Lagunitas Maximus is ridiculously good. Far too many brewers are content to put an obscene amount of hops into a generic pale ale, slap a DIPA label on it and wait for the hopheads to come running. Maximus opens up with a big sweet caramel malt flavor that gives way to a traditional West Coast prickly citrus bitterness. The pine/lemon/grapefruit of the hops somehow manage to completely overpower the malt on the back end, leaving the finish astonishingly dry. The interaction between the malt and hops is what’s amazing here. It’s not so much a matter of balance as it is a fluid transition of dominant flavors ending with a long lasting aftertaste of bitterness that leaves you craving another pint. Highly recommended.