Lagunitas Censored Copper Ale

     Review Date 9/9/2006

Ok, I have certainly come across some beers in my time with some pretty strange names. But I think this may be the most difficult beer I’ve ever tried to buy. Oh, it wasn’t hard to find, mind you. It was just hard to ask for.

John: “Hi, do you have Lagunitas (bleeeep) ale in yet?”
Beer Salesman: “Lagunitas what?”
John: “You know, (bleeeep) ale? It’s new”.
Beer Salesman: “I don’t know what the (bleeeep) you’re talking about”.
John: “Oh. Come on. You don’t have the (bleeeep) ale? I just drove all the (bleeeep) way from (bleeeep) Vinings to get some (bleeeep) ale, the beer so good they censored the name, and you mean to tell me you don’t have any?”
Beer Salesman: Oh, you’re looking for (bleeeep) ale. Yeah, we have that. Why didn’t you say so in the first place?

See what I mean? Anyway, don’t ask me why they call it “The Censored” ale. Of course, they’re looking to drum up publicity, no doubt. But all Lagunitas will say about it is this:

The original name of this original ale was derived from an origin so heinous that we can not reveal its aboriginal orogeny. Sorry”

Well, that’s a lot of help. I assure you, there is a name behind the “censored” tag on this beer. I won’t tell you what it is, but I will give you a hint: the last letter is the same as the first, but appears in reverse on the label.

Awww, (bleeeep), let’s try the (bleeeep) beer, shall we?

Lagunitas The Censored Rich Copper Ale pours to a….well, you can figure that part out. It really is deep copper in color, however, as coppery as the kettle it was brewed in (unless they use stainless steel, of course). The beer has a moderate head formation and a slightly fruity, grassy nose.

The palate is richer and far more full bodied than your average copper ale, which is akin to something in the amber ale/pale ale category. That’s due to the slightly higher original gravity (1.065), and as a result the beer is higher in alcohol too (7.7% by volume). I’m getting notes of sweet chewy caramel, chocolate, pine, and a hint of fruity raisin.

The finish is warming from the alcohol, rich and decidedly dry. You’ll get a little more subtle piney hop character and enough bitterness to balance the beer (25.08 IBUs says the bottle label). This is a very nice and complex brew, unlike any I’ve tried in a while. I’m almost reminded of a lighter version of an old ale with a little less dark malt.

Try it, you’ll like it. Even if you don’t know what the real name is.