2006 bottle. Poured into a Westmalle glass. Pour is beautiful with a really dark brown color, no clarity and slightly translucent. The head is amazing, pours 1/2 inch thick than turns into a thick lacing that sits on the beer. The smell is present, that belgain sweetness. The body is lighter than the other top rated Abts. Has the beautifully simple and completely enjoyable Belgian sweetness and some oatmeal. Personally, I dont feel the alcohol.8/4/8/3/16.

Rerate: same vintage. Originally, I was a bit disappointed with this beer but as I hoped time has really improved this. I poped open the bottle at BCTC. The sweetness has died down a bit and in the flavor this grainy buckwheat flavor has emerged which is really nice.

2002 bottle generously provided (as always) by Eyedrinkale. Sampled July 2005. Pours a drab, olive-brown, with some dark blackish-violet tinged colors and some dark, orangish-tan-brown notes. Interesting color, all told, and quite fair to the style (though lighter overall). A thin film of head covered the beer to start, off-white to yellowish cream colored, but is not long-retained, though it did lace well. There were large protein chunks in the bottom of the glass. The beer was very murky. Aroma smells of concord grapes. Yep, hugely vinous and very strange. Brown malt sweetness that was expected is not there, but there is a dry, raisiny, bitter chocolate note and some beginning notes of oxidation. Flavor was more telling of the condition this was in (not a good one), and was the equivalent of a big dose of moderately sweet, flat, fermented grape juice (not quite the elegance of a wine). Raisiny, moderately sour on the finish, with some sherry and light cardboard. Slick, loose consistency, with a very low carbonation. The body is there, but it is just so vinously grapey that I can barely choke down my glass. The alcohol was not apparent, that was a nice touch, but it just did not do much good. Some vanilla and almond notes try to break in the mix, but the sourness holds it back, while the bitter chocolate/light roast and huge concord grape flavor sap all enjoyment. Everyone remarked how bad and undrinkable it was, and how passed its prime. And I agree. Not sure how anyone that tasted it alongside me gave this over a 3, but whatever, to each his own, I guess.

A note on why I chose to rate this. I know, having personally seen EDA’s cellar that he takes very good care of his bottles and I can’t imagine this to be any exception. Hell, at 10% and this magnitude of malt, it would take a lot to unnaturally disrupt this beer. I love Phil’s beers more than the next guy, but I think it’s only fair to review the bad with the good. I’m sure the much acclaimed 2003 Abbot 12 will be much more to my liking (I hope anyways) and will give it it’s due when I open it. 6/3/4/2/8

2006 bottle from the Hop Devil Grill, drunk on 9/22/06.
Strong beige-ivory colored head perches well atop a deep, brown-auburn-mahogany body, with light violet-crimson highlights on the edges. Lacing is moderate, and retention is moderate as well. Bottle conditioned.
Sweet, sticky fruits in the nose: prunes, raisins, currants, gooseberries, elderberries.....Strong caramel and sweet toffee are certainly not subtle, while a lightly oily/leathery yeastiness, mixed in with some vaporous fusels join the fray on the finish. Banana and vanillin-like notes add some estery drynes, and the dry fruits help balance, but it is still awfully sweet and rather raw.
Surprisingly, I think the flavor comes through somewhat more refined than the aroma. Perhaps the alcohol playing foil to the heavily sweet toffe-breadiness and sticky caramel gives a glimpse of balance. Peppery phenols build up quickly, however, and while there is some soft, banana bread-like chewiness, and a bit of smooth brown sugar, the heavily drying alcohol and phenols overbalance the finish and you get a flavor profile that moves from heavily sweet to heavily dry/borderline astringent, without much in between. Certainly this is due, in part, to its very young age and no doubt this beer should develop much better cohesiveness after a year or so. Dark fruit skins, light cocoa powder and more vanilla round off the finish. Definitely an eye opener, and something to be sipped. Carbonation is very heavy at first, and takes patience to let settle. 6/4/7/3/14. Score is an average of the two years.

Dark brown with a minmal tan head that laces nicely. Complex nutty aroma with dried fruit, caramel and a touch of alcohol. The flavors follow the aroma. I’d love to find another bottle of this and do a side by side with the other Trappist Ales.

Sampled at the RBESP 2004
Chocolate, raisins, green wood and light oat aroma. Dark cloudy brown. Sweet raisin in the flavor, nuts and sugar, mirrors the aroma. On the sweet side - cellaring would probably improve on it. Berry sweet aftertaste. Medium to full body.

[The bottle I shared had been all over Eastern Europe in Josh’s backpack before ending up in Stockholm, thanks, Josh] An opaque brown beer with a brown disappearing head. The aroma is sweet with notes of prunes and raisins. The flavor is of prunes and raisins before a dry hoppy end sets in, and the alcohol starts burning the throat.

Murky chestnut colour. Richly malty aroma with prunes, raisins, yeast, light caramel and a hint of alcohol. Very sweet dark malt palate with hints of raisins and smoke. Soft, sweet finish that is slightly honeyish but never cloying.

Bottled. Nut brown no head. Very sweet and almondy. Full bodied and warming with some vinous flavours. Still sugar is dominating, and it is sweet to the point that all I get is syrup, honey and sugar that drowns everything else. All around me at the European Summer Party I hear nothing but praise for this beer, but I am not able to agree - nor find the flavours and richness of this beer. Frustrating.

Dark brown with reddish shine; slim white head, gone in seconds. Brett-like nose, slightly phenolic. Both very fruity and yeasty with all the esters. Taste is a sharp combination of bitter (dark malts) and tart sourness which is fruity, like sour grapes or unripe fruit. Mouthfeel is dominated by both alcohol- and acidburn, diluting the full body a bit. The wild yeast/Brett character sits uneasy upon the big trappist characteristics. Pity, as it deserves better, a lot of the individual characs are right - the combination isn't there - yet, as I'm sure this beer is constantly under development.