Lagunitas Brewing Maximus IPA

Beer Name: Maximus India Pale Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
ABV: 8.2%
How sold: 6-packs (12 oz. bottles); 22 oz. bottle (650.618 mL) and kegs (likely for draft)
Where bought: Fred Meyer (Vancouver, WA)
Price: $4.99
IBU: 72
Date Opened/Drank: April 23, 2015

What's on the Label: "'I leaned back with my feet up on my desk. I read my name backwards on the door and wondered. Like a bad joke told to a brown-shoed square in the dead of night, it all came rushing back to me. I thought carefully about getting up from my desk, putting on my new Velarimosa prawn hat, opening the door to the hallway, checking the spelling on my name one more time, closing the door behind me, heading down to the first floor, making my way down the evening street full of worn out proles and pinheads, finding the corrupt pirate pastrami burrito vendor who trades fist fulls of change for volcanic gastritis, continuing to a dark doorway the length of which would lead me to a knuckle worn bar top of mildew and pine, mounting a bow-legged stool and ordering a pint of the nectaral Maximus Ale. And then I did. Call us! 1.707.769.4495. Cheers!"

What's on the Website: "Kinda like our IPA on steroids. Flavor so hoppy it threatens to remove the enamel from one's teeth."

When brewed? Year-round beer. Or, as they say, "Unlimited Release"

Where distributed: Lagunitas ships to 43 states, the District of Columbia, and the Canadian province of Alberta. Click here to see if Lagunitas ships to your area!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured a clear orange-copper-amber into a pint glass. Foamy, white, 1-inch head. A significant weave of lacing inside the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Enticing blend of citrus-grapefruit with malty and piney qualities. Very pleasant and peaceful. 4.25/5

Taste (40%): A hop-forward and malty experience, kept far more in check than its Hop Stoopid brother. Still, given the name, I expected a bigger burst of flavors. Some alcohol flavor detected. I applaud that this beer is extremely balanced and finishes clean. Very smooth for a Double IPA. 4/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-light malt on the tongue with very good carbonation. Refreshing and drinks very easy. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): An awesome Double IPA. A beer originally brewed in 1996 and continues to be one of Lagunitas' flagship beers. A wonderful beer with great flavor, although for my tastes, Maximus doesn't necessarily crack the upper echelon of beers I've had. I do love that Maximus is readily available in the Pacific NW at many supermarkets. 4/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.113/5