Lagunitas Lucky 13 Cask

The first Friday of every month is cask beer night at Aroma Thyme Bistro, in Ellenville, NY. This month's beer was Lucky 13 from the Lagunitas Brewing Company. Lucky 13 was first brewed in 2006 to commemorate the brewery's 13th anniversary. The beer was so well received that Lagunitas decided to keep it around.

Lucky 13 poured a cloudy apple cider color with absolutely no head. The nose was clean, big hop aroma with some underlying malt. The body was smooth, with almost no carbonation. There is a big malt backbone, a noticeable sweetness and notes of beef jerkey, and a large amount of hops on the backend. The finish is loaded with hops, a sharp bitterness, and a nice lingering dryness.

Overall, this is a nice, well made beer. It is a monster that should be sipped or paired with rich, gamey meat. This would be a great beer to buy and lay down in the cellar for a year or so.