Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi

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

Bottled. pours out in a hazy orange colour with rich white foam. Peppery and hoppy aroma of hay, tart oranges, wet grass, immature raspberries, mint and yeast. Dryish, peppery and hoppy flavour of grains, pepper, menthol, orange-peels and hay. Bitter minty and herbal finish of cherries, minerals and pepper.

25.4 oz bottle. Murky amber brown with a thin white haze on top. Beautiful nose of peach, honey and rosehips. Body is almost syrupy with moderate pin-prick carb. Taste is nectarine marmalade, hints of watermelon, yeast and toffee. Sour cherry peeks out. A tad medicinal with alcohol in the finish. Could be great in a few years.

Thanks to Ken for this one. Golden and bubbly. Aroma is vinous and yeasty. Flavor has sweet hops, than a dry finish. Very Belgian. Sugary, and some orange flavors as well. Very delicious, I’m glad I was able to try this.

Bottled. Hazy amber, rich head. Flowery caramelly nose. Medium-full bodied, herbal and fruity, caramelly with some honey. Later resiny hops sets in, creating a very bitter finish. Intence and rich.

Soft, pillowy nose of mildy sour oranges, mild citrus and leafy hops... there’s a saison-like wheat, orange and lemon note along with some peppery coriander, and it increasing in intensity as it warms, turning more into a perfumy, prickly, amazingly inviting mixture of wheat, fruit, wood and spice. Very forward, dense and heavy on the tongue, with a potpourri and citrus flavor, even a little boozy, but certainly not too a distraction. Sugary at times, tart at others, it’s intensely complex, with crisp cereal and rice and sugar mixing along with the perfume citrus and spices.

Thanks to golubj for sharing - very hazy golden beer - the aroma is loaded with earthy hops and some light chalky minerals - the flavor is overpowering grassy hoppiness, so much so that it drowns everything else out - it tastes like a freakin’ IPA, man - some bright fruity character and light herbs, all beat down by overwhelming hops - it tastes good, I suppose, but really lacks depth - a great belgian ale for the hop head, I guess, but not for the true lover of the style.

Bottle: Hazy muddy orange with a brown hue and a creamy film for head. Nice aroma. Herbal and buttery with a very mild toasted vanilla and almond notes and subtle sweet hops. The flavor is very hoppy. Herbal and spicy with peppery rind hints. I would sit on this to see if the yeast gives it anymore character.

Bottle. Thanks golubj for sharing. I really enjoyed this. I have not had a BDG like this before. Lots of hops with some slight funk. Nice mellow fruit flavors come through nice with the bubbly body. Some apple and pears with a little candy plums. A semi spice back balances it out well.