Lost Abbey Lost and Found

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Abbey Dubbel
San Marcos, California USA

Bottle from Capone’s. This one was not carbonated at all. Hazy deep ruby pour with aroma of pumperkickly caramel malt, banana, funky yeast, some brown sugar, prune, oaky cognac, cheddar cheese, spices. Tastes caramel malty, with cabernet, funky cheesy yeast notes, port, cherry, oaky cognac, and bourbon. It came off like a non-carbonated cross between Sly Fox Ichor and Avery 13, with a dash of Stone 666.

Bottle. Head is initially small, fizzy, light brown, fully diminishing. Body is medium to dark brown. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel), lightly hoppy (herbs), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of banana, brown/candy sugar, cinnamon/clove. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery/syrupy texture, fizzy/lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Another miss from Lost Abbey, I’m afraid. Decent aroma, but the buck stops there, utterly and completely...the appearance is poor (tiny fizzy head that quickly disappears), the flavor balance is lackluster (sugary sweetness that won’t go away), and the mouthfeel is terrible (fizzy, watery-syrupy, sticky). I couldn’t bring myself to drink more than four or five ounces before I tossed the rest. Such a bummer.

Sample from 750 ml bottle at the Mondial, Montreal (May 2007). Dark, hazy caramel body with a decent jigger of head, nicely lasting and with thick lacing....wonderfully rich, sweet, decadent aroma, fine herbs and a bit of hardwood smoke, caky and juicy....the body, however, is fairly dry and yeasty-cobwebby, the sugars much subdued....hints of dry grape/wine character grow stronger towards the effervescent, lightly tart finish....quite supple and airy on the tongue, but never for a moment feeling thin or watery....this is quite an interesting take on the dubbel, beautifully constructed and uncompromising, just lovely.

Slightly metallic aroma, but mostly caramel and fruit. Nice translucent orangy brown color with little head. Starts with spicy fruit, gets a hit of carbonation and seems to finish with a bit of hop and raisiny fruit. Got to love it. Fruits are less than plummy, and the candy component is well under control. Recommended.

Bottle and served in my St. Bernardus chalice: Poured a rich deep mahogany hue with an initial fizzy head which left a small ring and some lace. The nose detects plum, starfruit, fig, candi and brown sugar, toasted bready malts, hint of spicy hops and a smack of phenolic activity.

The taste is quite fruity and earthy malt dominated, not that it is such a bad thing. I get a mix of undertones in the middle of vanilla, oak, musty and dusty yeast, and a pinch of marzipan. The finish is quite spicy really (clove and ginger I found) and the aggressive carbonation makes this unique. Perhaps a chalky and somewhat mineral aftertaste is it’s downfall for I enjoy this more when tasting and less so after it was done. Worth a try but be forewarned this is not a prime example of a old world dubbel.

Bottle. High creamy and long lasting off-white head. Hazy dark amber body. Apple pear plum raisin caramel aroma. Fruity malty caramel raisin flavor with a good deal of hops bitterness and a hint of alcohol as well as a spicy note. Pretty carbonated and a long bittersweet aftertaste.

@ Brewery. Poured a clear deep amber color with a large creamy beige head. The aroma was sweet and fruity with a good amount of raisiny notes. The flavor was sweet and of dried fruits. Yeasty notes with some red apples as well. A crisp dry finish. Mild bitter finish.

A 22-oz bottle courtesy of badgerben and shared with Friday beer tasting group. Pours a dark ruby brown color brew with a thick off-white head that has good retention and lacing. Aroma of dark chocolate malt, sweet raisins, candi sugar, figs and prunes. Taste is lightly carbonated, medium to full bodied, with flavors of figs, dark pitted fruit and dates. Finish is smooth, slightly dry with a spicy banana aftertaste.