Last weekend my friend Matt brought over a six pack of Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale to drink during our rye ale brew session. He had no idea what it would be, just that it had a crazy name and 9% ABV. Not a bad start.
A couple of us sampled some, along with some homebrews and a few bottles of scotch. That is not to say that The Hairy Eyeball got lost in the crowd, just that it wouldn’t be fair to post a review that day. But when everyone went home I still had two bottles of this weirdness in my fridge. And tonight I cracked one open. I let it warm up from refrigerator temperature just a little before opening it. This stuff is better at cellar temps.
Words fail me.
The deep ruby color is much clearer than the photo suggests. It had a very small tan head that dissipated before I was able to get the camera on it. Which is kind of a shame.
Headless!
Aroma – The first thing I noticed when I brought this to my nose was a malty richness. Subtle caramel with a very light prune note in the background. I was kind of expecting something more aggressive, like Stone’s Arrogant Bastard. This was really mellow instead with practically no hop aroma. Maybe the lack of head had something to do with it. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, just that I thought it could be more assertive.
Taste – It tasted just like it smelled at first, but bigger. It started off with deep caramel and toffee with the prune and raisin way in the back somewhere. There’s a slight hint of coffee, maybe, before the hops kick in. The bitterness isn’t overpowering – smooth and just balanced enough to make up for the sweetness of the malt. And there’s a touch of alcohol burn towards the end just to let you know that the 9% isn’t kidding.
Mouthfeel – It’s rich and chewy. This really coats your tongue. It borders on syrupy, I think. And that’s not a bad thing for a winter ale.
Finish – Here’s where I think the beer shines. After the malty aroma, and syrupy-pruney-toffee taste, the big hop finish is a welcome surprise. It brings everything together and lingers just long enough to let you savor each sip.
Overall this beer is like a well-planned three course meal. It starts with an aromatic caramel appetizer, gives you a huge savory malt (and prune) entree, and cleans the palate with the hop dessert. I really dug it. But I think I’ll hold onto that last bottle for a while and see if it gets better with age.
Grade: A
Delicious, but more aroma and maybe better head retention could have given this the A+. Hopheads may be disappointed.
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January 28, 2008 at 12:00 am
rando
as a fellow taster from the day in question, i have to agree emphatically with all of what was said. i think what’s nice about the finish is that it stays with you just long enough to make you crave another mouthful, but not so strong that your taste buds are bothered. the last sip is by far the worst, as the lingering finish is just a depressing reminder that your glass is empty…
May 11, 2008 at 12:20 pm
lemasney
Nicely done review here. I am not crazy about syrupy, but it sounds like this has a lot of the redeeming qualities that would help me to get over that. I’m an imperial hop head, myself. Nice to meet you.