Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi

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

Bottled - tasted blind. An unclear amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet malty with notes of caramel. The flavor is sweet malty with nots of caramel, leading to a very bitter finish. The body is quite strong.

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of fordest. Pours a very cloudy orangey golden with a yellowish head. Aroma of hops, yeast and phenols. Medium body with the main flavours being fruit and yeast. Has an astringent bitter finish with loads of alcohol - almost boozy. 260708

From bottle #6 at sk8vikings American blind tasting. Pours hazy orange with a lacing white head. Fruity and light orange citric aroma, vague smoke note. Flavour is sweet malty with a smooth spice note. Smooth flavour with a persisting spiced and caramel malty finished. Finish is warming and light spiced.

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.

Bottle 75cl. @ home.
Clear medium orange color with a average to large, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light heavy malty, caramel, fruity, moderate yeasty, spicy, wood, wine notes, alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Good balanced. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20090811]

Bottle. Hazy orange coloured with a small white head. Sweet and fruity aroma of caramel with notes of spices. Fruity flavour of caramel, spices, hops and pine needles with notes of yeast. Hoppy finish.

Date: December 01, 2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Tasting, Strong Ale Fest
Appearance: hazy dark orange, frothy beige head
Aroma: sweet malt aroma with a spicy and musty character
Body: creamy body
Flavor: lots of spicy malt flavor, light bitterness rises out of the spices, caramel sweetness brings back the balance

Date: December 26, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: brewery
Score: 3.2 to 3.6
Appearance: slow creep of foam upon opening, opaque burnt orange, wispy beige head
Aroma: sweet and fruity malt aroma with traces of orange and tangerine and a bit of spicy character
Flavor: rich malt flavor, nice sweet fruity character, lots of drying spicyness with a musty edge, light bitterness

Date: January 02, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: spicy aroma is growing and picking up a touch of a musty character
Flavor: the musty brett in the flavor has grown to take control, rich malt with the fruityness providing backup balance, lots of earthy spicyness
Overall: has really grown over the last year, long bitter finish rolls out from the spicyness and brett

Date: January 02, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2008
fruityness is the big character like the fresh 07, just a hint of the brett to come

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Cloudy light amber. Full malty aroma - hints of bread, lush caramel. Hints of brett and ester. Crazy oak, rich malts, and a muscular alcoholic finish. Burly hop bitterness keeps it in balance.