equates to 5 miller lites, and night night b-day boy. As for the beer itself, there is a lot going on, but the carckers and cheese I'm eating helped. Otherwise, doubful I'd partake in another, unless you asked nicely, paid for it, or were alarmingly attractive - in which case, drink up!
ReplyDeleteNothing like a 9.9% beer for a Monday night. Another reason this whole 24 days of beer is a good thing. So I reminded Ro that we had a 9.9% beer in our future right after she finished off a half glass of wine. She poured 1/4 of her beer in a glass, took one sip and said that was quite enough. Her quote was "too barley-wine-ish and I'm never going to have this again." I started to grab her glass and she grabbed it back and said that she would indeed be finishing the glass. So it can't be that bad.
ReplyDeletePersonally I find it pretty tasty. Does remind me of some of the more potent barley wines I've had such as Bigfoot, Brooklyn Monster, or 95% of all beers produced by Dogfish in that I can definitely tell that I am drinking a high-octane booze drink. But I do like it and I plan on experimenting by seeing what 1 and 3/4 of these will do on an empty stomach on a Monday night. Anything I post on this blog after 8:30 should be ignored and I apologize in advance for anyone who may be offended.
A couple of additional thoughts. $35 for a case is highway robbery. Talk about value. And is that the real pronounciation? I've always said LAH-GOO-NIGH-TUSS. As in rhymes with Johnny Unitas. I will correct my behavior going forward so the hipster bartenders don't look down on me. Oh, who am I kidding, there is no chance the hipster bartenders won't look down on me no matter what I do or say. I'm a 40 year old guy who lives in the suburbs with a wife and two kids.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, this post may indicate that the beer does indeed have a high alcohol content...
Hipster bartenders probably have been laughing quietly at you for years over that pronunciation. Even I knew it was KNEE.
DeleteYUCK. I'll try to trade Ivan for another beer. Happy Birthday Tony and Bolter!!!
ReplyDeleteReally Amy? You've got one set of friends who share a birthday and you miss him altogether?
DeleteAlright, I just realized that I used the term "highway robbery" to mean exactly the opposite of what I meant. $35 for a case of Miller Lite is highway robbery. $35 for a case of LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS is just outstanding.
ReplyDeleteI'm drunk.
Santa stumble I bought a case of Miller Lite in the bar. $126. I think I do it each year just so I can say how much it cost and boast proudly at being a big-shot for one brief moment.
DeleteHorrible first taste but the second taste went down better but third taste was horrible and so on. At least it is high in octane.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the kick. It punches you in the mouth right away. Good for MNF
ReplyDeleteWow -- when they say "sweet release" they aren't lying! I can hardly wait to brush my teeth...
ReplyDeleteA spoon full of sugar.
ReplyDeleteEeeh...it ain't too bad, but not lovin it. I'm glad I can say that I had a brown shugga ale. If there was a bucket of miller lite with one shugga mixed in...I would certainly greedily dive for this Beer!!! Wouldn't go out lookin for this one though. Do appreciate the ABV though.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday...BTW
ReplyDeleteI saw the ABV and ate first this time. Then the first sip was akward, not what I expected and didn't know what I was tasting. Had another and it tasted better and I started to enjoy it; then another taste and it tasted better. And each sip tasted better and better until you finish the beer and you are really buzzed and want another. Damn this was good!! I couldn't figure this beer out b/c it tasted different each sip but it enticed me all the way to the last drop. Mind you this is exactly what happened when you go to a bar (single of course) and you notice a girl that your friends may say there is better but the more you drink the more you like her; you can't put your finger on it but as the night goes on you like her more and more until the places closes down and you realize its the alcohol all along.
ReplyDeleteThis beer tastes great with beer googles on
Rating 8.3
Like everyone else Happy Bday Tony and in 3.4 hrs Bolter!! Great beer selection for your bday Tony - I certainly approve!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Tony and good choice of beer. This beer could be classified as two things a session beer or a night full of bad choices. I say a night full of bad choices because of the 9.9% AlC and more than 4 of these and things could get interesting. I feel like a few of these and the females in the group could break rule number 1 (see previous comment under Ellie's beer). Overall a great beer with a great taste. 9 out of 10
ReplyDeleteThis beer is really good. A little too good, if you ask me. 9.9% ABV? Hell with that. I'd rather have 8 Miller Lites than three of these, which would pretty much be the equivalent.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice for a birthday beer, though. Even though the name is vaguely racist.
Jus treading this post- man thats funny. I love Dave's ability to identify racism. Its a gift.
DeleteI need Matt Schaub to throw about 300 yds and 3 TDS in the second half to keep one of my fantasy seasons alive... in other words, I might as well get drunk. So I started the night with a scotch and water, followed by a tasty 8 percent ABV holiday beer and now we are getting to this. Normally having that much alcohol beforehand decreases my standards and taste (and not just for beer). But even with the warm-up, I really couldn't get over all of the sweetness on the front end. I like other LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS - Lil Sumpin' Sumpin' and Day Time are particularly good - and I appreciate the ABV and the rich and roasty make it more tolerable, but I just cant get over the shugga. Grade: 5.5
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that I am drunk enough to understand Bill's posts.
I thought this beer tasted less sweet with each sip. But, nevertheless, I didn't really mind the sweetness. I would be worried about the alcohol content if I was having more than one. I agree with a previous post that it reminds me of some of the Dogfish beers that sneak up on me.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Tony!
Damn that's good. I worked until 11 and then decided that was the right time to start tasting my half of this 9.9% entry. LOVED the first sip. I liked the sweet, Justin liked the hops. I drank it possibly too quickly, in reaction to the CONFERENCE CALL I was on until now, and boy that hit me hard but good (I can't even insert a joke here because it would be offensive). The holiday classic "Die Hard" is on and I'm finding it hilarious and not at all xenophobic (wait, is that Snape?). I want another. But I don't have one. On to the New Belgium Snowy Day.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of being on the same CONFERENCE CALL that Kris was on until 11:00. Fortunately, I didn't have to share anything with Justin. I thoroughly enjoyed all 9.9% of this beer while watching last night's episode of "Homeland". The show may have jumped the shark last week, but I still find it fairly compelling. However, Brody is really starting to make me angry. Who leaves a normal, hot wife for a raving lunatic CIA analyst who is also hot, but so high strung she makes a gazelle surrounded by hungry cheetahs on the Serengeti look relaxed? Seriously, Carrie is bat shit crazy! Who cares if Jessica slept around a little while Brody was missing and presumed dead for EIGHT YEARS? Get it together, man!
ReplyDeleteThis beer is dangerous. Like Abu Nazir.
Can we all agree that if Dana Brody was your daughter, you would smack the shit out of her? Or at the very least take away all of her screens for a while.
DeleteSo I've often wondered what Miller Lite would taste like if you poured an entire package of Cherry Jello into it. Now I know the answer. The good news it tastes better than wine. The bad news is I don't really like wine. I like Lagunitas but this one definitely lived up to the label and 1 was plenty.
ReplyDeleteSo what is your rating?
DeleteOops forgot rating: Beligerent
DeleteFirst sip hits hard..overpowering. I thought it got better .....just recently discovered Lagunitas--big fan. Lookout Dogfish.
ReplyDeleteYou like this one or the NYC one better?
DeleteThanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I had a great day. Only had to work til noon, then off to the DMV to get a new license. Was prepared for the worst, but was in and out in 15 mins! That alone was a great bday present.
ReplyDeleteStill playing catch-up. Just finished the Köstritzer Schwarzbier and now on to this beer. Completely different look and smell. I like beers that have this reddish hue. I can smell what I think are hops before I take a sip. After reading the comments, I am eager to see how sweet this beer is. Hmm...first taste is interesting, it's lingering. 9.9% ABV is right up my alley. Second sip. I got the brown sugga taste on this sip. Not too bad. I'm liking this beer. I was introduced to Lagunitas' in the first 24 Days of Beer and I'm becoming a big fan of their beers. OK, the beer is half gone now and I can say, I'm a fan. Also a fan of Homeland and agree, why leave hot wife for crazy CIA agent. Wait she got fired from the CIA, so now she's a....um...what is she? A crazy lunatic that the CIA lets help them out? Jessica Brody = WGB (Miller Lite), American made, pretty damn good, everyone loves one, yes there's better beers out there but they cost more and are usually over hyped. Carrie, well for those of you that were with us for 24 Days of Summer, shes a Son of a Peach. Smells good, might even look good, intriguing, but in the end, all she's good for is cleaning your pipes.
Sorry, back to the Brown Sugga' almost finished now and maybe the 9.9% had something to do with this post. Rating 8 out of 10. B+ (extra points for the high octane)
reference my review of DC Brau's The Corruption IPA for the Son of a Peach reference for those of you that were not with us this summer.
DeleteThis is a damn good beer. It had a great Sam Adams-esque flavor. Or it could my sinus congestion that is clouding my taste. Nonetheless, I thought it was fantabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed it while making and eating soft tacos. I did however enjoy Amy's colorful description of this beer. If it hadn't been for that I thought I would be drinking Yellowsnow. Keep up the great descriptions
ReplyDeleteCardinal Puke Puke didnt drink this beer. I smelled it and it smelled like grandmas daily pill dose. Seriously stunk. The taste was just as bad. And my third beer of the night. (trying to catch up. I was way too hung over to drink any this weekend) Im better now and back on the good team.
ReplyDeleteVery nice strong ale / barley wine. I think it might even be better if it were at 75 IBU's or so, vice the 51, just to balance all the shugga' out. That would proably make it much more expensive though. Non the less, it is tastey the way it is, and the alcohol was completely hidden. Drank it on an empty stomach and it definitely went staight to my dome. A-.
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DeleteI expected this beer to be sweet like brown sugga but it sucked!! 2 for the bday boy.
ReplyDeleteLagunitas is one of my favorite breweries. And while this beer doesn't reach the heights of Little Sumpin' Sumpin' or Hop Stupid, it's another solid offering in my book. A high alcohol content without tasting overly boozy.
ReplyDelete