Lucky 13 Mondo Red Ale

Another fine submission from Brother Jim:

My in-laws are visiting, so I figured we’d start things off by sharing a beer with my father-in-law. After poking around, I decided on Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Lucky 13 Mondo Red Ale, an ale brewed to celebrate the brewery’s 13th anniversary.

It poured a deep reddish orange into the glass, but didn’t want to put off too much head. The first sip was unsatisfactory – a mishmash of flavors where nothing has space to develop. A big mouthful did the trick. Full bodied and silky. The experience is almost like drinking two beers. The sweet malt hits first, with hints of caramel and an unidentifiable fruit. It’s nourishing and thick. The caramel sweetness diminishes, and the beer finishes on the back of the tounge with the floral bitterness of the hops remaining long after everything else has faded. Absolutely delicious, and a nice presentation of flavors. Warning: it packs a bit of a punch. It tops in at a hair over 8%, so this isn’t one to down in quantity (unless, of course, you’re celebrating your 13th anniversary). As it’s a seasonal, I’ll be buying more and packing away a bomber or two for future services.

While the first taste saw my father-in-law extolling the virtues of Pabst Blue Ribbon, his final thoughts were “Wow, a guy could really get used to a beer like this”.