Lagunitas Maximus IPA

Connoisseur Javier and I were getting together to watch some movies, and he told me that he was craving a good IPA.  Not being a man to pass up beer of any sort, I stopped by Downtown Wine and Spirits in Davis Square.  I perused the wide selection of beers available, and near the back of the store, I stumbled upon an offering by the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California.  It was called Lagunitas Maximus IPA Maximus Ale (why the word "maximus" appears in the name twice, I may never know) and touts 72.41 IBUs and 7.5% alcohol by volume.  I figured that if Javier wanted a serious IPA, this offering had the specs.

Upon arriving home, I realized that the bottle had a twist-off cap, and yet called itself a "limited release" on the label.  The label also told me not to sip my beer, because life is uncertain.  Though I don't agree with irresponsible imbibing, I decided to wave my judgment until after I had tasted the IPA. 

The IPA poured a filtered amber color, with a substantial soapy head that was sticky on the glass.  The nose was flowery, with a bitter edge, and alcohol smells were evident, as was the essence of copper.  Upon tasting the beer, a light malty background gave way to substantial salt flavors, and a bitter black pepper burn on the tongue.  Heavy juniper flavors rolled over the palate, including a citrus edge reminiscent of grapefruit pith.  There were also tastes of flowers and stamp glue.  As the beer warms, the juniper increases, as does the bitter edge.  The bitterness lasts throughout until the finish, and eventually fades away to a mouthfeel that feels and tastes like you were licking envelopes and stamps for hours on end as a letter stuffer.  The bitter gluey aftertaste fades into a remembrance of freshly cut grass.

This IPA was made for the extreme drinker, encouraging fast drinking and saying that more is always better or more extreme in the literature on the label.  I would encourage drinking this beer fast only to lessen you exposure to its poorly formed flavor array.  Obviously, somebody at Lagunitas wanted to see how many hops they could squeeze into an IPA.  Well, congrats, buddy, you've made and extreme beer...extremely disappointing.