Lost Abbey Carnevale (2008)

Formerly brewed at Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Saison
San Marcos, California USA

750ml received this in a trade with errantnight, thanks again Derek! I’ve been on a saison kick since the weather’s been warmer. Carnevale filled my glass with a slightly hazy straw golden concoction that is very well carbonated. Streams of carbonation rush to the surface from every point of the glass. A moderate pour produced a billowy white head of two fingers that slowly fell to a thick cap and left thick chunky drink lines here and there. There’s a good refreshing grassiness in the aroma. This is a well spiced brew and although Lost Abbey keeps it hush hush I’m guessing Grains of Paradise play a large role in that spicing. Pale and barely noticeable slightly sweet malt lays down the base for Grains of Paradise, white pepper, and coriander. There’s even a mild pear like fruitiness before the grassiness of the hops kick in. The more I smell of Carnevale the more I like. The taste, while still very good, doesn’t quite live up to the aroma. All the spiciness comes together very well. Orange peel upfront combines with the pale malts creating a sweetened beginning. The middle gets a little muddied with the spices but clears up on the swallow with the grassy hoppiness followed by the spicing; Grains of Paradise, coriander, and white pepper finish things off in that order of intensity. The body is on the lighter side of medium and as it works through has a bit of stick on the backend. The carbonation doesn’t quite hit that airiness that you find in the best but it goes down smooth none the less. This is an incredibly easy drinker. Today is one of the first hot sticky days of the year and Carnevale is about as refreshing as they come. Good, fresh flavors in a lively brew make this a pleasure to drink. My only complaint is it will be gone far too fast. This is another well made farmhouse-style brew from Lost Abbey. Red Barn was a good saison but Carnevale nudges it out, in my opinion. Both are very good and I wouldn’t hesitate to drink this again. Thanks for sending a good brew my way Derek. 5/27/08

Bottle; thanks to whomever got this for me; either my sister or Jon. pours a ruddy gold, with a compact, nice looking, white head. Aroma of must, spice, yeast, and banana. Amazingly easy drinking; a combination of the low carbonation and alcohol, and pretty mellow flavor profile. Musty wheat, slightly sweet malt, bread, banana, with a pretty dry finish. Not as much hopping as I expected. Really starting to like Saisons. I probably need to rerate some of my previous examples and some point.

Bought a bottle at Whole Foods in Westwood, CA. Pours with a medium sized white head that is mostly diminishing after the pour. The head sits on top of a yellow, murky gold hue. Aroma is of fruits, hops, and yeast. Maybe a little bit of a rose aroma in there as well. Initial taste is a tad spicy in my opinion, and finishes off in a light sour, light bitter fashion. There is some alcohol in the taste and the beer definitely leaves a malty taste in your mouth that lingers for quite a while. Medium mouth feel, with light cabonation. A nice hoppy beer! Great way to finish off a great Saturday!

Hazy yellow, golden colour with a white head. Malty, fruity and yeasty aroma with floral notes. Malty, fruity flavor with herbal and light alcohol sweet notes.

Bottle (750ml corked & caged). Via trade with irishboy. Cloudy orange pour with a large lasting white fluffy head, thick lacing. Dry, lush spicy aroma, plenty of yeast and light dry grassy bitterness. Taste - same, light alcohol presence, nice tang to it, dry yeast on the linger. Average body, typical astringent mouthfeel, quick malt finish - really nice lightly bitter saison.

750ml bottle, honey gold color, with a fluffy white head, leaving laces, yeasty, spicy, fruity nose, with a floral hop bouquet accent, with some stewed apple, pear notes, with a mild citrusy, grapefruit leafiness, with a medium-bodied palate, a yeasty, fruity, citrusy character, with a lemon flowery hop grassiness, with a hint of spiciness, leading towards a citrus hop bittering finish.

The Dan Journal #231. Tasted 8/20/08. 750ml cork and cage. Hazy with a golden hue. Moldy off-white head. Peppery aromas with notes of citrus and slightly vegetal. Lemony, perfumy and spicy. Medium bodied with a mild citrus flavor. Lemon and spicy. Peppery with a bitter hoppy finish. Solid base malt character. Good yeast. Nice crisp bitter hoppy finish. Tasty.

Pours sparkling clear gold, with a four inch head of dense, white foam. The froth takes several minutes to settle and theres plenty of webbed lacework. Aromatics lead off with earthy honey notes, lemon pith, dried grass, and a hint of orangy citrus. Some husky malt character follows through as well as a crisp mineral nod. Light bodied, crisp and snappy. The carbonation is a bit light for a saison. A lemony tartness starts the pallet along with dried citrus zest, wet hay, cloves, and grapefruit seeds. Light spicing follows through. Slight hints of cumin, coriander, and celery seed. Finishes with some lingering lemony tartness, and plenty of earthy, grassy notes. Tasty brew, but short of expectations form such a highly regarded brewery. Pretty tame for the style, and another Lost Abbey brew that’s short on carbonation.