Lagunitas Brewing Company, one of my favorite breweries, produces some phenomenal beers. My favorite product of theirs, Sucks, is one of the best double IPAs I've ever had. In fact, their entire year-round lineup deserves two thumbs up. Needless to say, I'm a Lagunitas fan.
So whenever I see a new product of theirs on our shelves, my intrigue is instantly peaked. Since I'm such a huge fan of Sucks, I was ecstatic when The Waldos' Special Ale, a DIPA, hit the shelves.
Clocking in at 11.5 percent ABV and over 100 IBUs, Waldo's is probably closer to a triple IPA, even if it's technically labeled as a double on sites like Beer Advocate.
And in in typical Lagunitas fashion, Waldos' presents yet another opportunity to incorporate stoner innuendos. The fact that Waldos' annually releases on April 20th, better known as 4/20, makes that crystal clear. Another not so subtle nod is the fact that Waldos' is part of the Lagunitas' 2016 OneHitter Series.
With Waldos', Lagunitas set out to brew their hoppiest and dankest beer yet, and they certainly accomplished that.
Pour: Waldos' pours a smokey (fitting?), golden amber with a razor thin foam head that wastes no time in retreating immediately after pouring.
Aroma: Like most Lagunitas brews, you can clearly identify the sweet barley malt in the nose. There is also a dank, piney presence with citrus notes.
Taste: The overall aroma translates well to the taste. You can definitely taste the sweet malt and dank hops fighting to contain the heat from the brew's 11.5 ABV. Nevertheless, Waldos' barley, dank resinous hops and fruit combine to balance out the high ABV and IBUs.
While I'm still partial to Sucks due to it's crushability for an eight percent DIPA, Lagunitas delivers on their promise to ensure that Waldos' is their dankest and hoppiest beer to date. If you're a double/triple IPA fan, I promise that Waldo's is worthy of your time.
If you want to learn more about the origin of Waldos', you can check out this very informative video featured on Lagunitas' web site.
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