omhper (44752) reviewed Avant Garde Ale from The Lost Abbey 18 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Bottled at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Cloudy golden. Citric nose of dryish grain, cinnamon and coriander. Medium sweet with rounded spritzy mouthfeel. Fairly light bodied. Fresh, mild and evidenly spicy. Low bitterness.
Ungstrup (52110) reviewed Red Barn Ale from The Lost Abbey 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottled. An unclear orange beer with a lazing orange head. The aroma is sweet malty with a dusty barnyard note. The flavor is sweet malty with strong notes of fruit - especially peaces, combined with notes of spices, leading to a dry spicy end.
Anders37 (30296) reviewed Angel's Share from The Lost Abbey 18 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5
Bottle. Courtesy of Tomme Arthur. Pours a dark brown almost black color with a tan head. Malty yeasty aroma with lots of dark fruit, also some vinous hints. Malty warming fruity flavor with lots of dark fruit, also some hints of chocolate, vanilla and oak. Sweet malty finish with a long warming aftertaste of dark fruit. This is a great beer, thanks alot Tomme.
Anders37 (30296) reviewed Lost and Found from The Lost Abbey 18 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draught @ Port Brewing, San Marcos. Pours a dark brown color with a small tan head. Sweet malty and slightly yeasty aroma. Some hints of dark fruits. Sweet malty yeasty flavor with hints of caramel and dark fruits. The finish is malty with some yeasty and spicy hints.
CloakedDagger (37227) reviewed Red Barn Ale from The Lost Abbey 18 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
(Bottle 75 cl) Very unclear yellowish golden with an off-white head. Aroma of yeast and spices - chamomile? Medium body, starts with some malt sweetness which is quickly relieved by a dry, somewhat chemical bitterness with some phenols. Spicy flavours - perhaps a whiff of ginger. Very bitter finish. I’m not sure I understand the hype surrounding Saisons. Courtesy of sk8viking. 080307
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Amazing Grace from The Lost Abbey 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Draught at EBF on 2/10/07
Black cherry-colored body has some light crimson and violet highlights and is topped by a moderate-sized, dark beige head that fades slowly to cover, leaving moderate lacing behind. Clarity is medium to medium-high, though the liquid is quite dark.
At first, wine seems dominant in the nose. Wine tannin, that is. Very dry and grapeskin-like, giving off notes of deep plums, currants and light cherries, though very reserved and not juicy or overly fruity. Even though it seems dominant, as in it accounts for most of the aroma, it still is not overdone or in your face. Cautiously, some dry chocolate, light pale malts and a smooth vanilla note emerge, giving some depth to the lightly tart/acidic tannins. The figs, dates and raisins from the base beer only seem to provide softness in the nose which is underscored on the finish by peppery phenols, some scratchiness (not sure if it is from the dark malt or the barrel) and light fusels (only coming out with warming). Chocolate and caramel sweetness steadily grow with warming, but dry barrel character keeps it mostly in check. The added fruitiness, though not overdone, does lead away from the dubbel style, of course, but I really like how it has dried the beer out and the barrel notes work well with the dark notes of the base beer. Medium strength of aroma, it’s certainly not bursting forth, but some patience and persistence really unlocks a beautiful beer.
Dry and woody at first, with acids and sharpness hitting the palate, but smoothing out this sharpness is some strong caramel sweetness, soft vanilla cream and a fluffy yeast. Moderate amounts of dark, fruity wine flavors and even a light citrus note add complexity. Chocolate is notable, lightly, with warming while a crunchy, lightly roasted note combines with black pepper-like phenols and some light alcohol to produce a dry finish. Really liked this one, the flavors were solid, if somewhat subtle. Mouthfeel was a bit scratchy or bare at times, but I thought the barrel improved the beer, actually, though it’s tough to compare the bottle conditioned bottled version to this draught barrel-aged version. Wish they would bottle this....subtle beers are underappreciated on this site.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Veritas 001 from The Lost Abbey 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
EBF draught on 2/9/07
Near-opaque, strawerry-auburn colored beer with caramel highlights. Old-ivory colored head is large and resilient, producing moderate lacing.
Some dull barrel tannins (nuttiness) mix with a dry, somewhat tart, cherry skin note to set the fruity tone for the aroma. But it’s hardly awash in cherry aromatics, being much more reserved and lean than it is juicy and boisterous. Definite bacterial influences give a tart lime and grapefruit rind kick that really opens up the sinuses. Light vanilla and highly attenuated pale malts allow only the barest hint of chocolate malt which deepens the aroma and adds more dryness. Definite lacto yogurt-like notes and maybe some other oily bacterias. Very complex and difficult to nail-down aroma. Being that there are 3 different Belgian-style beers in here, it’s bound to have a lot going on. I like the dryness and tartness, but it might take it a little bit too far. The lactobacillus, as much as I love that yeast, seems a little overexposed and highly acidic. High strength of aroma, no alcohol noted. Cherryskin adds to the overall dryness.
Low carbonation immediately allows the liquid to well over the palate, with oily aceto/pedio or something like that providing strong barnyard/horseblanket dryness and funkiness. Musty and very tart, as if biting in to a raw cranberry. The cherries come through in the middle, but there is a definite flabbiness to the malt at points, and a wateriness, akin to watered-down cherry lemonade, is notable, though high amounts of brett and lacto quickly assert themselves on the finish, being quite sour/acidic. Dull tannins and/or yeast give some chewiness, but also quite a bit of blandness. Absolutely crazy stuff, a lot going on for sure, but it seems like there are some definite problems with the maltiness of some of the base beers. Some phenolic leather/plastic-like notes are rather unenjoyable as well, though they only come out with warming.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Lost and Found from The Lost Abbey 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
2006 bottle drunk on 2/3/07
Terrific presentation. Deep auburn-tinted mahogany body shows a medium to medium-high clarity, leaving the unfiltered sediment behind. Beige head is large, rocky and well-retained, leading to much lacing down the glass.
Light phenols, dark fruit esters and gentle, sweet, pale malts all come off very subtley, as the barest hint of roast (chocolate malt) creeps in on the edges. A fair amount of breadiness and a definite hard candy-like feel from the crystal malt, which works against the softness, but gives light (and dry) toffee/caramel notes that seem apt for the style. I don’t get much raisin, neither from the actual raisins nor the special B, but that’s fine, as there shouldnt be a prominent note of it anyways. Rather, it is all much more homogenous, with prunes, raisins, and date notes all blending together to give a stickiness that also helps keep the crystal malt from creating too hard an aroma. Black pepper phenolics and just a brushstroke of clove/banana dot the finish, while a touch of alcohol heat is notable upon warming. I really like the grain bill here, though I don’t usually like crystal malts. But they add enough assertiveness to what would otherwise be too soft and possibly mushy.
Concord grapes, chocolate-covered cherries and vanilla cream-like malt sweetness all burst forth in the flavor and then scatter, leaving light peppery phenols, dry crystal malt and hints of roast. Really nice attenuation, being lightly sweet, and very chewy, but also dry enough to be able to drink it quite quenchingly. Yeast dosent pump out much clove, fusel or bananas, which is always appreciated and the carbonation is very tight and engaging. Piquant dark fruits stick to the palate and linger on the finish, being contrasted to black pepper-like dryness and dry toffee/caramel notes. Very complex dubbel. I really like the chewiness and almost waxy-smooth yeast/crystal malt synergy combined with the fruity special b. Reminds me, in some ways, of Westy 8 (though the overall flavors are much different). Maybe a bit on the sweet side overall.
CosmicCharlie (9644) reviewed Lost and Found from The Lost Abbey 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Pours deep ruby mahogany into a trappist glass. Offwhite medium head with excellent retention leaves no lacing as it slowly recedes. Fig and apricot aromas. Lively with upfront pit fruit and a dry, lasting candi finish.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Angel's Share from The Lost Abbey 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle shared by EDA on 1/12/07 at Hop Devil Grill. Thanks as always, Mike.
Large, frothy, well-retained dark beige-chestnut colored head tops a milk chocolate colored body that shows medium to medium-high clarity, tiny bubbles and moderate to low lacing. Quite a nice appearance for a barrel-aged beer, which usually undercuts some of the retention and lacing.
Big, bold, aroma swells from the glass, fully coating the senses and issuing notes of sweet vanilla and brandy mixed in milk chocolate. The malts are immediately felt behind the barrel, supporting the strong bourbon character with sweet cream, milk chocolate and thick caramel. Light char and some prune character seem to be the extent of the dry elements, but the sweet notes are just so round, soft and endearing, as if crushed velvet is gingerly passed across the nostrils. No harsh tannins, fusels, wood or hop notes to ruin the party, which goes over well with me. Warming releases some alcohol esters, which mix with the bourbon and chocolate to produce a strong brandy soaked raisin and sweet fig combo.
At first sip, I’m rather taken aback and announce that the barrel character is overdone. Heavy bourbon notes of vanilla, wood, cinnamon, brandy and light alcohol seem to overwhelm the palate. Caramel only follows after the barrel notes are finished having their way. Chocolate and raisins, with toffee and buttercream join the mix as well. A mix of creaminess and stickiness is had by the very tight carbonation, in low amounts, and sweet base malts combined with soft caramel maltiness. I was ready to write it off and I think I actually went and got another beer. I was persuaded to drink more of my glass however, and was glad I did so. The barrel character, while certainly not having disappeared, seemed to fold in to the rich maltiness. Instead of grainy wood character, strong vanilla and bourbon dryness, it seems more of a chocolate and vanilla stout with a caramel-bourbon twist. The malts win out in texture, in the end, and it finishes soft and round. Still decidedly sweet and lightly sticky, but much more balanced. So I’m more or less appeased. I’m a tough sell on barrel aged barleywines and this is probably the best overdone (I still maintain it is, despite the much nicer experience after breathing/warming) barleywine I’ve had.