Lost Abbey Saint’s Red Barn 09

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

Courtesy of Tom W. - thanks dude! Pour is hazy orange peach with a mountainous white topographic white head. Aroma is citrus, lemon, clove, angelfood cake dough, wood, and herbal spice. Flavor is super tannic but brett notes are quite subdued- only a mild, barely discernible difference for me. Perhaps she needs some more time for the brett to work the magic. Herbal spicy clove notes come through further with prolonged quaffing, as does more defined citrus and dough. As for the brett addition: even as the brew warms, the funk character does not increase to any degree- what is most noticeable to me is a distinct spike in the tannic woody features of the brew. These are welcomed, but quite bracing. Massively tannic actually... Palate is similar to the regular red barn- full and pleasantly effervescent. The finish on this version is a bit different due to the acidity, but I enjoyed it just the same. Thanks again Tom.

Hazy apricot pour with offwhite head. Aroma is hay, nectar, some bread, citrus. a touch of spicey yeast but not much. flavor is very similar to the original, but a touch more tannic and acidic. nectarine flavor, some wheaty, earthy flavors. A touch of tartness but it is subtle. Interesting brew, although not much different than the original, a bit more tannic and tarter. Id love to see how this ages and if it becomes more sour..

Pours an entirely opaque peach with a beautiful big frothy head. Aroma holds lemon, spice, biscuit, yeast, earth, and some orange rind- much like the original. Flavor is also similar to the primary Red Barn, but has a more acidic and tannic quality to the overall feel. I bet this would get more intriguing if fhe brett were given time to really make a proper effect on this brew. Still, Red Barn is delicious, and this variant, though perhaps consumed a bit early, is a great brew as well.

750ml from the Saints Club. Nice earthy orange pour, a bit of sediment and lots of fluffy carbonation. I’ve enjoyed the regular Red Barn in the past, a modest brew more towards the bready and mildly fruity end of the saison spectrum (in truth, I’d call it a biere de garde but whatevs). Only the mildest funk addition to the nose, tending to accentuate the tart apple notes a bit. As enjoyable as the beer is on its own merits, I’d say that there’s possibly even less brett in the taste. So in terms of arriving at its distinctiveness, this one’s got some aging to do.

Bottle tasted a few days ago. Pours a slightly hazy golden color, with rocky white head. The brett is quite noticable, with lots of tart and barnyard funk going on. Lemon zest, hay, light fruit, herbal hops, and a touch of spice. Very nicely done, will be good to see how the brett develops.

(Bottle) Pours a clear golden body with a medium off-white head. Aroma of horseblanket, herbs, florals, and light lemon. Flavor of citrus, florals, brett, and herbs with a dry, bitter finish.

Sampled from the bottle at the excellent Saints and Sinners party at Port Brewing. First beer we tasted of the night revealed a murky golden color. Aromas were a bit citrusy and funky due to the added Brett. Very flavorful with citrus, yeast, bitter hops, and smooth finish. Prefer this over the original RB. Tasty.

From bottle at Sinner’s and Saint’s Party. Young and tannic bitter, and a little phenolic, which I guess is to be expected from a saison, but just pales in comparison to other Lost Abbey saisons, like Carnevale. I suspect it’s yound and will be awesome soon enough.