Head to Head: Hoppin Frog Mean Manalishi vs. Lagunitas Maximus IPA

Welcome to today’s Head to Head challenge.
Style: Imperial India Pale Ale. View the top Imperial IPAs

Beer	Hoppin Frog Mean Manalishi	Lagunitas Maximus IPA
Brewer	Hoppin Frog	Lagunitas
Country	America	America
State (if Applicable)	Ohio	California

Appearance: Winner – Tie

Hoppin Frog – This pours an amber color with a very small head that disappears very quickly and leaves no lace.

Lagunitas – This pours a golden amber color with a small off-white head. The head rapidly disappears.

Aroma: Winner – Hoppin Frog

Hoppin Frog –This has more aroma including a stronger grapefruit character along with some sweetness from the malt.

Lagunitas – There is a good strong hop aroma that is dominated by a pleasant aroma of pine and resin.

Taste: Winner – Hoppin Frog

Hoppin Frog – This has lots of citrus, some well developed bitterness along with a trace of alcohol. It all combines for a very flavorful beer.

Lagunitas – There is a definite malt back bone in this beer but the hop bitterness never truly grows to surpass it. It leaves the beer tasting a bit sugary compared to most Imperial India Pale Ales.

Body/Finish: Winner – Hoppin Frog

Hoppin Frog – This has a medium body and the finish is dry, long and bitter finish but it never becomes harsh.

Lagunitas – This medium bodied beer finishes as a smooth drinkable beer but is lacking the dry finish and bitterness usual to style.

Overall: Winner – Hoppin Frog
Well pretty straight forward this tasting. The Mean Manalishi simply hopped all over the Maximus. It had more of all that matters. It was more aromatic, full of flavor and had all the bitterness that Imperial India Pale Ale’s should have. I found it incredibly drinkable and would easily believe that it could hold its own against any Imperial India Pale Ale. The Lagunitas is a good beer that is let down by a lack of hops. Perhaps this bottle was not a prime example but I feel that even if it was it would still not be enough to beat the Mean Manalishi. It is simply stunning.

~ by alelagerlambic on April 23, 2009.