Lagunitas - Same Flavor Throughout Styles?

I'm lucky enough to be able to get Lagunitas pretty much anywhere around me. I was on a huge Lagunitas IPA kick for a while then I tried their Hop Stoopid and Undercover ale. I was talking to coworker and we both notice a consistent flavor throughout all their styles. It's hard to describe, maybe brown sugar-ish? Does anybody else taste the same thing? Do you know if they use a consistent ingredient in their brews?

It's probably their yeast strain.

I know what you mean and I have tasted it too. I recently had their pale ale for the first time and got that distinct taste. I know their strain is basically WLP002 but I have a feeling this taste comes from a combo of grain they use in all their beers like munich and wheat or something.

They don't share their ingredients on their website so now I'm really curious what the common link is. I tasted it in their Little Sumpin Sumpin ale too.

+1 on it being the yeast.

The brew pub here in Memphis, yes, we only have one, uses a really old strain of 1056 for just about everything except their wheats. I feel that they need to switch because I can taste the same flavor in every beer as well. But maybe thats what people like from a brew pub, consistency.

I love variety so, for me, the more types of yeast used in a brew pub the wider range of flavors, but thats just my $0.02
-Jefe-

I have noticed this as well, and agree with the brown sugar descriptor. I guess it could be the yeast strain, but it is pretty pronounced in my opinion. To me it's a deep molasses-like and malty flavor, and I don't know if a yeast strain could account for all of that.

I think yeast can definitely be responsible for characteristic flavor throughout different styles. The first time I really noticed it was with North Coast brewing. After drinking old rasputin for several years, I finally tried their Acme IPA and found it had an obvious flavor (that I find hard to describe), the only other beer in which I had tasted it before was old raspy...

It's off-putting to me to the point where I don't care for Lagunitas anymore. The flavor is almost sticky sweet and pronounced in all their beer. I agree with Jefe that I don't like to taste the same flavor across different beers.

Maybe it's their water profile, or more specifically their chloride to sulfate ratio? My assumption would be that their water profile would vary based on the recipe, but if there's a consistent flavor, then maybe not?

I agree with this, very off putting, i purchased quite a bit of their different beers at once to give the brewery a good testing, and to be honest ive been barely getting through all of them except for hop stoopid, which i loved.

The worst example of the flavor i found in the "censored ale", almost tastes way to green, but the flavor is defenitly prevalent in all the beers i bought from that brewery, and other then hop stoopid i dont think ill buy anymore

Lagunitas has been one of my favorite breweries for years and I like and appreciate that they can make so many different beers and carry on with a simularity of taste in all of them. I prefer there higher gravity offering's over the regular 6 pack varieties but if a brewery could define themselves with a certain flavor (that tastes great in my opinion) in all of there beers then more power to them for being consistent!!!!

Wilsons said:

The worst example of the flavor i found in the "censored ale"

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It's funny you say that. The censored ale is the beer that finally put me off the flavor. I still buy their IPA once in a while, but when I was drinking Lagunitas consistently and trying their various brews it was too much.

It would be interesting to hear what they have to say about it. Why not email them with your thoughts and the comments of the other posters. They'd probably be pretty interested in the feedback, I know I would if I was a commercial brewer.

Hop Stoopid is a mindblowing IPA, one of my favorites. Agree with Lagunitas having a similar flavor profile running through all their beers, but I guess I just like the profile. Yeast seems to be the most likely candidate.

Maybe it's all the cannibis they used to use onsite.
I agree that they do have a similar taste. I am not sure what it is though, perhaps the yeast or mash temps leaving some unfermented Malt? I like their Censored Ale. I make a similar "Copper Ale" that is about 7.33%.

I brewed the IPA clone from CYBI but couldn't find any place around here that sells lagunitas to compare it with. Anybody know where to find some in AL?

yup, ive tasted it

I do not like Lagunitas in the bottle. I hate all their beer when its from a markets cold storage. However, their beer on TAP at their brewery is sooooo much better, all the beer has a "simular" flavor, but I attribute that to their over hopping every style they make. Their pilsner is great, their habanero IPA is awesome, and their vanilla stout is out of this world if your a hop lover. I am not, but it is still a great beer when it is on tap. I have been hitting their new "bar" on Friday nights for the last few months, about 5 in and im tossed...kids love it, its very friendly and some decent snackages...seen the sign about "smoking" in their garden...

Whatever that flavor is I like it!

I thinks its a combo of their high mash temps and low attenuation british ale yeast

NorCalAngler said:

It's off-putting to me to the point where I don't care for Lagunitas anymore. The flavor is almost sticky sweet and pronounced in all their beer. I agree with Jefe that I don't like to taste the same flavor across different beers.

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+1. I think it is most prevelant in Brown Shugga, perhaps it is actually Brown Sugar or Molasses? I've detected this flavor in a couple of Dogfish Head beers as well, but all the Lagunitas beers seem to have this flavor.

I get the same flavor, its like a raisin /. sugar flavor. I dont like it at all, ive had a 6 pack of their Pilsner in my fridge for about 6 months!

Lagunitas is one of my Fav Breweries, I agree that all the beers have a similar taste regardless of style, yet...I still Like every one of their beers Maximus beeing the best in my opinion
dont get me wrong...It would be nice to see more differences in their beer but I still like what their puting out.