Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Popped this at my new years beer bash. Pours a clear straw yellow with no head to speak of. Tiny bubbles erupt throughout the glass. Aroma is very awesome. Tart lemon heads, very slight funk, sweetness, citrus. Drinks very crisp and puckering but not overly sour. this is like drinking lemonaid. Real easy drinker for the style and the sour is just perfect for all the citrus flavors that come through. Finish is just as clean and crisp as to be expected from a beer of this cal. Tart lemon with a touch of sweet lingers on the tongue begging you for another sip.

Taster @ Sour & Bitter Dinner, Copenhagen. Another whale from the sour beer vaults in my glass; this one has a light hazy orange body with a moderate white head and does not look like it’s made of awesomeness. The aroma, however, blows me away: lime, coconut, lemon, white currants, herbs and hints of stable. Wow. What a unique and utterly delicious mix! Taste follows suit with lemon, tart acidic vinegar notes, green apples, hints of harsh hazelnut (but in a good way!). Very balanced; the flavors are discernible but still woven together in a masterful way, which should probably be credited to brewer and aging alike. A bit flat on the palate, but somehow it suits this beer very well. Isabelle Proximus was the one true surprise on S & B for me, and a beer I am glad to have tasted, despite the high price tag. A great sour in the American tradition.

Bottle @ S&B - pours bright and clear dark yellow, no head. The nose is just incredible as it is a perfect mix of the fruitiness of peach with a nutty impression of almond (marzipan) and a full buttery character. Light, fresh body with low carbonation. Taste of lemon peel. The complex nose makes it an incredible beer.

From Bottle at Sour & Bitter 2012. It pours light orange, with a thin white head. The nose is floral, golden syrup, some tartness, raisin, tangy marmalade, nectarine, almond, vanilla, marzipan and toasted coconut. The taste is sour lemon, white grape, Granny Smith apple, touch of vinegar, floral, hay, some alcohol warmth, vanilla and almond, with a dry, very tart finish. Medium body and lowish carbonation. Delicious and pretty easy to drink, but perhaps lacks a bit of the complexity that some of the great lambics have. Still it’s a great beer.

S&B 2012. Pours hazy golden with small rim of off white bubbles. Aroma is dry sour acidy stable cellar wet blanket. Flavor is very nice; not too tart lingering sourness with touch of fruits barrel harshness and some bitterness at the back. Finishes sour tart and bitter.

On tap at Sour and Bitter: Hazy yellow with a dense white head. Classic aroma, Brett, barnyard, vinegar, some rubber. Extremly sour but with a fat malty base distinguising it from belgian Sours. Nice

100 ml pour out of a bottle at Sour and Bitter 2012. Clear gold pour, completely flat, no head. Pretty cidery aroma, lots of funk, very acidic aroma, a bit of pear. Very sour, the sourness almost gives an impression of carbonation. Super dry palate, very light carbonation (almost flat). A light fruity taste subsists, but this beer has almost completely dried out. I have a feeling it’s getting a little old. Still very good, but not a super complex multi layered sour anymore.

Bottled. Yellow coloured. Quite unclear. NOt much head. ARoma of sourness, tart, citrus, some funk and caramel. Flavour of sourness, some brett, tart, leather and horseblanket. Quite full bodied. Ends on a tart and sourish note. Nice.

Sour & Bitter 2012, Copenhagen. Yellowredish/orange hazy beer. Citrus, a bit rubber some hay aroma and flavour. Nice sour beer.

Bottle pour at Copenhagen Sour & Bitter festival 2012. Cloudy caramel colour with a small pale head. Aroma is lemon, vinegar, caramel, pear, funk. Good balanced sourness, with a touch of sweet on the finish. Taste is lemon, cider vinegar, sour apple.

Sample @ the Sour & Bitter event in Copenhagen. Pours very hazy golden, almost milky golden, with a very small white head that quickly dissipates without leaving any trace. Smell is slightly sweet and sour with ripe grapes, raisins, lemon juice, plums, hay, horse blanket and funk. Taste is sour with green grapes, grape zest, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, lemon zest, hay, plums, horse blanket, leather and sweat. Mouthfeel is tart, slightly mouthpuckering, dry and medium bodied. Finish is sour with hay, plums, grapes and lemon zest. Very nice!