Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus

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

Big thanks to bitbucket tasting group. One hell of a time, and a great one to end it with. Very cloudy dark golden. Apricot/citrus funk. Really sour, but clean and minimal sweetness. The flavor hits hard, but goes down smooth. Give me more; I love the funk.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, dark straw-colored body crowned with a small, whiteish head. Smell: Tart, sour aroma smelling of vinegar, cheese, oaky white wine, citrus fruit -- it’s an entire meal! Taste: An amazing mixture -- a sip of a fine French chardonnay paired with a noticeably briny-tasting cheese and one lone drop of pineapple juice. A plop of French mustard atop a sour lemon wedge. Musty earthiness and a bit lactic throughout. Man, there’s just a great, funky yeast flavor going on here. Finishes with a light, lingering sourness. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. All the while there’s a softness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: Quite nice. Kudos to Lost Abbey and all of the other brewers involved in creating this lovely beverage.

Thanks to BDR! Murky gold color with a large head. Tart aroma along with some hay and lemon. Lots of honey sweetness in the taste. Big wheat body. A dry tartness. Fantastic. I’d think it was a true Lambic if I was tasting it blind.

Sampled from a bottle at Tria Fermentation School, 9/16/08. Poured cloudy golden, capped with a medium-sized white head that rapidly faded to a thin cover. Sharp, lactic aroma, with lemon, wild yeast, barnyard, and and wood. Flavor is as suggested by the aroma, with grass, wild yeast, citrus, herbs, lemon zest and wood. Long, dry lactic finish. Reminiscent of Cantillon Gueuze. Excellent now, but I suspect this will get even better with some time in the cellar.

Tasted @ beer school Tria, hosted by Tom Peters. From a bottle poured a hazy golden color. Nice blend from the five great brewers with an amazing tart flavor and a lingering finish.

Sampled at the brewery for RBSG 08. Pours a hazy gold with a white ring. Crisp, sour aroma, of citrus, with hints of sweetness. Sharp, sour taste, of lemons and grapefruit. Lingering sour lemon flavors. Delicious.

To celebrate my rating number 11,200 I enter this much sought after top-50 beer. A hazy light golden beer with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet with notes of wood, brettanomyces, lemon, and a light acidity. The flavor is sweet and acidic with strong notes of citrus and brettanomyces, and medium notes of wood and grapefruit, leading to a dry tart finish.

And here we go....My 100th rating!!! Wasn’t too sure how would like this beer. Haven’t had many Sour Ales in my day. Had this with a home cooked steak dinner with risotto. My dad and step-mom also tried some of the Isabelle and just like I thought, wasn’t too fond of it. My dad is stubborn and thinks beer should be made one way and taste one way (like water basically). Anyways, pour is a hazy, thick orange with a very thin head that dissipates to nothing. Aroma is that of a fruity white wine. Mostly of sour apples and notes of lemon. Flavor is once again that of a fruity white wine and again, mostly of sour apples and grapefruits, but now balanced out with yeast and hops. I love how this feels and finishes. Obviously sour but not overpowering, and it finishes dry. Good carbonation and medium body. Overall, I am enjoying this brew. Overly impressed? Nah but I wasn’t expecting to be blown away. Definitely worth the wait and I can’t wait to drink more Sour Ales so I have more to compare to.