Lagunitas Cruising with Ruben & the Jets

     Review Date 1/28/2009

So I heard about this beer. It's called Cruising with Ruben & the Jets. And I have to tell you, I really don't want to hear about the Jets. I mean, all they had to do was beat the Dolphins, and my beloved New England Patriots could very well be playing in Superbowl XLIII. What's that you say? These aren't the same Jets? This beer is named for an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention? Ah, I see. Nevermind.

All kidding aside, Lagunitas Cruising with Ruben & the Jets is indeed the fifth brew in their series of tributes to the works of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. The beer was released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the album, which debuted in December of 1968.

The first thing that surprises me about Lagunitas Cruising with Ruben and the Jets is the bottle itself: curiously, after I pop the cap, I notice it's a twist-off. Undaunted, I pour the beer into my glass-and notice that it's not quite as dark as I suspected. I had heard this described as an imperial stout, perhaps because of its formidable alcohol content of about 8.6% by volume.

But the beer pours more like a dark brown ale, or brown porter in appearance. Imperial stouts are generally thick, viscous, and rather opaque. Of course, Lagunitas puts out an imperial Stout on a regular basis, and that's never been a beer I've thought of as exemplary to the style.

Here, though, they can get away with that, first of all because they're fairly mum on the style, and second of all because this is a spiced beer that can really be whatever they want it to be. What is it spiced with, you ask? Real cocoa and white peppercorns. That may sound like an odd combination, but it's really not, as we'll soon see.

Anyway, I pour my beer into a Guinness stout glass and watch a thick, creamy tan head form atop the liquid. A sniff reveals an intense cocoa aroma that really whets the appetite to, well, wet the appetite. Taking a sip, I'm reaffirmed in the notion that this is a bit thinner than I want in an Imperial. But I don't care, because there's still a decided richness in the mouthfeel that's a tad luxurious.

And then there's the chocolate. Roasted barley and roasted malt can impart chocolate flavors all their own, but here it's the genuine article: rich, dark, decadent cocoa on top of the beery kind. Dark fruit is apparent, too, rich raisin to my taste, and a little licorice, too.

I know, you're getting impatient about the pepper. I saved it for last because, well, it doesn't really hit you until the finish. It's spicy, peppery (duh), and unmistakable, and really accents the chocolate flavors wonderfully. Indeed, as the chocolate begins to reassert itself in the finish, the pepper brings it out more fully. The alcohol provides a bit of warmth there, too.

Just a wonderful beer. Very drinkable, very delicious, and very unique. I've heard this may be the last in the Zappa tribute series. I certainly hope not, but if so Lagunitas is really going out with a bang here. At $3.99 for a 22 ounce bottle it's the most expensive in the line, but still a fantastic bargain at the price. So, I think I can deal with the name Jets after all. But hey, if Lagunitas names a beer after Brett Favre, I'm out of here.