Lost Abbey Cable Car

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

Bottle shared by Sparky27 @ Hellbilly’s Holiday Tasting. THANKS ERIC!!! Batch 2. 14 karat pour with a razor thin white head that left very little lacing. Aroma that hit me initially was one of cinnamon, spice, and unripened citrus. Minimal carbonation and somewhat thin, this one is dominated by sour lemon zest, lime juice, and oak. Another solid sour.

Bottle shared by Sparky27 at hellbilly’s holiday tasting. Pours a hazy peach color with a small head. Funk, vinegar and sour fruit in the aroma. Flavor is all of the above with a bit of wood and lemon zest. A great sour! Thanks Eric.

750ml bottle batch 2 shared with the Phoenix crew at hellbilly’s holiday tasting. Pours hazy gold with a small white head. The nose is saw dust, wine vinegar, unripe green apple, and light funk. The taste is lemon peel, red wine vinegar, tart apple peel, and some smoky oak. Medium, fairly flat mouthfeel. Very nice.

Sparky27 was generous enough to break this out at a tasting tonight, a HUGE thanks to you for this Eric. Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head. Aroma is lemon zest, funk, sour acidic goodness. Flavor is tart sour funk citric acid, sawdust, lemon zest. There is a really nice sour dry puckering goodness going on here. Very enjoyable, glad to have tried this.

On tap at Toronado’s 1st Anniversary party. Pours a deep hazy gold with thin frothy white head. This is a well balanced sour, with a flavor thats not to intense. Sour green apple, barnyard funk, leather, oak, citrus, lemon zest, and hints of peach and yeast. Pretty dry, and easy to drink. Nice!

2008 on Tap at Toronado’s 1st Anniversary. Pours a flat golden hue. Nose is lemon and grain. Flavors are a really nicely balanced sweet and sour. Some lemon, and bread tones. Very tart with a mild carnation.

A damn good sour. On tap at the Toronado SD with dasilky1 and others. Pours with a hazed golden body and a small white head. Aroma is heavenly after a two hour and forty-five minute drive! Must, controlled funk, leather, citrus, grapefruit, apricot and sheer awesome sourness! Taste is sour with citrus, leather wood, and more awesomeness, apples, horse hair, pineapple and a bit of brandy. So much cleaner and more enjoyable than the Russian River Beatification Batch 002 that they served later in the day (although that is also a great beer). Mouthfeel is super dry with a puckering effect. Tingling carbonation, and BONE DRY. Awesome!

2nd batch bottle (’08?) shared w/ Maheu at Toronado SD. Inviting nose of a light bretty funk w/ a semi-sweet malt base filled w/ lemon. Flavor is not quite as sour as I was anticipating, although I have nothing to compare it to. In fact, this was fairly mellow & well rounded. Flavor was straightforward, bretty sour, lemon zest, citrus, smothered in wood, w/ a "semi" dry finish. Really delicate palate, soft as hell on the tongue...rolls over w/ ease. A really, really delicious, drinkable, and almost refreshing sour ale that stays tart. Their Veritas 004 offering blows this Cable Car batch away in terms of intensity, but it was still very well enjoyed.