Lagunitas Brewing 'Sucks'. 8% abv. 63.21 IBU. Brown Shugga' Substitute Ale. Yellow-orange color. Thin white head that gradually falls to a sustaining collar. Moderate retention, excellent lace. Nose of sweet roasted malt. Front taste of light roasted grain, light caramel, sweet bread. Aftertaste of bitter fruity hops, toffee, toasted grain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, slightly sticky, some carb.

This is an excellent beer, roasty and sweet without being syrupy sugary sweet. Nice balance of bitter and malt in the aftertaste, with the fruity hops coming through and sustaining well. This beer was created to help tide us over until the legendary seasonal Brown Shugga' is made available each year's end.

Some beer enthusiasts love one and detest the other, if only because tribalism demands such extremes (think Ford vs. Chevy, PC vs. Mac, Star Wars vs Star Trek, etc.). However, the more reasonable among us love both beers while still preferring one over the other. I love Brown Shugga' for being such a unique, big, bold beer with an amazing somewhat aggressive taste, and I love Sucks slightly less only because its similar flavors are not quite as tall as its predecessor. You may like that the hops in Sucks are not as forward, and the brown sugar taste is not as present. I urge you to try both. You will likely be adding two more beers to your personal Top-20. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Originally brewed in 2011 as a Brown Shugga’ substitute, due to construction-induced capacity issues. But we liked it so much it had to make a return trip."

[source: lagunitas.com]

"E.K. Ross would have enjoyed our suffering in 2010 when we saw we couldn't brew our Brown Shugga. But in that time of deepest despair, as is common to artists everywhere... broke, hungover, abandoned by the muse and prepared to take a job at Arby's, we found in that darkness the spark of inspiration that would yield up this nearly sanctified recipe!"

[source: bottle]

Lagunitas Brewing 'Brown Shugga' Ale. 9.9% abv. 51.1 IBU. Deep ruby color. Thick 2+ fingers of foamy tan head off the pour. Excellent retention and superb lacing. Nose of bright herbal hops, malt, spice. Front taste of ample bitter hops, roasted malt, brown sugar, flowers, cloves. Aftertaste of balanced bitter hops, sweet malt, warm sugar. Full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, creamy, carby.

This is one of my seasonal and all-time favorites, a big bold beer with a unique, complex taste. Sweet, bitter, fresh. Strongly recommended.

I once met Tony Magill, Founder of Lagunitas, at Lucky Baldwin's Pub in Pasadena. He was playing blues guitar, on a pub tour to promote the then-new Brown Shugga'. He took a break and joined me and my friend. He asked us what beers we ordered. I told him that I came for the Brown Shugga', which fast became one of my favorites at the time. It was only then that he introduced himself. I was stunned. I was talking with one of my craft beer idols - a legend - and I didn't even realize!

Tony then told us in detail how Lagunitas started, and the legendary story of how Brown Shugga came to be, starting with the big mistake, followed by visiting every all-night supermarket in the area and leaving with shopping carts full of brown sugar at 3AM. He bought us a few rounds of beer, "Whatever you want, whether or not they're mine!"

Tony Magill was very cool that night, played great music, told wonderful stories, and offered great beer. I think of that unforgettable evening whenever I drink this wonderful beer.

From the brewery:

"We believe this special ale is something unique. Feeding brown cane sugar to otherwise cultured brewery yeast is akin to feeding raw shark to your gerbil. It is unlikely to ever occur in nature without human intervention. And it looks weird besides. But is has happened and now it’s too late. Originally a failed attempt at our 1997 batch of Olde GnarlyWine Ale, resulting in an all-new beer style we like to call… irresponsible. Rich, roasty, and mysteriously drinkable. It leaves a lot of stories in its wake."

Old pic of me enjoying a Brown Shugga