Lagunitas Night Time

Since I started writing this blog I’ve noticed a few unexpected perks. A lot of my friends want to talk to me about beer and make/get recommendations. They also introduce me to others who are beer enthusiasts, and pass along word about the blog. Nights out at a craft beer bar are a lot of fun, giving advice on what to order and watching people enjoy beers they might have never tried otherwise. One of the greatest benefits though occurs when one of my friends comes across a beer that they enjoy and I haven’t reviewed it, and they decide to grab a bottle for me. I was recently out for a drink with my friend Rory and we were talking about our favorite beers. I suggested some porters and stouts knowing that he liked darker styles. He asked if I’d ever tried a black IPA from Lagunitas. When I admitted that I hadn’t he insisted that we swing by the beer store and grab a bottle. Turns out it was a good recommendation!

Lagunitas Night TimeLagunitas Night Time pours nearly pitch black with a moderate tan head. The smell is mostly foresty and floral hops, along with a little roasty dark malt. The hops lead the flavor too, notes of pine, grass, earth and a hint of lemon. This is complemented by a large dose of dark malt with significant chocolate and coffee along with a little plum and raisin. The beer has noticeable bitterness but it isn’t overly strong. Lagunitas Night Time is full bodied, but goes down pretty easy for a beer with 8.2% ABV. Overall this is a really well done black IPA. Sometimes the combination of dark malts and high levels of hops can lead to a muddled product with clashing flavors, but the flavors here work well together. If you are up in the air on the black IPA style I recommend giving this one a shot. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.

Previous Lagunitas reviews:

Lagunitas Sucks

Leave a comment