Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale

I have never actually sought out a red...well, maybe...Oskar Blues G'Knight is certainly the best "red" i have ever had...anyway, Lagunitas rarely lets me down...

Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale is a rotating selection from the boys out in Petaluma, CA and, like most of their brews, is readily available in GA when in season. If I remember correctly, I passed this up last year, but when I was at the store today, I realized that we needed something a bit more sessionable in the house (I've been ignoring the Haandbryggeriet Akevitt barrel-aged porter in the fridge for nearly a month now). As with most of the Lagunitas brews, the Impy Red is retardedly hoppy...certainly on the citrus side. Huge grapefruit aromas and flavors are less than subtle...however...at ~52 IBUs (nice malty sweetness), the bitterness doesn't blow you away. This is really closer to a strong IPA than to a red...which is not a problem for me. As usual, Lagunitas hasn't let me down...a hoppy, drinkable beer that is over 7% and under $10 for a sixer...

ohtheguilt Ba score = 4.0 out of 5.0