Hey there Lagunitas Brewing Company, what were you thinking when you named your new IPA (one of them anyway) Super Cluster Ale? OK, I get that you call this A citra-hopped mega ale of intergalactic proportions, and indeed, a super cluster in astronomy is a tightly packed collection of galaxies in a (relatively) small space. Relativity is important here because space is pretty big, like way bigger than you even think it is. But here’s my quibble. Wouldn’t such a beer have been better off made with Galaxy hops? Or maybe even Clusters? I mean the name kinda implies that folks.

Be that as it may, I’m willing to forgive for the semi-misleading name since the beer is so darned tasty. I enjoyed a 23-ounce draft mug full at Taco Mac (where else?) on a fine Thursday night. It went well with their legendary wings, and was pretty good on its own before and after, too.

Lagunitas says:

You are here. On a speck of dust, three tiny rocks from the source. At the edge of something much larger, in the middle of something else, at the beginning of the end. It's a lot to wrap your head around, so take it one gulp at a time. Life is uncertain...

Super Cluster is a Citra-Hopped Mega Ale of intergalactic proportions. Everything we've learned about making hop-forward beer: Pale, cold, alcoholic, and bitter.

Lagunitas Super Cluster Ale has an alcohol content of 8% by volume with 60 IBUs. I paid $7.50 for a 23-ounce draft mug at Taco Mac, and you can get six-packs at Total Wine for $8.99.

My mug of Lagunitas Super Cluster Ale arrived bright orange in color with a thick fluffy head and oodles of grapefruit peel and piney resin in the nose and palate. The latter has chewy caramel malt, thick sticky resin, juicy citrus, and a long dry bitter pine forest finish.

IPA (double) is back baby, and I’ll be the first to admit: Lagunitas Super Cluster Ale is out of this world!

Home