Lagunitas Brewing Co

New Dogtown Pale Ale - PETALUMA CA - 6.2%ABV

by Derek Brewlander | August 23rd, 2012

Looking for a perfect balance of malt and hop flavor? Derek Brewlander may have found what you are looking for! Dogtown Pale Ale, brewed in California by Lagunitas Brewing Company, is an extremely well balanced and refreshing American pale ale. To start, it pours a lovely clear golden copper with a smallish head of foam and some very good lacing. It really does look quite refreshing! The aroma is full of nice resiny hops with a slight balance of caramel malts that has trouble coming across in the smell. The flavor however is a different story. Based on the smell, I was expecting a super hoppy pale ale that tasted more like an IPA. While the Dogtown certainly has a stronger hop flavor than most pale ales, when you taste it you can tell why it is not an IPA. The first taste that comes through is sweet, rich and malty. This does an outstanding job of balancing out the bitter hops that come immediately after, that are strong and flavorful without being overpowering. There is a hint of spiciness as well that comes on the finish. It is a medium bodied beer with a perfect amount of carbonation. Overall, this is a complex and delicious beer. It really does balance the malt and hop flavors almost perfectly and I am really impressed with the way Lagunita used a strong hop flavor in the pale ale without making it overbearing in the least. This is certainly flavorful enough to be a nice sipping beer and unique enough to grab the interest of all sorts of beer lovers. Come down and grab a 6 pack and let me know what you all think. Cheers!