Lucky 13.alt - Lagunitas Brewing Company

emmasdad

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared a bottle of this one this afternoon with schmittymack. Poured a nice golden color with a good finger or two of fluffy white foam. Aromas of pine, grapefruit and maybe mango. On the palate, this one was light to medium bodied, with flavors of pineapple, honey and light malt with a linger bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 04:21:52 | More by emmasdad

depechemode1983

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a tulip glass a clear copper color. Head is foamy with good retention and leaves an even amount lacing.

S - Nose is full of sweet grapefruit and pineapples and semi bitter hops. Smells like pineapple juice.

T - Taste is very fruity as well as toasty. Initially you get the toasted grains and sweet pineapple along with caramel and bitter pine hops. :) Very pronounced aroma.

M - Mouth feel is medium bodied with complimenting carbonation. It feels smooth and has a slick finish.

O - Hell. This beer kicks ass. My local bottle shop just picked up the slack by providing this new beer. Very happy I purchased the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 01:11:41 | More by depechemode1983

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. Pours a semi translucent bright amber color with a 1/2 inch of head. Lots of lacing. Aromas of malts, booze, citrus and apricots. Some hops and tropical fruits maybe. Pretty complex smell that I'm having trouble pinpointing exactly what I am smelling. Taste is boozey with some grapefruit/citrus/tropical fruits. Malty with a nice alcohol burn at the finish. This beer has some of that typical hoppy Lagunitas flavor but a bit more subdued than some of the other offerings. Somewhat sweet. Drinkable even though it has a boozey taste to it. Again, like with the aroma, hard to figure out all the nuances here. There is alot going on with this beer but I am digging it. Overall, this is a unique beer worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 03:34:44 | More by PicoPapa

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't have a stange, so I suppose a weizen glass will have to do. My bomber pours burnished copper and translucent as a stained glass window. Not a huge head but the lacing looks nice, at least. Taking my first sniff, I am greeted with mango, pineapple, apricot, red grapefruits, minor chords of pine resin, and a sweet toffee malt. All of these things translate well into the taste, with the addition of a small amount of cannabis funky musty notes...brown sugar that transitions into honeyed sweetness that lingers for quite some time. Unless, of course, you choose to quell it with the hopped front of another delicious sip. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-thick, but not syrupy in any way, pleasingly smooth and creamy, despite the head's disappearance.

This one is well worth checking out. Especially if you like Dreadnaught, as some (but not all) of the flavor profiles are similar in my book.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 18:35:33 | More by WastingFreetime

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer pours amber in color with a slightly off-white head.

S: A malt driven beer with lots of caramel and toffee. There's a nice hoppiness, too with some citrus and floral notes. A bit more malt in the form of bread. There's an almost candy sweetness and a bit of fruit.

T: Lots of toffee, brown sugar, and caramel malt character, which is nice. More sweetness from the candy/sugar, and some red fruits (grapes and berries?). Still some hop notes with mild citrus, and a mild bitterness.

M: The body is medium with a medium carbonation.

O: Lagunitas makes some fine ales, and this was one of them.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 04:28:16 | More by womencantsail

NHhophead

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked up a 1/2 bbl of Lucky 13.alt as a replacement for a Lagunitas IPA keg that I suffered through. Neither the shop, nor I realized that it was the 13.alt, so it came as something of a welcome surprise. In terms of reviews, the best I can offer is that this brew reminds me of Founder's Centennial IPA and a little bit like Double Dead Guy--both of which I have had on my tap system. I would attribute this to the use of malts to 'mask' the ~9% ABV characteristic. Anotehr well-built offering by Launitas, and one that I'm proud to have on tap at home.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 13:53:05 | More by NHhophead

Dope

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Crystal clear reddish amber pour. Decent off-white head but great retention and lacing.

S: Smells like an IPA or a hoppy amber. Strong citrus smell (grapefruit, orange, mango), some resin. A little banana? Hard to tell if that's part of the malt or not. Gotta be some simcoe in here, distinctive smell (or similar) Maybe a little bit of bready malt and brown sugar? Mostly overpowered by the hops.

T: Also tastes mostly like a good hop-forward IPA with maybe a bit of extra malt backbone. Strong citrus hop bite that follows the nose. Some resin in the middle and in the aftertaste. Malt is bready and brown sugar I think.

M: Pretty heavy, accentuated by low carbonation. Hops are bitter and stick around well.

O: Pretty pleased with this. Basically like drinking a big DIPA with a stronger malt base. Strong hops, good balance, smells and looks delicious. Definitely a winner. I'll have to try to find the brunette version to compare.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 04:17:54 | More by Dope

Hatzilla

California

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber bottled May 24, 2011 Tasted July 2, 2011

Appearance: Lucky 13 pours a clear amber with a very thin head leaving a touch of lacing.

Smell is very tropical. Mango, pineapple, apricot, grapefruit, malt and brown sugar.

Very tasty. A nice blend of citrus hops with a caramelly malt backbone and the aforementioned brown sugar.

Mouthfeel is smooth with medium carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall, this is an excellent amber ale. I had the other Lucky 13 last year but I don't remember it being this tasty (unfortunately I didn't review that one). Dangerously drinkable. It reminds me of a Hop Stoopid/Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale Hybrid: A citrus hop blast countered with a malty-caramel brown sugar backbone. Go get one!

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 01:46:13 | More by Hatzilla

kaseydad

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I thought I was role playing with the blonde as I have rendezvoused with the brunette before but alas...I see it's another beer with an .alt at the end. Whew! Bomber poured into a snifter I am met with a nice copper colored ale with a foamy off white head with minimal lacing. The aroma is quite nice with red grapefruit, mango, pine and sweet hops. The taste has a nice combination of bitter and sweet on this beauty. Very smooth drink for being this high in alcohol. Light malt backbone. Big bitter aftertaste. Major mouth salivation going on if you are into that. Great mouthfeel. Overall this beer does the style proud. Awesomely drinkable though the taste may get tiresome after one 22 oz. I noticed as it warms, the sweetness shines through. A very well made beer and of course....worth the low price from the Petaluma crew.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 22:55:27 | More by kaseydad

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber

Appearance is a nice golden amber color that has a finger of off-white head that dissipates quickly. The nose is much like a DIPA. Lots of fruity nuances like pineapple, grapefruit, and mango. Fresh and inviting. The taste is very fruity with the pineapple dominating. A stong bitterness creates a nice dry mouthfeel. Medium-bodied and easy to drink. This is more of a a DIPA than anything else. Damn tasty.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 21:54:10 | More by ChugginOil

nimrod979

Maryland

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured a nice golden amber color with a large white head that lasted awhile and laced nicely. Piney floral hops dominate the smell. Taste is a fantastic balance of flavors. Citrusy sweet and apricot flavor malts balance nice with the bready malts. Slick mouthfeel and medium bodied. Finishes with a smooth bitterness from the hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 20:04:57 | More by nimrod979

bsp77

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Please change to American Strong Ale! Already requested several days ago, and it hasn't happened. Despite the name, it baffles me that someone entered this as an Altbier. ".alt" just means a different version of Lucky 13.

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint. Bottled on Julian date of 144 (May 24, 2011).

Appearance: Clear gold with thin white head. Some nice lacing rings.

Smell: Grapefruit, orange and tropical fruits. More sweet and tart than dry. More than anything, it just smells like Lagunitas.

Taste: Sweet and lightly tart blend of grapefruit, orange, mango and pineapple. The malts are toasty, but fairly minimal. Some light pine, spiciness and bitterness on the finish. Tastes a little too much like Maximus.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, medium to full body that is fairly sticky. Finish is just barely dry.

Overall: As I said, way too similar to Maximus. In all honesty, all of the hoppy Lagunitas beers are somewhat similar for me, but this goes too far. Plus, Maximus is not my favorite DIPA by any means. Ultimately, I still do enjoy it, as I like the signature Lagunitas taste, but I prefer it be better balanced within the beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 13:38:15 | More by bsp77

jizfiasco

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pour is good nice foamy head that laces the glass. The smell is so perfect I have no idea what an alt beer is supposed to smell or taste like but I'm guessing its not like this. Scent is the standard lagunitas sweet hop concoction smell mixed with some serious passionfruit and some fresh cut grass. The first sip is a bit of a let down perhaps because I am a fan of lagunitas ipas and this style is not usual for them. A lighter version of the ipa but still good and quite flavorful. Weaker then the scent but unique and a little peppery, hops are great and sweet malt and baked fruit are there. All and all solid but I would rather have a shutdown, maximus or sumpin sumpin.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 03:23:51 | More by jizfiasco

vkv822

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into tulip pint

Pours a clear dark, golden with lots of rising carbonation and a lightly off-white head with amazing lacing.

The aroma is of wonderful grapefruit and pineapple. Very enjoyable, though it's definitely not what I would expect in an altbier.

The taste is again very hoppy, with some biscuity malts.

The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, with decent carbonation.

A very nice, hoppy beer, that as it warms becomes more balanced with malts.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 03:13:27 | More by vkv822

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle
A - bubbly short head on top of a clear copper brew.
S - pine cones were just shoved up my nose with the best of intentions! Quite floral hops that overwhelm everything else.
T - moderately strong piney citrus with a low slightly toasted malt background.
M - more than medium thickness and not as carbonated as the bubbly look implied.
D - fairly drinkable but best enjoyed slowly.
Inexpensive for a bomber and prety good.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 23:25:19 | More by Beer4Baltimore

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle with ".alt" printed very small next to the Lucky 13 text -- by the way, this is NOT an Altbier, it's a Strong Ale. And at $4.99 for the bottle, why not!

A: Orange / copper body that is absolutely killer crystal clear. Holy hell that's filtered really well. Slightly off-white bubbly and foamy head with a really nice retention cap and wonderful lacing.

S: Citrus and pine hop notes overpower any other secondary flavors at first. The hop profile opens up and brings through some orange zest, pink grapefruit and peach. A very faint malt note creeps in towards the back end of the aroma, but not enough to give it a balancing malt base.

T: A really balanced citrus and sap hop bite is up front, followed by some really great citrus fruits - mango and pink grapefruit. The finish is full of pine needles that stick around and last well into the linger, very tasty.

M: Somewhat low carbonation but a nice feeling body without being thick. Sticky and a bit dry in the finish to linger. Not bad but I'd prefer a tad more carbonation on this one.

Overall, this was a really pleasant and enjoyable beer. At such a great price, I'll definitely be grabbing more of these before they're gone for good!

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 13:05:30 | More by ShanePB

nickthegun12

Alabama

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

wow thats good!

appearance is orange in color with a small head....and nice lacing.

smells very aromatic!....like aroma hops of some sort maybe coming from the yeast. hides the alcohol very well.

taste is amazing...very clean and drinkable...comes out very ale like!. has sort of an orange or tangerine taste.

feel is great as well good mixture between dry and creamy

overall this beer is outstanding....they def. need to make this one again

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 00:40:31 | More by nickthegun12

spratmi

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a golden/amber straw color with a thin head that leaves a full sticky lacing.
S: Citrus and floral hops with a hint of sweet malt. Light fruity sweetness - bubblegum or banana.
T: A nice blend of bubblegum, citrus and floral hops, sweet malt, lemon, clove, and cinnamon.
M: Smooth and somewhat creamy with a touch of carbonation.
O: An interesting and solid beer. I've already tried several of these over the last few days and would definitely buy more.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 04:36:09 | More by spratmi

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance: Clear golden with an off white modest head and lacing.
smell: Grapefruit in yo face. A subdued but "holding it's own" malt
"blocking and tackling"
taste: Nice balance between the grapefruity hops and the malty ale.
With all due respect I don't think this was classified correctly. I have not had an alt beer...but just by reading the description...this ain't one. Tastes almost like a Burton Baton jr., a cross between an IPA and a strong ale. I'm guessing the .alt influenced the classification but don't think that's what Lagunitas meant.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 21:41:13 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Jeriba

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into a shaker pint.

A - Yellow-orange with cream colored foam. A bit of lacing on the glass.

S - Hops, mostly: citrus and a hint of floral.

T - Lemon and a hint of bready malt, with some clove and licorice on the finish.

M - Smooth, creamy mouthfeel, but not lacking in carbonation. Not overly full or heavy.

D - A bomber size is just about perfect for this beer. I will probably pick this one up again if I see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 04:07:19 | More by Jeriba

WestValleyIPA

California

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my Dale's Pale Ale shaker glass. Very hard to get more than half a finger of head out of it. Very big bubbled body (kinda looks like a cream soda). Decent lacing. Smells first off like Lagunitas house yeast. Flowery hops. A little bit of citrus, but not too much-o. Big malt character on the tongue. Some light bubblegum flavors and a nice flowery and citrus-y bite. Nice biting bitter finish. Sneaky for 8.9 I'd say. Not like any alt-bier I've ever had. Great addition to the Lagunitas line-up.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 22:22:18 | More by WestValleyIPA

MADhombrewer

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared by witchsbrew an poured into liquor glasses.

Appearance- Clear straw color. White head. Small rings of lacing. 3.5/5

Smell- I got this in a glass when I didn't know what it was. The first thing I thought of was "belgian". I thought I tasted like banana and a small bit of clove. Good earthy hop aroma to accompany it. 4/5

Taste- Still with the banana and bits of clove. The bitterness comes after the taste. Lots of sweetness. Dulled in-your-face bitterness as only Lagunitas can do. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel- Thin to start with then thickens at the end. It will be a little thicker the warmer it gets. 3.5/5

Overall- This is ok, but maybe not something I would grab again. I love Lagunitas and love Witchsbrew for sharing. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 04:05:53 | More by MADhombrewer