So at the store I work at, we have a regular named John. He’s a nice guy, who always loves to talk beer (almost as much as his favorite sport, rugby).

Occasionally, he likes to do something nice for us. He recently bought me a beer.

One of the breweries John and I (and most everyone I work with) really love is Lagunitas. Their current seasonal is called The Hairy Eyeball, and this is the beer John bought me.

Now, I didn’t get a photo, so let me try to describe it.

Pours with no head. Has a rich brown/copper color to it, and a little ring of bubbles around the top of the glass.

The aroma is sweet, with a hint of alcohol, and an allusion to roastiness. And once you take a sip, you won’t be disappointed.

It feels pretty light in your mouth and your stomach, making it nice a drinkable. There is quite a bit of bittering – it sits at 56.7 IBU. Another nice thing about Lagunitas – OG (1.090) and IBU right on the bottle, alongside the ABV (8.7%).

There are almost coffee notes to the roasted character in this beer, not to mention a sweet toffee flavor somewhere behind the hops and bubbles that form on your tongue.

I have very few complaints. Its not quite their Censored, or the Red, but Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball is one to try, for sure.

6/10