Lucky 13.alt - Lagunitas Brewing Company

ElCommodoro

Texas

1.83/5  rDev -54.6%
look: 5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Poured a lovely orange colour, but anything good I have to say ends there. It smelled like a pine forest that just had all of it's bark gashed open with pine sap dripping out. It tasted like more of the same. It had some sweet characteristics, but was mostly just astringent and pine-like. Anything else that would have been present was completely masked by the pine-flavoured hops and the astringency. This stuff was terrible.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 06:07:02 | More by ElCommodoro

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.3/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clear gold with just a faint white head.

Sweet bready malt with little hop presence.

Starts off with a sweet bread/cracker flavor. A little bit of tangy sweetness and hardly any hop presence.

Mouthfeel and carb are both medium level.

Pretty bland. Just some malt sweetness without anything else going on.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 00:06:16 | More by jmarsh123

DarthKostrizer

California

2.83/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Look: Caramel in color with a good 1/2 head and ok retention

Smell: Super sweet almost candy or bubble gum like with some caramel on the backend

Taste: Very malty upfront with some toffee and a bit of alcohol. Not very well balanced

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium to high carbonation with a bit of an alcohol sting

Overall: Honestly I'm not a fan of this beer. I find it a bit rough around the edges and hard to drink. Not recommended

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 01:48:52 | More by DarthKostrizer

SkeeterHawk

Texas

2.88/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I believe that I found this beer at the Spec's in Atascocita. Let's give it a shot as I am always up for anything with "Alt" printed on it.

Appearance: Pours a clear yellow to orange gold color with a small head of slightly off white bubbles that were small and moved slowly. They were maintained by quite a few bubbles lazily making their way to the top indicating that this beer may be a little bigger than your typical Alt.

Aroma: There was already some American hop varieties noticeable, and the beer is rather hop-dominant still making it come across more like a Pale Ale than an Altbier. I don't get a whole lot of the toasty malts that you expect, so far the aroma is off for an Alt, but quite nice for an American Pale.

Taste: I guess the guys at Lagunitas haven't ever tried an Altbier, or I am missing something. Reading the text on the side of the bottle it doesn't indicate that this is an Americanized version of "the greats" they mentioned and that it would need to be cold conditioned for at least 6-months (more like 2 years) to take the edge off. Either way, for an Alt, this beer missed the mark entirely. As a strong American Pale (or a balanced IPA) it is a nice beer. I think that as the beer warms up, I am getting Northern Brewer hops. The alcohol is well masked behind the hops, and the beer definitely has substance. The carbonation is sufficient for what it is.

Opinion: I pretty much gave my opinion while I went through the flavor. To reiterate, this is a good beer if it were meant to be a balanced DIPA or something. Don't buy it expecting to try anything even remotely coincident with an Altbier.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 01:33:47 | More by SkeeterHawk

KTCamm

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber bottle into a perfect pint glass.

Pours light copper, clear, f;uffy white foam. Funky pine nose. Not sure how to describe this. Malty with a firm but not overpowering hop.But persistent in the aftertaste. Kind of a steam beer taste. Clean and bitter if that is possible.

Not great. Honestly, I think this beer made me a little sick.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 15:23:18 | More by KTCamm

beagle75

Iowa

3/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, light amber color with one finger of diminishing off-white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass and a few bubbles crawl up through the column.

S: Malty and over-attenuated, with minimal hop influence. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with tangy and grainy caramel malt, and some fruity dark citrus. Acidity is fairly mild before the middle, where the early flavors taper off and some pine is established. The finish is slightly roasty and not overly bitter, with lingering dark citrus flavors. No alcohol is detected.

M: Medium viscosity, slightly syrupy and sticky on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This beer is practically a re-creation of Lagunitas' spring strong ale, Undercover Investigation Shutdown, full of all-too-common features such as pungent and under-attenuated grain that drowns out even what was likely a robust hop bill. Its signature Lagunitas qualities could be detected by a beer-obsessed shark from three miles away.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 00:58:21 | More by beagle75

homebrew311

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bomber poured into pint glass.

A: pours a bright clear golden with reddish tints, thin white head, decent lacing

S: smells features huge earthy malts along with tea leaf, molasses, bark, and a little bit of caramel. This is all malt, no notable hop character coming through.

T: rich and malty from start to finish, things start off earthy and become a bit sweet, lots of molasses and hints of maple as well. The end gets a touch bitter, but the bitterness does not cut through all of the sweetness.

MF: thick body with mellow carbonation

O: I didn't realize this brew was different than the Mondo Red Ale when I purchased it. This .alt version isn't quite as tasty. It is a little on the sweet side for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 02:04:53 | More by homebrew311

kzoobrew

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear golden orange body. Two finger frothy eggshell colored head is set atop, The retention is fairly respectable, the head recedes rather slowly leaving a solid sheet of lacing behind.

A slight change of pace for Lagunitas, a malt forward aroma. Warm bread, caramel and toffee dominate the aroma. While 13.alt is certainly malt forward, I do not think Lagunitas can brew a beer that does not include a healthy dose of hops. Pleasant orange citrus and floral hops aroma provide a counterpoint to the malt while still remaining very much a secondary attribute.

The flavor begins with the malt much like the nose. The malt is not nearly as warm and full on the palate as I would have imagined or hoped. The warm bready malt in the nose becomes more of a slightly bland cracker flavor. There is a bit of a fruity flavor which was not picked up in the nose. A bit of apricot and slight candied pineapple. The hop flavor becomes much more prominent towards the back of the palate. Slightly bitter grapefruit juice flavors clashes a bit, the whole flavor is a bit disjointed.

Medium bodied Alt with moderate carbonation. The beer is a bit light and smooth on the tongue. A nice layer of resin coats the tongue and a less than desirable bitter citrus flavor lingers.

I generally like Lagunitas quite a bit. Very solid beers, competitively priced and readily available. It is not very often I have anything to say about the brewery so I do not feel bad when I say that this is not their best work. The appearance and aroma start out strong but the beer goes down hill from there. The flavors are a bit disjointed and the mouthfeel is slightly off. I can certainly enjoy a serving of this beer but it is not one I am going to go back to. Worth a try, you may like it more than I.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 00:54:06 | More by kzoobrew

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

3.18/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

I think this is my first bad review about a Lagunitas beer. It's almost surreal as I have never been let down by this brewery.

This beer had a huge sea-foamy, slightly off-white 3 finger head with cobwebs of lacing. It's a pretty good looking beer. For me, the smell, taste, and mouthfeel were all lacking.

I agree with many other people who mention that this beer is way too sryuppy sweet.
This quote best describes it for me: "It sticks to the teeth and feels like a cavity waiting to happen."

Copied from StonedTrippin

a big sweet ipa. it pours clear brassy color with a small white head that doesnt last long at all. it smells like hops and caramel malts, tons of residual sugars, and a fair bit of alcohol. it tastes really hoppy, and i would certainly categorize it as such. the hops are fresh and sweeter, and the malt adds even more sweetness. it sticks to the teeth and feels like a cavity waiting to happen. the aftertaste has some bitter bite to it, but its too little too late in my opinion. medium body and mellow carbonation, but the feel is ruined by the sugar. its worth it for 5 bucks a bomber, but it isnt anything special.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 19:00:13 | More by GeckoPunk

beerswamie

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber, when I picked this up I thought it was a different formulation of the regular Lucky 13 which is an Imperial Red.

The appearance is a light straw yellow, with a nice amount of carbonation.

The smell to me was your typical malty german altbeir.

Taste was average but very good for the price of this beer.

mouthfeel was good nothing spectacular.

Overall I am not a huge fan of this style but some one who is would like the price point of this beer and drink a lot of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 01:38:43 | More by beerswamie

danieelol

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Adam @ Platinum.

Pours a clear golden Carlton colour. Great head/lacing.

Smell is funky malt, concrete, tea, yeast, alcohol. Very English barleywine-esque with some extra hops, also quite boozy. That concrete character is a bit off-putting. Some toffee, orange malt and citrus.

Taste, on the other hand, is just big sweet subtle citrus. Big distinction from the nose. Still get a sense of the alcohol in the mouth.

Mouthfeel is like getting a flat on an exercise bike then suddenly hitting a medium-sized hill. Not too bad really. Bitter/alcoholic.

Overall a good but not great Lagunitas beer. Lead by example; enjoy your life.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 14:29:21 | More by danieelol

bashiba

Iowa

3.28/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a nice bright copper with a light bit of cloudyness, has a big giant sticky white head.

The smell is all lagunitas, big and sweet and malty.

The flavor follows the nose, a huge blast of brown sugary sweet malt, very much the typical lagunitas house flavor. The hops are a little more mild than some of their other 10 versions of the same beer, a light bit of citrus notes.

The mouthfeel is thick and chewy.

I might have liked this if I hadn't ever had a Lagunitas strong ale before, but I have and they all sort of start to run together as just slight variants of the same beer, not that it makes it bad, but its not breaking any new ground either.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 17:17:59 | More by bashiba

robbrandes

Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from a 22oz bomber.

bright penny copper, nice head, typical great lagunitas lacing.

smell - pretty sweet, picking up some mild hop undertones, but definitely more caramel nose than i was ready for.

hmmm, a strange push-and-pull at play here. as the nose suggested, the malt-back is huge - tons of caramels and breadiness; and a pretty good slug of hops on the back end. for whatever reason, i'm not entirely digging the combo. it's a more than adequate beer, but malt and hops seem like two entirely separate events. a bit of a let-down for my well-deserved high expectations of lagunitas.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 03:58:35 | More by robbrandes

rcfunk

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells and tastes like every other Lagunitas beer.

Maybe a little boozier. Not really sure what I'm drinking.

Does the ".Alt" mean it is a (failed) stab at a Altbier, or merely that this is an alternative to the regular Lucky 13? So many questions; few answers.

I don't mean to suggest this beer doesn't taste good. Well anyway, I probably should have limited this review to a single figure: ?

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 02:00:14 | More by rcfunk

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.35/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an snifter glass.

Appearance: Light amber color poured lightly giving a white 1/2" head.

Smell: Doesn't smell bad but not the strongest property of the beer. Smells like pine...no not the washing stuff more like a beautiful forest. I like it but I don't love it.

Taste: Pretty bitter more of an acquired taste. Hints of grapefruit skin, very strong hop.

Mouth: Medium carbonation, not too hard to swallow. Does bubble up as is it moves some people like this I personally don't mind just giving you the heads. up.

Overall: Not a bad beer at all. I would but it again...if you like bitterness and the scent of taste of pure "hopness" this is for you. Not your smoothest "blonde" ale...I would like to confirm with Lafunita's if this is an actual blonde ale or in reality maybe we are just drinking a "blonde" IPA, cheers to all.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 05:05:31 | More by BlurryVisi0n

billshmeinke

California

3.38/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden color with two fingers of white head. Retention and lacing are quite nice.

Smells of fruity esters as well as honey and caramel. There's an herbal/floral/earthy hop presence as well, but it seems to be more malt foward in the nose.

Sweet honey and caramel malt, a touch biscuity as well. Some fruity esters. Touch of green apple. Then bitter resinous, floral, herbal, and slightly spicy hop presence on the back end. Fairly well balanced, though it leans slightly in the sweet/malty direction. Alcohol is there to, probably adding to the perception of spice, but it's very restrained and smooth.

Mouthfeel is well carbonated, crisp, medium to full bodied. Alcohol is warming, but subtle.

Pretty decent overall. Kinda reminds me of hopslam.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 04:33:02 | More by billshmeinke

DavidST

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

This pours a clear copperish color with a nice slightly off white head. The smell is a little sweet, I get some pine and citrus hops, kind of reminds me of their little sumpin. The feel is thicker than expected, its on the heavier end of medium body. The taste is different than expected, there is the sweetness, lots of caramel and toffee, the hop bitterness is a little off, with a weird after taste (ripe orange peals?) and there is more alcohol flavor and burn than I was expecting (noticeable booziness) This is okay, but I doubt I get it again, little sumin is way better from this.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 02:05:46 | More by DavidST

kojevergas

California

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

OG 1.085. IBU 60. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I've had some pretty good beers from Lagunitas.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger head of beige colour, hardly any cream, bad thickness, and merely average retention. Colour is a clear copper-orange. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. The brewers call it "auburn", which might be strange if they didn't also apply the wrong usage of "it's". Rest assured, they're wrong on both counts.

Sm: Bittering hops with a piney floral character. Grapefruit citrus esters. Clean malts. Hops are dominant. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Hoppy - with bitterness punching through on the climax to its detriment. Until that point, the pine and floral qualities obscure the bitterness. Tame grapefruit. Clean malts provide the simple unobtrusive foundation. This beer lets its hops shine, but over-relies on them for flavour. No yeast or alcohol comes through. A complicated beer within the style, but not particularly complex or subtle (and I'm drawing a big distinction betwixt 'complicated' and 'complex'). It's a pleasant little brew. I do like it, but it's far from perfect. A touch imbalanced.

Mf: Oily. Nicely smooth and wet. A touch too heavy on the palate for the lack of diverse or deep flavour. Good thickness. Maybe the best aspect of this beer.

Dr: A drinkable little brew. American Strong Ale seems like a weak categorization. I'd get this on-draught, but otherwise it's somewhat forgettable. Hides its ABV quite well. Lagunitas fans would do well to try it, but it doesn't impress.

High B-

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:47:45 | More by kojevergas

SummitVA

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Golden brown pour with steady carbonation. Head falls off quickly, but nice lacing on glass.

S - Cardboard-y, vegetal scent of old American hops. A little black tea and earthiness. Malt character in the background, and some caramel sweetness, but the nose is off-putting for the most part.

T - Earthy hops and strong bitterness foremost, with vegetal character not far behind. Black tea again jumps out at me, along with a bit of brown sugar sweetness. Really wonderful melding of malt character and light alcohol heat--the most interesting aspect of this beer. Definitely feels like an 8+% brew, but it's not unpleasant in this respect. Crisp hop bitterness rounds out the finish.

M - High end of medium for me.

O - An interesting brew, and I really wish the hops hadn't fallen off on this bottle. This really surprises me, as I always find Lagunitas brews to hold up really well. Handling issue--who knows? Won't pick this up again, but I'd definitely give it a try on draft to compare, and I'm already looking forward to the next anniversary beer from Lagunitas. Cheers,

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:18:33 | More by SummitVA

Zorro

California

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hmm a newly twisted Lucky 13, an Altbier.

Clear copper colored beer with a small tan colored head.

Smell is strong northwestern type hops; here it is greatly different from an average Altbier. Strong scents of grapefruit and eucalyptus.

Starts out sweet with a strong biscuit malt flavor chased by strong hops. Sweet and citrus mix in a new way here something like grapefruit sweetened with malt syrup. There is a mineral flavor here something like you taste in hard water. Some caramel is present but frankly Lagunitas went to far with the hops in this one.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall this is tasty but no Altbier. You find new things through experimentation, like North-Western Hops don't really belong in Altbier. As the usual Lagunitas hop bomb this is good for the price, just don't expect it to taste like Altbier.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 00:52:39 | More by Zorro

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear bronze color with a billowing fluffy off white head. Subtle nose of lightly kilned malt and a touched of buttered toast.Faint citric hops become present as the beer airs out.

Quite an interesting brew. Full mouthfeel. The beer seems to be struggling between being sweet and being bitter, a nice little fight goes on inside your mouth. Sweet buttered biscuit like flavors up front, whisks to grains and caramel along the mid palate with a touch of bright fruit. Finishes with a harsh english-style ale bitterness that sneaks up on you. Incredibly smooth for such the potency. Still undecided as to whether I love it or hate it.

I think overall I pretty much like it. The bitterness is harsh and grows and sneaks up on you, but the beers a sipper anyway. Not too deep or complex but definitely unlike anything I've ever had before.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 03:08:41 | More by jtierney89

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a big sweet ipa. it pours clear brassy color with a small white head that doesnt last long at all. it smells like hops and caramel malts, tons of residual sugars, and a fair bit of alcohol. it tastes really hoppy, and i would certainly categorize it as such. the hops are fresh and sweeter, and the malt adds even more sweetness. it sticks to the teeth and feels like a cavity waiting to happen. the aftertaste has some bitter bite to it, but its too little too late in my opinion. medium body and mellow carbonation, but the feel is ruined by the sugar. its worth it for 5 bucks a bomber, but it isnt anything special.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 20:24:56 | More by StonedTrippin

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-clear yellow gold with a sticky thin white head

S-smells like an IPA. hops and sweet herbs. medium strength

T-comes in with a freshly bitter taste of orange peel and hops and some fresh grass. there's a very slight bitterness. ends with a matching after-taste and some decent spices. IPA much?

M-high carbonation with a semi-dry finish

O-this is basically an IPA. now i'm aware that strong ale are often quite hoppy, but this just has all IPA characteristics and misses some of those extra flavors found in strong ales. as an IPA, its average.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 01:34:19 | More by AdamBear

ehammond1

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2011)

Clear golden and auburn with a big, thick, and persistent off-white head. Lots of sticky spiderweb lacing down the glass.

A very sweet aroma consisting of orange and pineapple citrus, along with bready, caramel, and toffee sweetness.

Very sweet and syrupy. Citrus hops and lots of caramel and toffee sweetness, though the sweetness has a stinging, syrupy bite to it. Low bitterness.

Medium bodied and ample carbonation, though a bit syrupy and heavy.

A decent and inexpensive strong ale, but this ale seems remarkably similar to their Maximus DIPA, which is not one of my favorites.

For what it's worth, I remember enjoying this on tap a lot more than this bottled version.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 02:08:04 | More by ehammond1

GreenCard

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: orangey gold-brown, good clarity, thick layer of sudsy foam that slowly peters out

Aroma: the usual fruity/caramelly Lagunitas aroma with hints of toffee, iron, and hazelnuts

Flavor: full malty sweetness with a toasty, nutty backnote; herbal hop flavor but fairly mellow bitterness; finishes semi-sweet with a lingering toffee aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, gentle carbonation, light alcohol warmth

Other comments: This is a pretty good beer, but Lagunitas beers all taste pretty similar. Something about the malt profile, hops, and mouthfeel that doesn't seem to vary much from beer to beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 23:19:44 | More by GreenCard