From Nov 2007

his beer pours from 750ml caged and corked bottle a hazy light gold with another 2 finger head of foam(typical for Lost Abbey brews?) and lots of nice lacing. It looks so nice in my New Belgium chalice.

The smell is fruity and yeasty and there's some funk there as well.

The taste is complex. Lots of funk with peppery notes, a very pronounced hop bitterness, some malt sweetness in the background, and a tiny bit of sourness. It has a medium body and the carbonation is also medium. It finishes bitter and that dominates the aftertaste. This son of a gun, overall, is very bitter. Bitter in a way that say, La Folie is sour. It just dominates my taste buds and almost becomes one dimensional but I just can't help taking further sips. Good drinkability here? More than good.It kind of reminds me of De Ranke XXX only with more bitterness. It's like I'm drinking hop juice. I kid you not. Some may think this goes over the top and I *could* understand where they are coming from. For me, it's a hoppy delight though it should be consumed in moderation lest your taste buds be overwhelmed for a longer period of time than you wished. I favour it and recommend it. Only those adventurous need apply...

750 ml bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but was just released locally. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy deep golden amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, lemon, orange, grapefruit, melon, red apple, white grape, citrus peel, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, lemon, orange, grapefruit, melon, red apple, white grape, citrus peel, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Moderately peppery yeast spiciness and light-moderate herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, lemon, orange, grapefruit, melon, red apple, white grape, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, white bread dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no astringent hop/yeast flavors after the finish. Moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, fairly crisp, and slightly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6.3%. Overall this is an excellent Belgian pale ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, bready malt, and earthy hop flavors; very smooth, crisp, and refreshing to drink; with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Really great mix of Belgian yeast complexity; with balanced bready malt and noble hops. A little too much on the bitter side for a true BPA, but it's not overdone. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example otherwise.

Bottle. Nose is is funky, brett, tangerine, hint of white chocolate, brie, potato (oddly), lime, floral. Taste is leather, tangerine, lime, floral, lots of funk, hint of the white chocolate, greens, cereal, milky, doughy, a very dry bitter finish which has citrus rind and the faintest hint of resin. Further investigation yields grass, cloves and a little spice. A very nice beer which is a Saison to my mind.