Lost & Found Abbey Ale - The Lost Abbey

retry4z

California

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at room temperature in a pint glass.

A beautiful barn red color, deep and muddy.

Smells of sweet fruit and malts.

Tastes of malts, slight bitterness, and a unique dried-fruit flavor. No alcohol evident.

Feels very smooth and soft on the palate.

Overall it's a decent beer to have with a steak or a hearty dinner.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 07:19:09 | More by retry4z

gr0g

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy, brownish-burgundy in color. A very persistent creamy head forms, with plenty of lacing left adorning the glass. Buttery toffee aroma followed by dark fruit. Otherwise, the aroma is not all that impressive.

Good balance of yeast and malt character on the palate. Caramel malt with some clove and white grape. A slightly tart bitterness from mid-palate to finish, with some underlying sweetness. A floral hop note on the finish. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel from this 11 month old bottle.

A good, but not great Lost Abbey offering. I really liked the texture but the taste and smell let it down.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:01:59 | More by gr0g

Beerenauslese

California

4.11/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in a Lost Abbey tulip. Body is a dark transparent garnet brown. Easily pours a big foamy head that shrinks to a ring, leaving some lacing on the glass.

Smells of cola, chocolate, prunes, and wet wool.

Tastes of cola, prune, toast, chocolate milk, lightly bitter coffee in the finish. A flavorful dubbel, a bit sweet, but with a more complex raisiny sweetness than a simple candi sugar one. Roasted malt lingers in the finish along with a raisiny sweetness and light hop bitterness.

Moderate body with moderate carbonation, it has a lightly creamy rounded mouthfeel.

Overall, a flavorful double with a bit more complexity than average. There is a bit of alcoholic warmth. The raisins add a nice dimension to this.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 02:52:56 | More by Beerenauslese

RobertColianni

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4

If I recall correctly, this was a 2010 bottle.

A: Laced quarter inch head riding the surface of the beer. Dissipates into a bright honey/amber body with a very viscous swirl and spotty, grey bubbles.

S: Malt heavy smokiness. Very cakey or candied. Dried, stale figs. Chocolate, tobacco, and bready yeast (which was poured separately). Offers some very earthy grass or sprout notes in the distance.

T: Sweet, sugary crispness with a dry caramel mid and subtle raisin, dried/candied fruit finish.

M: Slightly malty, but crisp, dry, and tastefully carbonated.

OVERALL: Once Lost & Found warms up, it offers a slight rose pedal freshness and raw, earthy flavors with a toffee finish. Very deep, but very dark, almost too sweet at times and although nothing about this dubbel stands out as great, everything comes together very well in a great example of the style that can be enjoyed by the novice and the connoisseur.

NOTE: Review from notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 07:42:30 | More by RobertColianni

JakesCrew

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Cloudy brown with modest lacing
S - Subtle floral, citrus and honey. Very pleasant.
T - A bit watery and thin overall. Some sourness upfront. Finishes with a bitter coffee-like aftertaste.
M - Thin. Light to medium carbonation.
O - An underwhelming Belgian. Smell is strong point, taste is disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 02:14:08 | More by JakesCrew

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Split a 750 ml poured into a dfh snifter

A: pours a hazy lightly ruby brown with half a finger of tan head... Dissapates nicley and leavs some very nice lacing.

S: a lot of fruity appleness, the yeast profile almost reminds me of the avant gaurde, along with a nice touch if brown sugar. Not as much raisin and darkfruit as I was expecting in the aroma, which is a plus

T: yum again, the yeast profile and the nice appleness reminds me of avant gaurde.... Nice notes of brown sugar and raisin as well, very well rounded. Reminds me off apples light coated in raisin and brown sugar... Very nice.

M: nice a lush, almost punch like, with a creamy medium carbonation, very nice mouthfeel.

O: another great brew from the lost abbey, very well rounded with a great use if yeast, nice apple and fruity notes, very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:20:53 | More by PeterIngemi

beertunes

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yet another beer from the large format. Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a clean, clear reddish mahogany color with less than 1/4 inch of khaki head that had decent retention and light-to-moderate lacing.

The aroma was fairly solid for the style, earthy, a bit fruity and a bit of yeast and spice. The flavors were about what you'd expect as well, some grains, some grape and fig flavors, some yeast and spice. The biggest distraction was the noticeable alcohol flavor, it was just strong enough to detract from the other aspects, and lingered at the back end.

The body was pretty good, full and smooth, like what you look for in the style, but that bit of alcohol burn on the finish was distracting. Drinkability was decent, the alcohol taste reduced how much I would drink of this. Overall, a decent take on the style. Not great, but not terrible either. At $10 for a 750, you can find other examples as good, and better, for less cash. Still, worth trying though.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:19:42 | More by beertunes

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear deep reddish brown with a stingy off white head that subsides quickly. Smells sweet fruity and syrupy. Lots of brown and candy sugar mixed with dark dried fruits, mostly raisins prunes and cherries. The flavor is sweet with sugary malts and dark fruits. The flavor mimics the aroma quite well no surprises here. Medium body with a light level of carbonation and a sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. Decent dubbel, nothing outstanding but nothing objectionable either. The bubbles seem a bit light for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 00:23:27 | More by johnnnniee

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I opened the bottle about four days ago and the flavoring was pretty severe. So I capped it to mellow the flavor somewhat. As I flipped open my pressure cap it shot across the room.

It looks really good in my brandy snifter. There is still a decent amount of scum on top of the beer.

The smell is of a decent amount of dark fruit. I also still pick up a good amount of venous presence. I feel like this smells pretty strong (from an ABV perspective).

This is a pretty strong example of a dubble for flavor. I like the raisins especially. There is definitely the sour quality.

The feel is definitely a challenge. It sits a little weird on the tongue as the flavor dissipates.

This beer is an interesting experience. I may pick up a bottle in the future and age it to maximize the experience.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 01:41:02 | More by ummswimmin

Dankuel

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Brandy Snifter glass.

Beer has a cloudy brown color. Long lasting head with moderate lacing.
Has a nice spicy and estery smell to it with a nice malty undertone. The raisins come out more with them in mind.
Tastes very malty. Definitely a good amount of ester taste, a bit phenolic. Good alcohol taste but no burn.
Smooth mouth feel, with a grainy and bitter taste left on the palate.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:59:43 | More by Dankuel

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark red brown with a moderate tan head that lasted a few minutes. Aroma of dark and sweet malt, dark fruit and Belgian spice aroma. Flavor of caramel, dark fruits and light malt up front, a bit dry. Slight raisin middle and dry, bland finish. Medium bodied. Nicely made, but could use more bold flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 21:11:02 | More by LiquidAmber

daledeee

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 750 ml bottle.

Poured a dark brown with a nice 2" head.

Nose is dark fruit and spicy.

Taste is once again dark fruit(especially figs) and earthy with hints of chocolate. Quite a well balanced brew.

Mouth feel is really nice with good bubbles. Really like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 23:42:23 | More by daledeee

socon67

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Beer is brown with some red tint to it. The foam is high wigth plenty of carbonation. Slight lacing.

S - Smells like raisin bread right out the toaster. A bready malt combines with raisins, spice and other dark fruits.

T - Taste is similar to the pour. A bit of booziness fnishes this off, but the flavors are of bread, dried fruit, and a bit of yeast.

M - Not the most drinkable dubbel. Seemed to be a bit too carbonated, and the flavors lingered a bit much.

O - Not bad, but the Lost Abbey hype machine is at work here. I just didn't find this up with the solid belgian dubbels out there. Its worth trying but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 01:43:38 | More by socon67

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber labeled with a bottling date of 2/2/2012.

A - deep ruby color with a thick tan head; solid lacing streaks the glass, slightly hazy

S - yeasty and bready malts on the nose; very slight hint of dark fruit

T - less intense than I thought it would be (i.e. thought there'd be a big raisin/dark fruit component) but still pretty tasty. Started slightly boozy with a foundation of bready malts and a slight hint of dark fruit. Finished slightly bitter and tart, and slightly juicy.

M - surprisingly light for a Dubbel, with moderate carbonation

Overall this is a very solid beer. It's a little less intense than other Dubbels I've had, and I was a little disappointed to not get a bit more dark fruit with the addition of the raisins, but it's still quite a pleasing beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 16:30:58 | More by DoktorZee

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reddish brown colour with a large, off-white to light brown coloured head about two fingers tall and with good retention. The head eventually settles to quite a thick and creamy looking lacing.

Rich malts and sweet, fruity aromas with some spice, banana and apples combined and backed up with a whiff of alcohol and light grains. There was also some darker fruits and a touch of raisin and bread which all seemed to be well balanced.

Sweet with apple, spice and some banana along with touches of bubblegum. There us a good earthy malt base and hints of raisin with a sugary sweet finish. It was fairly fruity in places with a nice alcohol kick and it is lighter than expected.

Medium with a nice amount of carbonation and a good creamy mouthfeel that is quite sweet and wet with a fruity, alcohol laced finish that goes down great.

Great beer and one that came right out of left field for me. A perfect balance between flavours and great fruity notes along with a good but not overpowering. This is definitely a beer I will be trying to get hold of again.

1001Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 08:04:56 | More by flyingpig

dgilks

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Murky amber red colour with a smooth, light tan head. Fair head retention.

Malty and somewhat fruity aroma. Some clove and nutmeg notes. Raisins. Good but lacking depth and real complexity.

Sweet malt hits up first but with it drying quickly and moving into dried fruits, raisins, some earthiness and plenty of spice. There is a lightly carbonic note.

Medium to medium-full body with moderately-high carbonation. Suitable.

A decent beer at a great price. Nicely carbonated. The flavour doesn't quite do it for me but I don't mind this.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 10:31:38 | More by dgilks

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled Nov 23, 2010

Pours a deep brown, hints of ruby red, with a large and frothy off-white head. OK retention.

Lots of raisin, plum and fig in the nose. Bready malt as background, but the raisin and other fruit scents are the dominant aroma.

Surprisingly boozy, the raisins are strong again in the taste but accompanied with obvious alcohol and a woody flavour. Caramel and bready malt. Relatively sweet with a candied fruit flavour. A bit of spice. Pretty good- I actually think the boozy element works in its favour, though it was not what I was expecting. Tastes stronger than its 8%. Aftertaste is a bit off.

Quite strongly carbonated, full bodied. A fair degree of astringency, drying out the mouth.

Overall, quite good. The aftertaste does not work for me but otherwise quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 17:53:00 | More by jrenihan

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark rustic brick-orange with a dense clarity shows a foamy delight rising 2 fingers high with a parchment color and porous surface content. Sparse loosely packed carbonation bubbles rise at a good pace. Fair head retention with minimal lace.

S: Aroma of raisins show only small flashes of existence along with dry grains and bread as well dried apple slices. Alcohol of 8.0% is only modestly shown and quiet thus far.

T: The flavor is fruity, apple, cardamon, dried speciality grains with some Belgian yeastiness of grapes, melon, and fresh pear. Raisins, softly dried orange, starfruit, and some acidity. Warm fruitiness still little sign of the 8.0% alcohol.

M: light, frothy textured with a warm fruitiness.

O: Overall a nice drinking, smooth and easy going down dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 22:05:52 | More by beerthulhu

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bomber picked up at Total Wine.

A - A cloudy amber, with 2 fingers of head and tons of sticky lace all over the glass. Impressive

S - Malty goodness. Figs, raisins, fruit, but not too sweet. Faint sugar aroma.

T - Light fruity flavor. Lots of sweet malts, but not too sweet. Not much hop flavor. Apples is the predominant fruit

M - Light and smooth

O - A very easy drinking beer, with a very good light fruit taste. Well done

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 02:59:06 | More by BeerDawgs

kojevergas

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood-and-wire cap over a cork served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Acquired at Wades Wines in Westlake Village, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery and style - both of which I'm fond of. Cost was $7.99 plus tax. No best before or bottled on date are listed on the label.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated (in spite of the brewery's reputation amongst some beer drinkers).

A: After the satisfying pop of the cork, it pours a three finger head of off-white colour, fluffy smooth texture - very foamy, nice cream, great thickness, and excellent retention for the relatively high ABV. Very frothy. The head doesn't even recede a centimetre after three minutes, and held up for ten minutes during consumption - very impressive indeed. Colour is a tame dark ruby-red - nontransparent but not opaque.

Sm: A strong fig aroma, with definite notes of candied fruits (as per the label), candied sugar, and perhaps raisins - but only when I look for them. Caramelization. Cherries, maybe weak apple, and perhaps plum. Yeast. A pleasant mild strength aroma. Subtle, complex, and inviting.

T: Fig is dominant, but only barely. A delightful creamy open gives way to the candied sugar/clean malt foundation. If present, the raisins are subdued - at least beyond my palatable range. The candied fruits - indistinct though each may be - are wonderful and nicely fill out the flavour profile. Cherry swells on the finish, which is nice alongside a topper pour because it's well complemented by the frothy cream of the head. A full bodied yet subtle brew. Quite pleasant and enjoyable. Fresh and satisfying. The layering is a nice touch. Impressively well balanced and nicely built for a dubbel, experimenting with fruits. I'd like more yeast flavour, but I'm sure that will come as I get towards the bottle's bottom.

I do wish it was more complex; it feels a bit timid as is. Moreover, the notes are rather indistinct, giving it a compressed feel that works against its subtlety rather than for it.

Mf: Frothy and creamy. Smooth and wet. The thickness isn't perfect but it's suitable. Complements the flavours very well, but doesn't feel custom-tailored specifically to accentuate them. It's light on the palate, lending it a fragile delicate feel that suits the tingly candied sugar notes fantastically. Perfectly carbonated. The finish leaves me licking me lips.

Dr: Very drinkable, especially for the high ABV - which is itself well concealed. The incorporation of what feels like a high volume of candied fruits was a bold move within the style and pays off well. Bravo for that. I'd certainly have it again, preferably bottle-aged for three or more years. This will satisfy fans of the style, and I'd recommend this generally (but perhaps not specifically to friends). It's a bit pricey though, even here in California. Finally, Lost Abbey has far better beers; this is not one of their best offerings. Indeed, it's merely average for Lost Abbey. [I had to bring this category down to get the letter rating I needed, but the drinkability is a 4 out of 5.]

Drinks perfectly out of a goblet; I recommend a goblet on the narrower end of the spectrum. I'd caution against a snifter for this one; the aroma needs no trapping and the head is ideal in a goblet.

Would pair well with food. I wouldn't recommend spicy or rich food. Maybe a salad or sandwich.

A pretty good candidate for aging, though I don't see it getting significantly better. Maybe it'd move from a B- to a B.

B-

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 04:22:21 | More by kojevergas

blakelive784

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1 pt 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a snifter, reviewed live:

A - Pours an opaque mahogany color with 2 fingers of creamy off white head. Retention is okay at best, but it does leave nice cream lacing as it recedes.

S - Spicy phenols, caramel, toasted malt, candied sugar, fig, currant, raisins, cream and toffee notes. The raisin note becomes much more apparent as it warms. Smells really sweet, maybe even overly so.

T - Heavy caramel and tart fruits meddle throughout. The heavy use of raisins, though not usually to my liking, works fairly well in the beer as a whole. The yeast is mostly prevalent near the end. No alcohol show at all. It's a bit imbalanced towards sweet, though I think it's probably appropriate for the style.

M - Medium bodied, wet and smooth.

D - A pretty good dubbel, though I've definitely had better. Good quality, high price, fairly easy drinker. I'd probably have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 22:00:52 | More by blakelive784

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.1/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a snifter.

A: Half of finger of frothy head. The beer is matte mud brown but grows translucent and attractive when backlit.

S: Belgian yeast. Spiced fruit. Unsurprising and unassuming.

T: Strangely bitter, in an herbal sort of way, with a touch of coffee on the aftertaste. Otherwise, fairly mundane. Brief, boring fruit is saved only by a spiciness that ties in to the flavour that one reviewer astutely compared to Angostura bitters. The maintaste is incredibly brief, with no staying power. Unfortunate.

M: Rather flat, but with a little bit of sparkle on the tongue (not carbonation; tingly flavors).

O: Not terribly impressive, and one of the most disappointing Lost Abbey beers I've ever had. I wouldn't speak out against it, but I probably won't have another one. If you want a dubbel, stick to the Belgian versions.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 06:00:39 | More by AgentMunky

onewetpaw

Tennessee

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip from a corked and caged bomber.

A- Figs and black pepper.

A- Ruby to amber with a thick beige head.

F- Slight warming alcohol. Flavors of raisins and figs. A slightly rummy flavor. Low to moderate fruity esters reminding me of a belgian beer, in a great way.

M- High carbonation and dry quality that clears the palate rapidly.

O- A super interesting beer with lots of depth. The fig type flavors are something I enjoy. This is my first Lost Abbey beer and I can say I'm a fan and that it lives up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 23:54:10 | More by onewetpaw

danedelman

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

served out of a 750ml cork and cage bottle into a 22oz snifter.

A-very red, mahogany with a nice 1 finger head.

S-malt with a hint of a smokiness(not rauchbier like). Has almost a tart smell to it. Candi sugar also is a big presence with maybe cherries.

T-not bad. malty with a touch of coffee. pretty dry. no tartness like I smelled.

M-medium bodied with a nice carbonation level for the style.

Overall-enjoyed but probably wouldn't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 21:32:17 | More by danedelman

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy reddish brown in color with a one finger tall light tan head. The head on this beer dissipates rather quickly. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Moderate amounts of sweetness is observed in the aroma - highlighting it would be caramel and dark fruits (raisin/plum/fig). Also, there are some hints of woodiness to this beer.

T: The flavors start with a crisp apple, followed by dark fruit sweetness (raisin/fig), malty sweetness like caramel, and the finish has some spices in it. Overall the flavor is more dominated by a woodiness that increases as the beer warms.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Dryness in the finish.

O: Not my favorite example of the style - there might be just a little too much woodiness and not quite enough sweetness/sugars in the beer. Not an unenjoyable beer but not one that I will be running out to get again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 15:57:17 | More by dbrauneis