The first of the year is bringing me a lot articles to write. Or rather, ideas for articles to write. But for now, it’s time to get a jump on some beers that have been to me by the brewer (that’s my disclosure).
Today’s beer comes from what I like to call a “Beer Fairy” drop, from Lagunitas Brewing Co. There are some that I’ve been sent before, so I may try to do a sort of vertical. For now, let’s pop open their DayTime.
This is considered a Session IPA, which has been kicking around in bottles since 2012. The promotional material says “DayTime has evolved for the can, and is built for the day.” Its abv was dropped from 4.7% to 4.0%, and it also shows 98 calories on the can, The heck, that would qualify it to be a “light” beer.
The pour is a light straw yellow color, yes, much like a light beer. The head is sudsy, let hangs around for a while. The smell has plenty of tropical fruit; papaya, pineapple, and a little pine resin.
The taste is lighter in hop than the nose would suggest. The exotic flavor is still there, but it’s subsumed by the bitterness. The malt profile is also pretty light, and stays dry. It’s easy to drink, and can indeed be enjoyed quickly.
The beer is decent, even if it’s low on the substance of most favored IPAs. The hop load keeps it much more interesting than any comparable “light” beer, and demonstrates that some of tasteless lites might need to grow a pair, or more, of hop cones.
You may notice one of the pictures includes a new 19.2 oz. can of Lagunitas IPA. I’ve already written that one up in 2016, when they sent out random bottles with a blue “W” to celebrate the Cubs winning the series.
