Lagunitas Brewing Company, out of Petaluma in Sonoma County, I feel is often overlooked here in San Diego with all of our local brewers taking up (deservedly) so much of the spotlight.  Yet Lagunitas has been growing by leaps and bounds, experiencing a 55% increase in the volume of beer sold over the last year alone, and is now the 11th largest craft brewer in the U.S. according to industry estimates put out by Beer Marketer’s Insights (http://www.beerinsights.com/).

And they’re putting out more and more specialty beers and limited releases, mostly in the 22 oz. format.  Look for them in your local discriminating beer shops.  I’ve been holding on to this limited release Bavarian-styled Doppel Weizen from Lagunitas  for a few months now, and it’s time to pop the cap and see what’s going on here… 

“Weizen” or “Weiss” is German for “wheat”, and this beer is a double-wheat with 55% wheat going into the malt, and fermented with a yeast strain that Lagunitas obtained straight from Bavaria.  This beer pours a cloudy golden/orange color, with little carbonation and almost no head (unlike the picture on the label).  Like a lot of wheat-based beers (check Karl Strauss’s hefeweizen) the aromas of cloves and bananas are abundant.  On the first taste, again–a lot of cloves and bananas–but also some honey or nectar sweetness coming through and a hint of citrus.  Medium-bodied, some light hops character just to add balance but not bitter at all  This is an interesting release and would make a nice session beer for a warm springtime afternoon on your patio, if it weren’t for that meddling alcohol content (8.5 percent!)

http://www.lagunitas.com

Question for my readers:  What limited release or seasonal beers have you tried lately?  Do tell.