Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi

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

750 from the Lost Abbey Patron Saints club. Verrrry interesting beer. Pours a deep glowing amber, with an impressive head and good lacing/retention. The initial aroma suggests that it’s a winter brew indeed, with faint sweet malts and hints of some fragrant spice coming through. But the real character of the beer emerges as you get into it, with some funky brett, some saison/farmhouse pepper, and a gloriously long, dry finish. Fine stuff!

Bottle. Orange pour, some off-white head. Aroma is slightly sour, malty peach, and herbs. Flavor is sweet earthy malt, peaches, hop bitterness, slightly peppery, and herbal.

Rerate 2009 bottle. Deep hazy amber colour with a thin head. Pours quite clear. Aroma is soft and fruity. A light spiciness and a bit of orange peel. Earthy and a little bit chewy with a soft caramelly and toasty malt character. A little bit sticky with a touch of slickness. The flavour is lovely though... soft fruitiness and a hint of light sweet esters. A touch floral and lightly peppery but the booziness is surprisingly restrained. It’s got a whole lot more going on in it than I gave it credit for on the first go-around. A softly herbal/grassy note on the back and as it warms it becomes quite perfumey. I’d like to try this with a bit of age on it as well... I think it could stand to dry out quite a bit, but even now, it’s drinking beautifully. Thanks to golubj for bringing this one out. Deep orange, cloudy. Aroma is quite fruity and hoppy with a bit of chewy hoppiness, light resin and herbs. Some soft fruitness underneath, mostly of apples and pears. The bitterness isn’t high, but it smells and tastes much hoppier than any BdeG I’ve ever had. Sweetish palate. 7 3 7 3 14

(750ml bottle, thanks kmweaver) Medium off-white head atop cloudy amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, yeast, floral/dry hopped, light pepper. Taste is moderately sweet, floral/orange, herbal, pepper, some apple. Medium-full body, fairly smooth.

750mL bottle, courtesy of pepsican. Thanks, Andy! Pours a slightly hazy, bright orange-amber color; off-white head with excellent retention and medium-bubbled lacing; a gorgeous pour. Resinous citrus hops (noticeably dry-hopped) and graham crackers and an intricate yeast character; very generous, fruit-driven aroma. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: exceptional yeast character, apple notes, and bucket loads of fruits and Belgian malts; the hoppiness isn’t quite as apparent as it is in the nose; quite dense and filling biere de garde; citrus hops are a nice touch. Medium finish showing lots of yeast, biscuity malts, and brown sugar. Anytime, sweetypants.

Provided by kenny (kmweaver). Cloudy amber body with a medium-sized off white head. Sweet honey nose with dough, cracker, apricot and pear. The flavor is lightly sweet, lightly bitter and herbal with flowers, golden fruits, honey and cotton candy. Medium/full body is soft with moderate carbonation. Quite nice. Thanks for sharing Kenny!

As hoppy of a BDG as I’ve had. Aroma is earthy with peach and apricot. Body is plenty lively carbonation. Flavor has some honey, pear, orange, caramel, fresh leaves. As it warms, it gets very boozy.

Warm caramel malts in the aroma with some spicy yeast scents as well. Hazy dark golden brown body. Full palate. Very yeasty flavor with some sweet malts and a lightly hopped flavor. Spices mixed in as well. Not my favorite from Lost Abbey, that’s for sure.