Lost Abbey Sinners Blend 09

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

bottle thanks to Mar. pitch black with a thin cream head. oak, fruity tartness, sour apples and grapes and definitely funky. nice on the palate with a huge tart fruit flavor upfront with a slight hint of acidity in the finish.

Bottle at Paul’s tasting. On first pour this was one step short of undrinkable, highlighting so many off aromas that I practically couldn’t bring the thing to my nose. However, revisiting it 10 minutes later, it had opened up into a completely different beer, one that was mindblowingly complex and nuanced. The aroma was like a fine dessert cake, with chestnut, marshmallow, marichino cherries and a almond liquor through. Lovely, soft body, gentle carbonation that coats the tongue, with flavors of cherry, chocolate, mushrooms, brandy, and a soft sourness to add complexity and balance. Simply astounding. I was thrilled to see everyone had taken their ounce and not gone to take any more (no doubt influenced by the first taste) as that meant more for me.

The beer pours out a dark brown with no head at all just a bit of fizzy tiny bubbles that rise to the surface after a very rough pour. Aroma is very complex full of tart cherries, figs, raisins, and dark chocolate. I let the beer sit and just breathe for about 15 minutes before every sipping, the aroma is great. Taste is very rich and complex, sourness hits the taste buds first then fading to a winelike flavor of tannins, a hint of roasted chocolate comes in at the end. Very nice.

Pours deep brown with virtually no head. Aroma of port wine, cherries and a touck of oak. Taste is sour/tart cherries up front then port wine and dark fruits through the middle, follwing up with a bit of toasted malt and oak woodiness. A bit of soy comes to play also.

Bottle. Pours with a thin, mocha colored head and a mahogany to black colored body. The head fades as if it was on the top of coffee to a mocha ring with waves across the top. Aroma of oak, wine, chocolate, soured woody creatures, cinnamon, light berry, tar, dry notes, quite complex. Taste is light tart, rich cocoa, light herbal, tons of dry red wine, some acidity, anise, light bitter with a touch of bourbon charred barrel. Big mouthfeel, light bubbles. A boozy feel for a so-called 8% beer. Very interesting. Plan on aging the other bottle for about two years.

Sampled at Darkness Day. Pours murky dark brown with a minimalist brown head. Aroma of sour cherries, caramel malts, bread...some roasted notes. Flavor is sour, tart...a tiny bit of sweetness. Palate is nice but a little under carbonated but not flat by any means. Overall, its solid.

Bottle from mspindler. Aroma pungent chocolate cherries. Appearance was dark prune color with no head. Taste very sour pungent and bitter (puckering). Very low carbonation. Overall pretty good.

375ml bottle @Pauls Gathering-pours no head and dark brown color. Aroma is prune, earthy. Taste is sweet dark malt, dark fruit-prune.