Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Bière de Garde
San Marcos, California USA

This reddish amber ale poured with a few bubbles on top and a strong fruity aroma. The flavor is fruity and rather flat with extreme bitterness at the finish. I could also taste som unidentifiable spices. This is not one of Tommes better efforts.

Tap at Papago courtesy of Tommie Arthur. Pours a light plum color with a tan head of foam. Has a floral aroma that combines with plums, hops, and Mexican sugar on the palate.

Bottle (2008). Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is medium to dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain/bread, caramel), lightly hoppy (herbs), lightly yeasty (basement, barnyard), with notes of plastic, apple, nutmeg, alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, slightly unclean. Medium to full body, oily/syrupy texture, lively/soft carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Overall rough and a bit unpleasant (especially in the mouth experience), as is the majority of the Lost Abbey line, but not quite a complete miss...comes across as a haphazard and clumsy execution, lacking in finesse. Aroma is spicy (as if from added spices rather than from fermentation alone, but I can’t be certain) and awkwardly apple-ish, with an acceptable malt character for the canvas...somewhat attractive but not without unwanted distractions. Mouthfeel is its weakest point, very slick and greasy, leaving an unpleasant filmy coating behind. Sticky sweet and poorly balanced, not very fun to sip on.

Served from 22oz. bottle. Golden amber color with an off-white head. Aroma of citrus, spices, sweet malts. Flavor is unusual but good. Orange, spices, and maybe caramel. Very smooth and complex. Average carbonation, dry finish. Cool brew.

750 ml bottle - 2007 vintage; thanks to WestSideThreat for the trade; pours light yellow with slight haze; a funky, bready, wheaty aroma mix with lots of brett characteristics coming from a year in the bottle; there is little sourness in the actual flavors, instead lots of lemon, grass and spice; very soft texture, smooth drinking and wine-like; funky without the tartness; very nice

Dark amber color with a moderate off-white head. Pale malt, mild caramel with a backdrop of mace, cinnamon and hint of pine. A hint of honey sweetness followed by a astringent kick. Hard gin flavors mix with caramel and woody cinnamon. An anticipated opening that left most in the group confused. Sharp and alcoholic. Perhaps this just needs time as I do not get much brett, or perhaps I just don’t get it period.

08 bottle. Poured a clear, deep golden-amber color with a thick, bubbly off-white head that slowly diminished to a layer but left some nice lacing. Lightly tart, funky nose with some hints of fruit, including light berry, pear, and a hint of orange, honey, a hint of spice, and some bretty barnyard yeastiness. Smooth, lightly dry entry transitions into moderate funkiness with some cobweb and a bit of barnyard spiciness and some undertones of fruity sweetness with orange peel and apricot, a kiss of honey, and a spicy, floral hoppiness that pairs with a dry, bretty finish. Low carbonation, but a nice full mouthfeel. No sign of the alcohol. Definitely one of the more interesting beers I have had in a while, some age would dry this out nicely and more closely resemble the traditional style.

2007 vintage- Pours a rather hazy peach colour with vigorous head. Nose- brett is very noticable- earthiness from the brett, spice and sweet malts. Taste- a lot going on here- various spices and fruits, toasty malts, funky dryness and touch of sourness. Medium to thick body, no notice of boozy hotness however. A very unique beverage that I think really benefited from a year to dry out and let the brett work its magic.