Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

Brewed by: Lagunitas Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Petaluma, CA

Style: American Imperial Stout

ABV: 8.80%

I’ve tasted several cappuccino stouts from several different breweries, and I happened to randomly stumble across the Lagunitas while perusing through my local beer distributor. I am very, very impressed by this brew.

I poured into a pint glass, and the appearance is exactly how it should be. It pours a deep coffee brown, with a little more than a half-inch tan head. As you can tell from my other reviews, I am all about examining the color of a fresh pour under a light, but it’s just not going to happen here. This is an incredibly dark pour.

The smell is what immediately attracted me to this beer. It doesn’t try to be delicate at all, and has an incredibly bold, upfront smell: coffee and roasted malts. There are hints of chocolate as well, which only adds to the flavor of a good cappuccino stout.

Upon first tasting, I couldn’t believe how smooth this beer is. The coffee is absolutely the most prominent taste, followed up with a bit of an alcoholic edge and roasted malt flavor. It tastes a bit less full than other stouts, which actually is very pleasant and allows for a very nice balance of flavor.

Like I said, I very much enjoyed this beer. I purchased a 22 oz., and was very happy with that decision. It is a nice beer to enjoy with a dessert, but it’s just a bit too full of a flavor to enjoy multiple in one sitting.