Red Barn Ale - The Lost Abbey

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One and a half years cellared, picked up at a Pizza Plant fresh. Very zesty, enjoyable fresh tasting saison. Sweetish malt made it dangerously drinkable. Whitish colour. Way above average mouthfeel.Mildly spicey,with pepper, ginger, anise, malty and yeast aroma.Good balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2008 01:17:51 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

'Sunshine glinting off a krugerrand' gold. An abundance of bubbles gives the beer a sparkly look and has created a majestic crown of lemony ivory that might have been created in the Belgian countryside rather than in San Marcos. Chunky hunks of foamy lace stick like glue. The appearance should become even more spectacular when the yeast from the bottom of the bottle is added.

The nose is wonderously spicy and pretty much defines the saison style (it could pass for a BSPA as well). It's incredibly juicy fruity and has a perfect amount of zippy zestiness from the addition of ginger, orange peel, black pepper and grains of paradise. It's difficult to appreciate the pepper, but the others definitely aren't shy.

Beer like this makes me wonder why I never think of saisons/farmhouse ales when asked to name my favorite styles. A well-brewed saison is incredibly versatile and is nicely quenching at any time of year. Having had a few Lost Abbeys offerings prior to Red Barn, I'm not a bit surprised at the complexity that swirls across my tongue with each eagerly anticipated mouthful.

The lush fruitiness underlying the top note fireworks is all kinds of delicious. I'm reminded of peaches, apricots and buttery pears. A semi-firm hop presence keeps things balanced from the sweet-bitter perspective. Stopping right there would have made for a sublime ale. Adding the rest makes for an ale to savor... an ale to linger over... an ale to make me wish I lived in Southern California.

The best part about the spices is how none of them hog the spotlight. The taste buds register a warm blip of ginger here, a tart tang of orange peel there, and a playful nip of black pepper here, there and everywhere. I'm torn between trying to appreciate each of them in turn and simply enjoying the glorious whole as it washes over my palate.

The mouthfeel falls a bit short of great, but only because I'm comparing it to Belgium's finest. It could stand to be slightly more full and creamy, slightly more supple. It's odd that I liked it more when the beer was cool than I do as it warms.

I can no longer deny the obvious. Even though I didn't think there was any room, The Lost Abbey (Port Brewing) has exploded into the upper reaches of my 'top-10 breweries in the U.S.' list. They'll almost certainly be a permanent fixture as long as they continue to brew outstanding beer like Red Barn Ale. As far as I'm concerned, Tomme Arthur, Vinnie Cilurzo and Rob Todd comprise the holy trinity of Belgian brewing, American-style.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2007 15:47:35 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I actually had never had this one before, so last night I decided to go ahead and crack one open as there are not many Lost Abbey beers left that I have not tried. Needless to say I was impressed. Served at cellar temperature and poured into an oversized wine glass. This one was consumed on 09/23/2008.

The pour was really magnificent on this one. A rich and very hazy medium yellow color came gurgling out of the bottle, quickly coming to a head that reached a height of maybe two inches. There was then a rich coating of side glass lace that thoroughly coated the glass with some nice carbonation being visible throughout the session.

The aroma was highly charged on this one. Lots of light fruit swirling around with a healthy dose of spice in it as well. Nice touches of coriander, lemon, hints of pepper coming through, with a touch of pears warming up to it as it came up to room temperature. The initial taste was peppery, with a rush of lemon following suit almost immediately. A wonderful sense of light fruit really just ran all over this one. I was quite impressed I have to admit. Smooth mouth feel was more the adequately carbonated and really just kept the profile popping throughout. An easy sipper, the moderate ABV lended itself well to a warm late summer evening.

Overall while not my favorite beer from Lost Abbey buy any means, it was still more then adequate and a pretty damn solid offering. I would have no issue at all with trying this one again; it really came across quite well and as a side note, made an excellent marinade.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 02:14:52 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Yard House - Irvine

A: The beer pours a slightly cloudy golden color with a nice big white head.

S: Intensely yeasty and peppery, not quite how I remember Red Barn. A sort of dry malt character I would describe as soda crackers. Some other phenols exist (besides the pepper), but they're sort of overshadowed. Minimal fruit, perhaps a touch of lemon peel.

T: The flavor is a little better, but not substantially so. The pepper is still just so pronounced it's hard to get past it. Crisp pale, cracker malts with a nice yeasty bite to it. Minimal citrus peel and spice contributions to the flavor.

M: Medium in body with a medium to high carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

O: Sort of a let down compared to how I recall this beer being. Might have to revisit it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 17:05:02 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to G311 for this bottle. Served in a Lost Abbey Rastal tulip.

Pours a semi-hazed dark apricot color with a large, foamy white head and a good bit of lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward a bit of stone fruit plus some light spice. Hints of grain. Flavor has a good dosing of fruit and light spice. Light-medium body with good carbonation and a crisp finish. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 23:19:18 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

.3L pour - $5.00 at the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, Georgia.

Appearance: Hazed, bronze-toned body with an inch of pillowy, white head depositing copious amounts of lacing on the way down.

Smell: Sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Taste: Breaded maltiness, minimally sweet and with a hint of almond slivers before the redolent spice character kicks in with an earthy, sourish peppery bent to it. Tangy edge to the orange peel. Faintly bitter. Muted fruitiness. The sweetness attempts to rebound, but soon fizzles out as you near the dry, spicy finish with a lingering aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-plus carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Overall: While the savory spicing would make it an easy choice to pair with a variety of grub, just one its own, I find the spice addition to be slowly, incessantly rankling.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 16:46:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy honey color with a fluffy egg white head that drops to a creamy film and leaves shards of lace around the glass

Smell: Yeasty horse blanket funk, orange peel, ginger and a licorice floral aroma that I assume is grains of paradise

Taste: Starts out with a peachy flavor that immediately bursts forth with peppery spice and leads to some earthy bitterness; after the swallow, the flavor transitions are incredible, with an initial sweet fruitiness of peach, followed by a ginger flavor that builds in peppery spiciness until the citrus bitterness takes over at the end; just a touch of sweetness lingers throughout and re-appears at the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied and creamy with prickly carbonation

Drinkability: An exceptional saison that just blows me away with its rich complexity

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2007 01:23:14 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Los Abbey/Port tasting room in San Marcos, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy gold with a white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain, citrus, spices, and yeast. Taste is of grain, spices, and yeast. There is a mild citrus zest bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good saison with some nice aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2012 23:30:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a light beige color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of funky yeast with some nice spices and light ester. Taste is also dominated by some sweet fruit notes as well as some spices and the funky yeast. Average body with great carbonation. I thought it was a bit too sweet for my own palate but still enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2007 16:35:57 | More by Phyl21ca

WesWes

New York

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a hazy pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a very refreshing citrus aroma with a nice peppery element. The taste is good. It has a smooth pale and wheat malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes with a lemony zest as well as a mild earthiness. This is one of the most enjoyable saisons I've had in some time. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a tremendous beer. It's extremely smooth and loaded with tons of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2007 23:32:20 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, golden color with a thin, bubbly, white head. It left soapy residue of lace.

S - It smelled funky, horse blanket and green apple. Some spicy aromas, too.

T - It had a funky flavor with a spicy/yeasty kick. It had a tart, green apple flavor with a sweet caramel malt backbone.

M - It was fizzy and crisp with a dry finish. It was a light bodied farmhouse ale.

D - This is a pretty good saison. It really has a good balance of unique flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2009 19:26:55 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours with a frothy, initially three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. As the head falls it forms a varied, crag marred surface and even leaves a touch of lacing on the sides of my tulip glass. The beer is a brilliantly clear, amber tinged, copper color. the aroma is nice and spicy, but thankfully in a non-descript way. More correctly, it has lots of spiciness to it, but nothing that immediately jumps out at me. There is also a nice, almost green, fruitiness here; it reminds of a vinous notes leaning towards white wine grapes (or more specifically chardonnay leaning towards sauvignon blanc). In trying to pick out the spice components, I get aromatic hints of black pepper, some spicy ginger, a touch of clove, some citrusy lemon notes and hints of floral character like lavender & wild flowers. The aroma smells quite dry, a touch of malt is here though in the form of a bready / biscuit note that is noticeable if you dig for it.

The taste is lightly malty up front (just a hint of sweet malt grain), it quickly becomes a touch tart, which accentuates some light citrus notes. The beer has a spicy finish that even takes on a touch of a tannic backbone. Ginger is definitely noticeable in the flavor, though it is still light enough to not in any way overwhelm the flavor profile. Looking at the description, I see that this beer does indeed contain ginger and citrus (in the form of orange peel), though I will admit that the ginger and grains of paradise are not as noticeable. This is nice and light on the tongue, yet is not light on the palate in the sense that many spicy flavors linger on in the mouth. A fruitiness is here in the flavor as well, nothing too specific, but I get hints of green grapes, and even more exotic things like kiwi and star fruit. The ginger in the finish gives this a twang that is almost tart, but it is also what leaves that astringent tannic quality. This beer actually has a fair amount of sweetness to it, it is just that the spices are at, such a level that I did not notice it at first. Both the ginger and the orange, in the end, are accentuated by the sweetness, and when combined with the other sharp notes tend to mask the sweetness.

I just poured the second glass, adding a touch of yeast from the bottom, and the beer picks up some softer notes, almost creamy actually and perhaps even a hint of something like vanilla. In the end this is a Saison that needs the more noticeably spicing. Without it this would be a bit too sweet and cloying for a Saison. As it is though, the more noticeable notes of spicing help the malt sweetness along. Definitely an enjoyable beer, though I wonder what the yeast spicy notes are like underneath the more obvious spice character.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 16:23:47 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a bright gold color with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of Belgian yeast, tart fruits, spices, light caramelized malts and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts with tart and sweet flavors of apples, citrus, spices and some caramel. Then there's a good Belgian yeast breadiness that comes in along with a hearty malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a nice sour-style Saison that is worth drinking a while.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 03:42:02 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an effervescent bronze with 2+ fingers of fluffy eggshell white head. Starts to haze a bit on the second glass(a Bush tulip ) & increases at the bottom of the bottle. Great lacing & head retention

S: Pears, apples & a touch of leather & some honey

T: Appleskins, pears, & a touch of dirt, honey & lemon zest up front. Slight booze presence, dryness, musty apple peels & white pepper & a touch of strawberry?? as this warms. Finishes crisp, fruitty, especially with pears, peaches & apples & estery yeast spiceyness

MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation, pretty good balance

Not a bad drinking saison, a bit too fruitty for me to want to session on. Good offering from Lost Abbey

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 04:01:35 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured out as a hazy yellow color with a thin white head on top. Decent thin retention and light lacing. The smell is slightly funky, a little acidic and floral. The taste of the beer is slightly spicy, some lemon citrus and earthy bitterness. The mouthfeel has a bready creaminess, it's light and slightly refreshing. Overall it's a decent Saison.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 01:53:55 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

25.4 oz. bottle from the Huntington Beach BevMo,

A: Pours a cloudy yellow, with a very powerful white head, a bit overcarbonated, but a pretty standard saison look once it settles down. Good lacing and retention for the head in this beer.

S: Fermented apple juice, lemon, bubblegum, lots of spice, yeast activity plays a big part.

T: Pear esters and yellow apples come out more in the taste, malt is bready and understated compared to the yeast and spice character. Grains of Paradise come more to the forefront, with some bitter lemon zest, and a shock of coriander in the aftertaste. Interesting theme of ripe cantaloupe I found throughout the beer though it is always in the background.

M: Carbonation is light once the initial bite dies down. Complex and quite smooth, a beer that really hits you at the end and makes you think about it.

D: One of the easier offerings to find from the Lost Abbey, it seems to take Dupont as a template and then add its own unique complexity and character to the style. This is one of the best saisons made in America without a doubt, and would work great with a multitude of meals. I really like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 03:28:22 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a clear yellowish orange color with a two finger head that slowly falls. Moderate lace develops.

Smell: yeast, a general spiciness, fruit sweetness, and a earthy tone is very easy to detect.

Taste: grass, green apples, pears, a nice funkiness, and some earthiness too. Pepper lingers late. Bitterness is nicely balancing.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Crisp to start, less crisp and a bit dry late. Long lasting aftertaste.

Overall: A very enjoyable saison. Loads of spiciness and funkiness to keep interesting throughout. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 21:23:08 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to mfielden for including this in a trade!

750 ml cork-caged bottle, poured into a tulip glass:

Pours golden with a thin creamy head that leaves lacing.

The smell is of barnyard funk, herbal/floral notes, clove, and bready notes.

The taste is funky, bready, sweet and spicy (clove and pepper). There's a fruitiness to it that leans towards banana-ish. Sweetness turns to a bitterish, refreshingly dry, finish.

Light-to-medium bodied. Nice, easy carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

A very drinkable, refreshing, well-balanced Saison. Alcohol very well-covered - very drinkable for abv. I could easily see myself enjoying a couple bottles of this, especially in the summer (though very enjoyable year-round!)

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 16:20:04 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 750 mL corked and caged bottle purchased at Capone's.

A: The saison is a very pale yellow, looking like a wheat ale. There is no haziness to be seen, which is somewhat surprising. The head is thick, approaching 3 fingers on multiple pours. The lacing from each pour is impressive.

S: The nose has some peppercorn aromas and a great deal of funkiness. The barnyard aroma is not as intense as in the Avant Garde, but it is more focused and clearly identifiable as barnyard-esque.

T: The body has a preponderance of peppercorn and cardamom, creating a a spicy taste that has a depth beyond your run-of-the-mill saison. Some honey notes add a sweeter depth of flavor, but the peppercorn flavor is the lingering flavor. The funkiness in the nose disappears in the taste, somewhat disappointing if not for the strong coriander elements.

M: The mouth is full of odd, out-of-place flavors that I'd expect from a Belgian-style ale. This saison delivers the goods, not f-ing around with things.

D: All hail Tomme. This beer is a great drink, full of spicy and funky flavors, bitter and tart and delicious. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 03:23:27 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I split a large bottle at Monk's Cafe for $15. Heck of a beer. It's brewed with the Saison Dupont yeast and I think is shows in the bright, spicy character. The brewing spices and yeast character blend together with subtle layers of vanilla, orange peel, peppercorn, herbal spice, and smooth bready barley. There's a herbal hop element around the yeast character for great, fresh farmhouse ale. Check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 02:06:07 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

These bottles just feel like your opening up something special, this had a beautiful pop as I uncorked this one lively carbonation on par with the style. Pours into my La Fin du Monde chalice with 4 fingers worth of head forming thick chunky pattern. The white head billows above the rim of my glass and the body is a clouded orange golden glowing color.

Aroma one I first popped the cork gave me a touch of band aid/plastic phenols but as that clears I'm getting tropical fruit spicy peppery background hints of alcohol and orange citric preserves going on.

Flavor has alot going on let's break it down, an air of spicy hops going down with a bit of band aid offness, tropical tangy mix of fruit back and forth between pineapple, citrus fruit, and a touch of mango. Spicy black pepper note, herbal spiciness very green background with a touch of alcohol. Nice and dry in the back end with the booze and fruit cleaning the palate between sips.

Mouthfeel is effervescently carbonated, light to medium bodied. Juicy and dry depending on your sip, brings up spices in the back of your nares but makes you want to let out a nice hop burp at the same time.

Drinkability is excellent stuff, one of the best all around American brewed Saisons that uses many of the Belgian characteristics with American zeal to make it all work together so well.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 08:34:29 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a foggy gold with a nice white head. Nose is very strong with yeast. Flavor is yeasty as well with a strong dough quality to it and a very tangy edge. Feel is good. Not too thin. Drinkable indeed. A very decent saison, just came off a bit too tangy for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 04:21:44 | More by RblWthACoz

Wasatch

Utah

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice a cloudy golden orange/yellow color, nice carbonation, nice small creamy off-white head, there are some nice small islands and creamy sticky lacing that follows. The nose is malty, yeasty, slight cloves/bannanas, coriander, and slight caramel. The taste is very nice, a nice twist on the style, lot's of malts/yeast, the spice's are not that overwhelming. Medium body. Very drinkable, another awesome brew from the PB/LA guy's.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2007 23:09:01 | More by Wasatch

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a golden yellow body with just a slight hazy, the second pour is much hazier. There is a strong carbonation that pops of the base of the glass and supports a creamy off-white head for a bit.

S- This beer has an apple juice aroma with a dry hop finish with hints of sulfur to it.

T- The clean start leads to a dry almost sulfury hop finish. As the beer warms there is some apple juice flavors and a stale spice quality in the finish. There is a hop bitterness that stings just a bit as it lingers.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a soft fizz in the finish.

O- The dominate flavors, although still soft, were apple juice and stale spices makes this a bland beer. There was a good dry finish but the mouthfeel was a little to full to make this crisp and refreshing. I love this style and didn't get any yeast character that I like in a saision.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 21:21:47 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Typical Lost Abbey presentation, Belgian bomber, caged and corked, no freshness info to be had and an artistic label. This one pours clear medium golden amber, with alot of bubbles rising to the top. The head is a rocky long lasting kind of thing, eggshell in color and thick, with spotty, ringed and well developed lacing left behind. Nose is all about a bunch of fresh fruits, some light pepper and Belgian yeasty goodness. Full flavor brew, more fruityness, melon, pears, apples, spice pepper, coriander, honey, bananas, complex and interesting stuff. Lovely final pour, loaded with sediment and nutty yeast. This went great with some peppery goat cheese on toast and some nuts. Agreed, Lost Abbey is into the pantheon of top notch, U.S. brewers..great stuff, go get some and enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 22:39:56 | More by Billolick