Lost Abbey Avant Garde Ale

Pours with a large, off-white, thick head. Clearish, fizzy golden body. Aroma of caramel, fruit, and some light wood elements. Taste is of caramel, citrus, earthiness, and a relatively strong alchol taste for 7% (which I happen to like). Fizzy and a bit thin. Quite different from the other Biere de Gardes that I have had in France.

Thick dark gold with nice white head that leaves minor lacing. Spice, citrus and some sweet malt. Flavor was a little of orange with a touch of honey. Towards the finish, nice little bite of hops that sticks with you. Nice clean finish.

I like the beers of Lost Abbey, that I’ve had (not many, but I’m trying) and I greatly respect Tomme Arthur’s skill...but the label copy really honks me, man! Check this out: "Grab a seat on the porch, some soft cheese, and a tree ripened apple from your grandmother’s old orchard." What the Hell? Who can they possibly be addressing here? Sorry, gang, I live on the fourth floor of an apartment, I’m fresh out of cheese, and neither of my dead grandmothers ever owned an orchard, old or new! Way to make me feel inadequate! Makes it kind of hard to "relax and watch the evening arrive as the afternoon sun is consumed by the illuminating moon"? Especially since I’m having it at midnight, as I look out the window at sparse lit skyscrapers of the downtown skyline, as motorists buzz home like bees on the freeway below Can’t I just drink it in my living room, with a slice of pizza, while stroking my cat? Anyway... Hazed straw yellow, smallish white head as it sits in my chalice. Citrus and bread aroma, light spice, rather nice! Rustic and refined at the same time. More of that climbs on board the tongue, soft and luscious, waves on waves of flavor, ending in satisfaction, finishes even and dry. A little lemon, a little peach, more spices, and plenty of toasted malt. Beautiful beer, a great companion for food. I mean, tree ripened apples from my grandmother’s old orchard, of course.

a darn good biere de garde....very nice grainy malt flavors and a very balanced finish....damn good beer!

Thanks to Naka for sharing this one. Beautiful clear body with a strong, rocky white head. Lots of quick carbonation. Good lookin brew! Fresh baked bread aroma with lemon, butterscotch, orange peel, spice, pepper, herbal and floral notes. Light crisp buttery taste. Clean, dry and slick, with bread, bretty, dry acidic and floral notes and a sweet honey aftertaste. Very clean, easy to drink example of the style.

750 ml bottle courtesy of Naka, shared with Exec. Board. Pours orange with slight amber. Small, off-white head. Light nose of orange peel and coriander, slight lemon, pepper and some mild funk. Lots of flavors. Bready and sourdough backbone with mild caramel, then a plethora of spices - coriander, orange peel, pepper and some others I can’t distinguish. Nex is a large hop bite that is quickly overtaken by alcohol bite and warmth that lingers well into the lafter. Slight lemon and other citrus notes. This is a good beer. Good body, good carb.

750 ml bottle thanks to Boltz for this one. I brought this to Irazu to pair with Caribbean food and it went nicely. Poured a hazed copper orange with a beige smooth head. A strong earthiness surrounds this beer. Dusty, wood, barnyard, and grassy with some dough, caramel malts, and a touch of raisin. Smooth palate. Lightly sweet flavors with grass, earth, herbal notes and dusty. The earthy/grassy hops have a slight bitterness in the finish. I’d be able to drink quite a few of these if it was a little more within reach. Solid beer.

750ml caged and corked bottle. Very outdoorsy aroma. Grass, hay and dry leaves. Dry and dusty yeast, bread dough and a small whimper of caramel malt. Loads of grassy and earthy hops as the beer opens. Pours a bright and slightly hazy orange with a very thin ring of a white head. Crisp and slightly chalky on the palate. Slightly tart. Very bready, earthy and grassy. Crisp and refreshing. Medium bodied, creamy with delicate carbonation. Nothing really flawed here, but nothing worth shouting about. A fine summer beer, though. Thanks Craig!