Lagunitas Brewery, Lucky 13 Brunette

Its that time of year for Lagunitas Lucky 13 which is a seasonal brew for them. This is brewed in the style of, as they put it "An ultra-mega-mondo red ale first made in 2006 to celebrate 13 years of brewing ultra-hoppy-mega-malty-mondo ales. Now it’s 2013 and we’re 20 years in," Whoa! 

There are actually two different versions of this beer. They make a "blonde" version in which the girl on the label is blonde and it is a super hoppy double IPA with is labeled "alt". This one is the original "brunette" version which as you can see from the picture on the right is a rich amber ale that is aggressively hopped with  mostly Amarillo hops. Both versions are fantastic, but I usually prefer the "blonde" version myself. 

This one is amazingly aromatic when poured into the glass. A big resiny hop punch greets you on the first whif. Filled with sticky, piney west coast hops and a caramel malt base to back them up, this combo does a one two punch on your taste buds. At first you get a classic orange peel, grapefruit, pineapple flavor washed over by a resin filled pine/juniper hoppiness. The sweet caramel malts balance some of the aggressive hop flavor, but it still leaves a nice lingering bitter bite. Definitely right up our IPA loving alley! 

Lucky 13 taps in at 8.9% ABV so it pack a little punch to it. It fits in our sneaky beer category because although the malt is rich it is surprisingly easy to drink. The high ABV can easily sneak up on you if your not careful. Overall though, another great one from Lagunitas Brewery. I look forward seeing their "blonde" version next year!

Personal Rating: 9.8 /10
Style Rating: 9.8 /10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at: 
http://www.whitehorsewine.com/proddetail.php?prod=723830000032

Lagunitas | Maximus IPA

After what felt like an eternity, we finally got a fresh shipment of pretty much every pale beer from Lagunitas that comes in six packs. And I'll admit, I've been jonesing. The one up for review today:
Lagunitas Maximus IPA, essentially, it's their standard Double IPA. As they put it, "At the height of the heat in the heart of the summer, we felt the only cure was a raging mouthful of fresh Hops and Malt. Caution: May remove enamel from teeth."

Poured into a pint glass, Maximus has a crystal clear deep orange color, and a frothy off-white head. The head recedes pretty fast but leaves nice bits of sticky lacing all around.

The aroma is the first indication that you are drinking a Lagunitas beer. I don't know what they do differently, but all of their hoppy beers have a distinct aroma that is just freakin awesome. Maximus in particular has that trademark Lagunitas tropical fruit/mango aroma, but also has a boozy sweetness, and some spice added. Definitely hints at how beastly this inexpensive beer is.

The taste is no different, with a whopping blast of citrus, floral, and tropical fruit hop flavor. Pineapple, peppery spice, and sweet boozy alcohol warmth come into play nicely. The malt is definitely bumped up quite a bit compared to other hoppy beers from Lagunitas, but it still only plays a supporting role here. Which in my opinion, makes it perfectly balanced for an IPA; noticeable malt character, but only enhances the hop showcase. With a somewhat heavy mouthfeel, Maximus finishes semi-dry with lots of resinous hop bitterness.

This isn't my first time drinking Maximus, but it is the first time in a while, since I've been purchasing Lil' Sumpin Sumpin from Lagunitas as of late. That being said, I forgot just how delicious this beer is. It's strong, amazingly hoppy, viscous, and (as with all Lagunitas beer) very cheap!

Personal 9.5/10
Style: 9/10

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (Brown Shugga' Substitute)

We were both very excited about this one. This ale is a first brew from one of our favorite breweries. Immediately upon smelling it we knew we were not going to be let down!

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, this ale has a pale amber color with a minimal foamy white head. Bits of sticky lacing are left on the glass after each sip. The aroma is incredibly hoppy....almost sticky with fresh sweet citrus fruit, floral, pine, and some sweet sugar, this beer has got it all. Wow!

This ale tastes like chewing on a bitter version of Juicy Fruit gum. The sweet citrus hops and the floral hops really come through separately but mesh together perfectly. There is a very slight hint of pale malts, but this one is pretty much completely dominated by hops. Offsetting the fruity up-front taste is a slightly bitter and dry piney finish. This brew really showcases the complexity of hops and how you can get many different flavors out of them. The balance between the hop flavors and bitterness is almost perfect. If you're a hop head looking for that blast of hop flavor, this is the right choice for you... tons of hops, but still insanely drinkable. Hurry up before it's gone! We give this ale a 9 out of 10 for both ratings. Very impressive.