It wasn't very long ago when the concept of a ''session IPA'' seemed a bit far fetched. It was an oxymoron akin to ''jumbo shrimp'' or ''honest politician''. But as IPAs got bigger and bolder, simpler versions got lost in their shadows. The IPA style became synonymous with monstrously aggressive. Luckily today, many craft breweries have been engaging in stylistic u-turns. They realize that as some palates expand into untold aggressive territories, most lag behind in search of easily accessible brews. Lagunitas is one brewery that understands this phenomenon, hence the release of their DayTime session brew, described as a ''Fractional IPA''. It asks one very compelling question: who says IPAs can't be sessionable?

In the glass, DayTime has a clear light golden coloration and actually looks more like a pale lager hybrid. It comes with a frothy white head that has good retention. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this beer was the aroma. It's simply huge for such a small ABV (4.65%). A pungent pine needle aroma bursts out of the glass and is complimented by a dash of honey. Wow, I was not expecting that. I had to revisit the bottle label to make sure I didn't miss a ''1'' in front of that ABV value. But the big brain bender is the obvious lack of alcohol burn. Think of an imperial aroma with absolutely no alcohol burn. A very intriguing introduction to say the least.

Once I took that first sip, I immediately noticed the mouthfeel. It's very thin, as expected, but it's also very dry. The hop profile only appears as an initial bite, but it quickly dissipates on the middle ground and exits in a flash, leaving only a faint pine resin aftertaste. The pine resin also translates into the primary flavor note along with a little pale malt and a hint of lemon zest. It's a simple brew flavor wise and is very easy to grasp.

Overall, the Lagunitas DayTime Fractional IPA is a cheeky brew with a fun personality. There is no mistaking this brew for anything other than an IPA, which is pretty remarkable considering its wispy nature. Lagunitas has definitely achieved a sessionable IPA vibe, so I tip my drinking hat to their impressive brewing skills. Consequently, I can recommend this beer to any and all beer fans, but especially to novices. This is a fantastic brew to get your feet wet with because it offers great IPA flavor without IPA aggression. My only advice would be to seasoned drinkers: you have to go into this brew knowing what it is, otherwise it can come across as weak and disappointing. But knowing what it is, I can give DayTime two enthusiastic thumbs up.