From the Brewery: 

“There are two kinds. There is the DayTime kind, which is bright and welcoming and then there is the NightTime kind, which should never be confused with the DayTime. NightTime is dark and deep and may take you to unexpected places, places that the DayTime cannot. But then, the NightTime is not suited for ordinary life and ordinary tasks. In fact, NightTime may be the answer for that sort of thing, meaning that those sorts of things may never get done. Things take time in the NightTime, things slow down and you can puase (you have to, actually) and investigate carefully to find that level of objective detachment that is only possible under the spell of the NightTime. Seek the Day, but fear not the Night.” 8.2% ABV American Black Ale

Given to me by a friend.

The Pour: 

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a nonic glass. It is black in appearance, with some light coming through around the edges. A large, sudsy head is poured, which has good retention and leaves heavy lacing on the glass. Only trace carbonation is visible.

The Nose: 

NightTime is certainly hop forward, to the point that if I was smelling this blind I probably couldn’t have detected that it was a Black IPA/American (or Cascadian) Dark Ale instead of a regular dank IPA. Bitter grapefruit, pine resin, and onion funk all come through in the nose. The faintest bit of a malt sweetness backbone also presents itself underneath the heavy hop dank.

The Mouth: 

Medium-bodied with a pretty harsh mouthfeel initially, though the carbonation harshness does smooth out a bit as it sits and warms. The grapefruit/citrus hop bitterness attacks the tongue as soon as it hits the mouth. Some dark roasted malt character tried to come through, but is overwhelmed by the hop profile. The aftertaste offers the same intense citrus notes, but a bit of bread/biscuit malt sneaks in before giving way to long lingering bitter hop flavors.

Final Thoughts: 

NightTime is another decent Black IPA/Cascadian/American dark ale. The aromas are spot on for the style, but the flavor profile is a little muddled. It just doesn’t seem to flow together as well as it should. Maybe Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Black IPA  has spoiled the style for me, because that beer is just so damn good. That’s about the only complaint I have about NightTime, but it’s definitely worth a go for any big IPA fan. Even at 8.2% ABV, I didn’t have much trouble finishing the bomber by myself. 7.5/10

Lagunitas Brewing Company – Petaluma, California