Red Barn Ale - The Lost Abbey

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.06/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a real fine saison, much different than expected, with very little spice or fruit to it, just a whole lot of barnyard funk, which is a nice change of pace in the ever more crowded world of american made saisons. murky pale copper in color, maybe a little lighter than that, with four inches or so of bone white head with outstanding retention. the nose is all yeast, grassy and dry, mouth watering. there is maybe just a touch of lemony citrus to the flavor, but again its all yeast for me. straw and pollen and wet grass. its very summery, august beer, delicate and robust at the same time, no gimmicks. excellent carbonation and a lighter than medium body. its down easy and crackling dry in the finish. had it side by side with the dupont saison, and in a lot of ways i liked this better. it has a great yeast strain, unlike any other i can recall, and the beer just comes together really well. yet another fine lost abbey product, who after a couple of so-so beers is starting to win me back over with stuff like this.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2013 19:22:28 | More by StonedTrippin

MarioM

California

4.06/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml poured into tulip

A: Dark yellow, cloudy with a nice foamy white head with some nice medium bubbled head.

S: Belgian yeast is very upfront and apparent. Very grain like notes and earthy. Almost lager like in a way with no hot aroma, as expected.

T: Light and earthy. Belgian yeast comes through very well with some good bitterness. Very clean tasting, fits the style well. Balance is good, slightly sweet yet bitterness works well.

M: very crisp and refreshing with good carbonation and bitterness. Earthy character that lingers well. Abv is moderate at 6.7 % but does leave a warm feel after drinking.

O: Good all round Saison, happier than expected but balance was still good.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:47:28 | More by MarioM

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Yet another farmhouse ale I picked up at the house of 1,000 beers. These don't seem to move well so this beer could be over 2 years old. Picked up for 5 bucks.

A - Definitely closer to the style foamy white head around a inch that seems to fizz out slowly (tons of carbonation) color is that of hazy orange yellow tint.

S - Smell is rather timid than most i have purchased which is kind of welcome. Faint lemon tart, some funk, and bready malts seem to lead.

T - Mild but rather good it's pretty much your basic American version of the style yet a with a little more funky yeast. Mostly am tasting the typical mild sourdough flavor with grassy undertones and a mild bit of Brett.

M - As always bubbly light and cirsp. Quite good and rightly on par with ABV.

Overall I quite enjoyed my first Lost Abbey beer. It's light, crisp, with no offensive flavors or bittering yeasts. Worth seeking the other beers out for 10+ dollars? Most likely never.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 06:40:43 | More by DrDemento456

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another bottle picked up on my holiday trip to NJ. First beer I've reviewed from Lost Abbey? Surprising, but true. Bottled 4 January 2012.

Pours a mildly hazy medium golden yellow, with touches of orange. Quite a nice color, and just clear enough that I can see the curtain of bubbles rising up. An eruption of nearly-white head gradually relaxes to a thick cap with rolling hills, and leaves big gobs of foam all over the place. Wowser.

Smell is... nonexistent. Even if I bury my nose in the glass, I get nothing. I can imagine some light floral notes, and can almost convince myself of some yeasty aromas. But really, if I were blindfolded, and you held this up to my nose, I doubt I would know it was there. As it warms up, it gains a bit more presence, but it's still really faint.

Taste is earthy, moderately yeasty, with a bitter twist. There's not a lot here that initially screams saison to me, but the yeast and that earthy flavor comes through strong in a second wave. There's also a chomp of flower petal slick/warm/bitter. It's decent, but only a piece of what I'm looking for. Flowers start to get more pronounced as I make my way through the glass.

Medium-bodied, a little sticky. Carbonation is medium-low but persistent, lasting until the flavor goes, too.

Not a bad saison, but not my favorite. It's earthy and mildly bitter, and at times I feel like I'm licking a flower. Looks gorgeous, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:19:17 | More by zeledonia

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on tap at devils den - served in chalice

Pours a hazed golden color with a thick, frothy white head. Retains for a bit with bubbly effervescence, leaving a coating of film resting on top and patchy lacing on the glass.

Earthy and citrusy in the nose with hints of cracked pepper and orange peel. Light yeasty funk and phenols with some lingering fruit sweetness.

Orange peel and peppery spice up front followed by touches of clove and ginger. Mild backbone with a soft yeast component, adding a touch of funkiness to the beer. Straw and biscuit with some fruit sweetness. Finishes dry and crisp.

Lighter medium body, well carbonated, extremely drinkable and clean on the tongue. I've had this before and somehow never reviewed it - there's certainly more expressive and innovative saisons out there but this is a refreshing example of a clean, quaffable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 14:05:15 | More by xnicknj

Murrhey

Montana

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap in a taster at The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Half a finger white head. Little retention. White foamy lacing. Golden and clear.

S- Orange, brewing spices, some spicy hops.

T- Spicy, ginger and hops. Citrus rocks it too. Nice hoppiness.

M- Smooth and thicker than I thought it would be.

O- It's ok. Spicy and tasty. Weird smell though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 04:18:00 | More by Murrhey

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours a lightly hazy medium golden yellow in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some orange highlights when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall foamy white head that very slowly reduces to thick film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: There are moderate aromas of light fruity yeast, earthiness, and spices/herbs - notes of coriander, ginger, orange zest, and black pepper specifically stand out.

T: There is a light amount of almost cracker-like malts upfront but the taste of this beer are really dominated by the stronger flavors of light fruity yeast and spices - ginger, coriander, orange zest, and the strongest is black pepper. Light amounts of bitterness that fades quickly.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Moderate to strong amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: While there are a lot of different spice flavors in this beer, they really come together well and match well with none of them dominating the others. Enjoyable but not super easy to drink because of how dry it is.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 17:38:29 | More by dbrauneis

morimech

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden color with a massive head that had excellant retention before settling to a thick cap. A lot of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Has an earthy and peppery aroma. Reminds me a bit of a good, hoppy pilsner. A touch of phenols from the yeast rounds things out.

Dry, crisp malt makes this an extremely refreshing tasting beer. Both earthy and peppery. Unfortunately the only that makes this different than a lot of German pils is the phenolic flavor from the yeast.

For a 6.7% ABV saison, this feels like a much smaller beer. Light with enough carbonation to give enough life to the beer.

Deceptively easy to drink by its flavor characteristics. One of the cleaner tasting American saisons I have had.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 21:57:24 | More by morimech

beertunes

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a clean, clear medium gold color with over an inch of white head that had good retention and very light lacing.

The aroma had yeast and spice upfront, with some good, earthy base grains in the background, but the overall scent was a bit subdued. On the tongue, the flavors were bolder and more clearly noticeable. The grain provided a good, solid base for the spiciness and yeast flavors to play off.

The body was good, crisp, dry, and medium. Drinkability was very good, this was the rare instance that I didn't mind the usually hated large format bottle. Overall, a pretty nice example of the style. Certainly worth grabbing if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 21:03:08 | More by beertunes

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow, excellent beer! Poured at a good good temperature with a mammoth, super frothy, foamy, billowy, off-white head and lots of clingy lace. Color is a very slightly hazy straw amber with some bubble trails. Aroma upon first pouring had a fleeting perfumey, fruity, honey, mustiness that quickly was replaced by malt, yeast, herbs. Flavor's somewhat like nose, has a great bitter-carbonic tang balance with just enough sweetness to make this incredibly tasty and drinkable yet satisfying. Body and carbonation are perfect - great burps too. Finish is like flavor, of average length, and a bit boozy. One of the best saisons ever - including any Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 00:46:06 | More by drpimento

smakawhat

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

A somewhat murky yellow and green, with faint pinhead rising carbonation of white. Head is monstrous and large three fingers, creamy and rich. Clumps with lots of retention and chunks of lacing.

Nose brings some mild butter, but some crisp floral sensations. Faint candy sweetness. Light very hiding lemon. But the butter dominates, slight diacetyl.

Palate seems at first very wet, but then a giant malt thickness comes in with really tight and crisp carbonation. Very spritzy and extremely quinine tonic water palate with richness. Yeast crispness and rich malt feel on the finish. Sharp bite to this on first sip, with a quick bitter hop pine sensation. A real impressive mouthfeel of large/tight carbonation and also density. Flavors meld solidly, not wonderfuly though.

Overall a solid saison worth trying, I would have again easily.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 00:01:56 | More by smakawhat

CommanderOfAwesome

California

3.1/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle poured into a wine glass.

A: Clear golden color. Tons of Carbonation.

Smell: Intense musty smell. I know understand the "barnyard" smell description. Also getting a big bready smell. Tad bit of spice on the nose as well.

T: Spicy, peppy fell. Getting a stong black pepper taste with a bit of citrus thrown in late. Strong dry finish. Has a bit of funk that I can't place.

M: Medium bodied, with a ton of spice and activity on the tongue.

O: Decent farmhouse, I tend to like less dry finish on my saisons.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:20:09 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

rfgetz

New Jersey

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

Pours a slightly hazed gold, modest cap of white froth for the style. Scent is big on bready and spicy qualities, notes of citrus zest and candy sugar. Bready, peppery, zesty citrus and light sugar... missing earthy grain profile prefered in style, but still good. Medium bodied, slightly less bubbly than others, dry finish. Solid flavored saison, but lacking in authenticity.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 13:11:35 | More by rfgetz

afrokaze

California

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 5/10/11, poured into Stone IRS tulip.Been meaning to try this for a long time, thanks for the random gift mom!

Pours a bright hazy orange with good 2 finger head and decent lacing. A little sediment at the bottom of the glass.

Smell is dominated by bready, clove and spicy yeast, light lemon citrus, pear, apricot, some phenols, musty barn and a hint of heat.

Mix of bready malt, light pils malt sweetness and lemon citrus, followed by clove and black pepper from yeast, apricot, pear, slight tart tang, with semi-dry finish and spicy herbal hops and rustic funk. Alcohol is well integrated but noticeable after two glasses.

Mouthfeel is substantial but not cloying, medium carbonation, finishes with some sharp tannins and lingers for a decent time after each sip.

Another new take on the versatile saision style, this one has a good backbone and demands slower sipping, but rewards with some depth and spicing that suits the yeast rather than clashing with it. Light citrus and moderate hopping set it apart but it still feels authentic.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 04:47:23 | More by afrokaze

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Poured a hazy golden-yellow with a nice, foamy, white head; decent retention and lacing. Aroma is loaded with yeast and barnyard funk, notes of citrus and peppery spice. Taste is sweet and malty up front, hints of stone fruit, quickly replaced by yeasty funk, peppery spice, pale biscuity malts, lighter notes of ginger, citrus, and herbal hops. Light-medium body, fairly dry finish. Pretty good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 23:26:49 | More by Rifugium

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a brilliant straw yellow (I was a little disappointed it was not red) with very little head and lots of rising bubbles.

The aroma is of cloves and spices, very enjoyable and complex.

The beer tastes of white pepper, spice, a little sweetness up front, a nice clean finish, some clove.

Nice medium body.

Well done overall for the style, well spiced so that you can not pick out any given spice but that they all combine to make a nice bouquet for both the aroma and taste. Very nice treat.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 00:47:20 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

merc7186

New York

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Lord Hobo in Boston MA, poured into a tulip glass.

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Great Lacing

S: Yeast, Apricots, Corriander, White Pepper

T: Yeast, Corriander, White Pepper, Peach

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Spicy, Semi Drying

Overall, a solid yeasty, spicy saison with great flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 22:11:40 | More by merc7186

tilopud_rye

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This bottle pours a nice clear applejuice like color with a stream of carbonation bubbles rising up to a thick two finger head that eventually retains to one finger- stays a thick finger til its drank to the bottom. The smell alone is refreshing; tingly orange peel forefront with yeast and spice bitterness. A very earthy aroma that is very relaxing to enjoy. Taste has more of the yeast and spices used- but very balanced out with slight citrus sweetness of the orange peel. Feels great to drink- nicely carbonated and light in the mouth while the head foam finds its spot on the roof. The only other Saison I've ever had is Saison du Buff- the Stone collaboration. I really like that one but if I had to choose one to drink regularly it would definitely be Red Barn.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 22:14:36 | More by tilopud_rye

BeerManDan

California

2.6/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

When poured into a pint glass, the color was of a hazy wheat yellow, with a lot of foam and a fair amount of lace. The smell of carbonated citrus was very evident, not impressive. The taste was a load of carbonated citrus acid with a hint of lemon and not much of anything else. WAY to acidic on the tongue, palate and stomach. Big aftertaste of bitter, acidic flavor. Not a typical Lost Abbey Ale in my mind!

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 22:19:49 | More by BeerManDan

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Lost Abbey Red Barn
On tap at The Libertine Pub in Morro Bay, CA

Appearance: orange, large head, and some good lacing.

Smell: yeasty grain.

Taste: yeast, grain, and hop.

Mouthfeel: Medium.

Overall:
This is a good brew. It is very yeasty, but seems to have more of that raw flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 03:17:52 | More by megahurts4

StephieRaye

California

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

Aroma: Moderately spicy nose, light fruity esters, slight sourness
Appearance: Pale gold-orange hue with large rocky head that persists. Lightly hazy
Flavor: Initially earthy-spicy from yeast derived character and added spices, then fades to acidic bite that then fades to light malt background. The finish is dry and mildly bitter. Malt character is smooth and lightly sweet, but is paled by the spicy notes and crisp sourness that finally concedes to a light hop bitterness. Displays a dry, earthly, and almost mushroom-like quality with light peppery phenols.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation and prickly acidity.
Overall: Complex and intriguing brew with rustic charm, sourness, and brings a great american character to a traditionally foreign brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 08:24:26 | More by StephieRaye

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer, from a 750 ml bottle, is a cloudy, hazy, brownish-gold color. The head is thick ans staying. It's a wild and funky beer...yeasty, fruit, some sugar and spice. The taste is more balanced than expected. The taste is light, but earthy and damp. It doesn't get to sou, but is certainly wild.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 02:41:07 | More by Suds

jtierney89

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another cork from lost abbey that requires a bit of teeth.

Hazy bright orange hue with a billowing white head that very slowly recedes down the sides of the glass.
Funky nose of horse blanket, spoiled fruit, earthy yeast, and snappy bubblegum. Bread thats still being cooked comes to mind as well. Slightly phenolic, touch of band aid.

Brisk effervescence. Lingering semi-sour, semi-dry finish. Unique earthy hop bitterness as well. Well blended subtle flavors of phenols, drying/bittering spices and semi-sweetness/tartness. The beer is kind of all over the place presenting lots of different flavors at different times. The flavors do all go together pretty well but this isn't your traditional funky saison. This thing has some sort of other funk going on. It's kind of like they took all of the strange flavors of a saison and based it off that. The beer finishes spicy and bitter.

The beer holds up well and is definitely unique but it's also an acquired taste for those that have already acquired quite a lot. Unique and well brewed but well... just a bit off i guess. Sweet, sour, rich, and bitter. Try wrapping your head around this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:55:07 | More by jtierney89

evilkalla

Alabama

4.53/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving: 750ml bottle into an ale glass.

A: Pours a cloudy, somewhat pale yellow with a quarter inch or so of head on it. Very nice overall appearance.

S: Some hints of fruitiness and funkiness, but very subtle.

T: Very interesting. The blend of yeast that was used adds a LOT of different nuances here. There is the slightest hint of funkiness inside of the expected tartness and fruitiness you would expect from saison yeast. The beer itself has loads of spiciness, pepper and lemon zest. Dry and bitter on the finish, with some hints of earthiness. Very, very nice.

M: Good.

O: I was surprised at how many layers of flavor there are in this beer. This is a very, very good saison. Definitely worth the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 01:07:53 | More by evilkalla

HopHead84

California

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

5/6/2012

Draft at Lost Abbey.

A: Yellow gold. Nice color and good clarity with an inch of white foam. Lots of lacing.

S: Pronounced black pepper and orange peel with soft floral notes. Apple blends with pear and grains of paradise. Ginger is pervasive but well integrated.

T: Black pepper up front with earth and pear. Ginger makes an appearance with grains of paradise trailing behind. Orange peel is apparent. The finish is dry and lightly peppery with lingering apple and pear.

M: Lower medium body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: A nice Saison. A little heavy on the ginger for me but still enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2012 02:36:55 | More by HopHead84