Maximus - best name never: Lagunitas Maximus IPA

I was in need of some crisp and cool hoppiness this evening, so I decided to turn to one of the IPAs I was holding off on (since, admittedly so, the blog is very IPA heavy). Tonight, we look into the self proclaimed "greatest" IPA in Lagunitas' Maximus IPA.





Lagunitas is a California based brewing company (is it me, or do most IPAs come from the west coast?) that currently only ships beer to 29 states and 2 Canadian provinces. They constantly brew 7 different types of beers, including 2 different IPAs, along with a nice variety of seasonal beers.

I tried to pour this beer a little harder than I typically do to judge the true head of the beer which, not to my surprise, was minimal and quickly dissipated, but was much more visible than when I typically pour my beers. The beer is a clear, golden color typical of many classic IPAs and has a subtle, hoppy aroma. The flavor is smooth and refreshing, with a nice undertone of hops that does not over power the flavor of the beer. Underneath the hops is a soft citrus and spice that balances out the hops.

I can honestly say that this is one of the better IPAs I have tried lately. As much as I enjoy a skull-crushing hoppiness, sometimes it is nice to be able to see clearly after drinking a beer! This is an IPA that could easily be tolerated by those who are new to stronger flavored beers, but tasty enough for the professionals to enjoy. I like to think about having several beers of one type over the course of a night as a gauge to the quality of beer...this is a beer that I could enjoy several of without tiring and wanting to switch to something else!

Do yourself a favor and pick up some Lagunitas Maximus IPA to try for yourself!


Flavor: Hoppy and citrus with nice spicy notes
Color: Golden with a nice clean finish
Alcohol Content: 7.5% (by volume)
Average Price: $10.98 (6 pack)

Calories: 233
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 21.5 g
Protein: 1 g

OBP2

Well, it has certainly been too long since my last post...apparently, and despite my thoughts on the matter, a throat ulcer should not be treated with alcohol.

Well, I decided to jump back into it with a bang...OBP2 (Truly, it is OBP squared, but I don't know how to get the little '2' next to the P).



This beer is probably quite the handful...it uses the analogy on the bottle of a cup of coffee: half the water = double the flavor. Well, in the case of beer, not only is flavor doubled, but alcohol content as well. The deep reddish beer is touting 11% alcohol by volume...First taste impression: The first thing I noticed is this beer's sweetness. Considering the alcohol content, I figured this would be much stonger in flavor (closer to and IPA then perhaps a lager). The sweetness is followed by a subtle spiciness which compliments well with the sweet.

This is a locally brewed beer, which I alway enjoy sampling...makes me feel like I am giving back to my community in a strange way. Honey based beers have been around for thousands of years and because of this, have a very interesting history:

-Honey beers were once considered an aphrodisiac
-Teuton brides traditionally drank honey beers for a month after they were wed. The honey and moon cycles during the month were the basis for the term "honeymoon".
-Honey is one of the main ingredients in one of the oldest forms of beer: mead.

I am very much enjoying this beer, but as I mentioned to Jess, I am glad I only have the one to drink. This beer is so sweet and flavorful that I could imagine myself drink 3-4 in a short period of time and getting much too inebriated much too quickly. A very good beer that I would recommend (with caution) to pretty much anyone. Sweet beers are paired nicely with;

-Grilled sausages (could even use one to boil the brats first...mmmmm)
-Chocolate cookies made fresh by your significant other (taking a guess here, but I am sure it will work out nicely)
-Spicier foods

Flavor: Vert sweet with a mild spicy after thought
Color: Deep amber/reddish color
Alcohol content: 11% by volume (be careful, because these go down easily!)
Average price: $2.79 (bottle)