Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale

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

Bottle. Big thanks to Craig! Poured a murky, muddy dark red body with thin head. Aroma is oak, sour cherries and wood. Flavor is slightly sour, oaky with a light sour cherry. Low carbonation and dry mouthfeel. At times this was too bland and I was itching for something more sour. Overall it was very enjoyable.

Thanks to Yaniv, the most generous person I know, for sharing this gem. Pours a hazy orange brown, like apple cider. Creamy tan short head. Sharp tart nose. Lightly sweet with some caramel. Cherry oak. Smooth for the style. Smooth small bubbles, creamy. Big tart oaky beer. Fruity cherry peaks out of massive oak. A really killer sour in terms of depth, not going overboard on the sour!

12.7 fl oz bottle received as the first installment of the 2008 Lost Abbey Patron Sinners club. Pour is hazy orangish brown with a a 1/2 inch tan head. Aroma of sour cherry and some nice woody earthiness. The nose is not nearly as aggressive as I was suspecting. Subdued, yet still very engaging. Funky, sour, really complex. Taste tart, sour cherries. Both elements of fresh cherries and musty old cherry are present, and nicely blended. The cherry fruit is dominant early, then gives way to the wood and earthiness. The aftertaste has some black pepper spiciness that sort of came out of nowhere. The funk is muted in the taste. As this warms, it takes on a cherry juice taste and loses most of the funk. Beautiful palate. Perfect medium body to make the flavors mouth coating, yet very refreshing. This was nice.

Reddened mahogany and very hazy pour; an off white crown leaves a skirting ring around the edge rather quickly. Soft cherry and funky balsamic aroma with dry aged cheeses, steamed artichoke, overripe citrus and bandaids. Hanging back a bit, but altogether really interesting and strange; more multidimensional than it lets on. Flavor is less so; more a perky, tart refreshment than it is confronting, sour bewilderment. Red apples, red grapes and brown sugar intermingle the cherry pie and funk characters; there’s a bit of chardonnay and what would be a pomegranate sangria effect happening as this touchy tartness lingers toward delicate fruity sweetness more often that it does toward firey sourness. Likeable. Sawdust, dry grass and some musty farmhouse like qualities in a mid palate that gives mostly buried flavors of peppery spices. Medium palate is velvety and polished; the typical and appealing rough edge is mild here. Finish pulses of lemon and cherry juice; fading amicably. Not an unforgiving element to this example, which in others is sometimes stunning and other times fairly superfluous. Here, it makes for a winning character of restraint in this most friendly of sours. Thanks, Andy!

Cloudy ruby with a small head. A strong taste of the oak barrels on top of intensely sour cherries and balsamic vinegar. Almost has the choke-cherry harshness to the sour.

Good and sour, but I just feel its lacking that killer flavor punch I was hoping for. its got a nice flavor of cherries, oak, wine? tartness and more, but it is all just minimal I feel. Looks good and smells terrific, just missing that extra....... somthing. Very good, just not spot on.

Bottle shared by goldtwins. Pours hazy orange/amber with traces of off-white head. Aroma is very sour, with acetic acid and a bit of cherries. Taste is sour as well, though not to the extent of the aroma. Some cherries come out here as well in the midst of some funky astringency. Lively on the palate and finishes somewhat dry. I’d definitely like to try this one again.

375 ml bottle. Pours a hazy, light leather color. Very thin, off white head. Aroma of funky, tart cherries. The flavor is sour, but never puckers your cheeks. Cherry tones are nice and subtle. The finish is tart and dry. Definitely an acquired taste.