Lost Abbey 10 Commandments

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
San Marcos, California USA

In the bomber bottle from Downtown Johnny Brown’s in San Diego. 2008 version. Cloudy reddish black with an ivory head of some staying power. This might be my favorite from this brewer. Thick meaty masculine beer. Mincemeat pie in a bottle. Remarkable nuttiness that emerges past the dark fruits. A splash of cinnamon? There could be anything in this.

(draft). Black color. Small tan head. Very light malt and alcohol aromas. Sweet malt and wood flavors. Avg duration. Alcohol finish with very light bitterness. Slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Spare lacing.

I’ve always had a fondness for Lost Abbey, and this just shows why. Bottle pours murky brown with a healthy beige colored head. Huge nose! Aroma shows raisins, toffee, molasses, vanilla, rosemary, leather and tart raspberry. All this and more follows through into the flavor showing additonal notes of almonds, cigar ash, and a touch of alc. Body is full and well integrated. Bravo.

Bottle split with Pat. The bottle reads 10% abv. Pours a dark murky brown with a small brown head. Aroma is sweet fruit, raisins, and malt. The flavor starts as a belgian ale, and ends with a roasty flavor accompanied by notes of raisins, clove, and vanilla. An amazing brew.

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Split with James. Pours murky borwn, with a thin, pungent beige head. Aroma of rasiins, malts, sweet fruits, chesnuts, and hints of clove and vanilla. Full body with a cleverly smooth finish. Outrageous Belgian strong.

nose of black cherries and raspberries with a touch of roast. body opaque with a head that requires a trappist glass to reel it in. flavor is foremost raisins like a legitimate dubbel. even after little brett in the aroma, it is fleeting still in flavor. perhaps a touch of sourness late is its only real appearance. roast continues throughout the sampling and booze is not apparent on palate but definitely does this body well. a bit disappointing on brett character but still stands as an excellent belgian ale.

2008 bottle. Pour is a hazy, very dark garnet color with a head which is tan, full, pillowy, and a bit rocky and does leave a thin, lasting, foamy layer and tight, sporadic lace. Nose is interesting with so many complexities; the brett is apparent with noticeable tart notes (overripe cherries) and some earthy funkiness, the raisin is also apparent, wisps of alcohol, yeast is all over the place (dust, cobwebs, bready), notes of fresh herbs (sage [apparently rosemary?]), hints of leather, and light notes of toasted caramel and toasted oak. Flavor is similar but better than expected with a rich malt base for all the complexity; toasted caramel, light anise, dark honey (is that possible?), raisin bread, leather, similar yeast notes, coriander, potent herb notes (rosemary), very light wet earth notes, hints of almonds, toffee, and the brett creating an almost vinous aspect to the already complex beer. I had originally given the flavor a 9 but after I listed 13 different flavors I could taste, I had to give it a 10 based on complexity. Palate is nice with a moderately full body, nearly lively carbonation, and a velvety and round mouthfeel; dryness in the finish and very light warmth long after the finish is complete. The finish is long and drying out slightly but, even with all the other complexities, is still sweet; notes of spicy rosemary, toffee and caramel, light oak notes, almond, dry honey, and cinnamon? Truly a remarkable beer in the fact that it is dark and sweet but also takes the brett character to create a beer which is completely unique and very complex. Usually these dark farmhouse-type beers tend to be dry and not complex but this one was neither. Another note... honey in most beers I am opposed to because it brings unnecessary residual sweetness and intense dryness, however, in this one, it added some necessary sweetness to balance the other complexities and the dryness was only minimal. Bitterness was almost negligible but the rosemary provided some and the overall sweetness was not overwhelming. It is hard for me to say a bad thing about this one, certainly my favorite brett beer. This brewery never disappoints.

Pour is like a belgian Dark Strong, beautiful and deep brown with tan lace. Aroma is definitely Belgian with bretta sour notes. A full palate sparkles darkly on the tongue. The flavor... malt, current, tart, caramel, leather, earth. WOW! This beer is amazing. My first ever 5.0.