Judgment Day - The Lost Abbey

woemad

Washington

3.64/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

25.4oz caged and corked bottle purchased at Total Wine in Spokane for $9.99, then forgotten for about six months. According to the date stamped on the bottleneck, this was bottled on July 17, 2012.

Poured a dark brown that actually looks like a dark brown when you look at it, not black. When held up to the light it takes on a pronounced reddish tint. Moderate, bubbly tan head disapears after a couple of minutes, though it is easy to agitate back to life.

The nose is of raisins, prunes and brown sugar. As it begins to warm up, a boozy scent becomes noticeable. Whatever hops are used do not stand out in the least.

The dark fruit aspect (raisins, prunes, etc) is the strongest flavor component. Although the brown sugar I noted in the nose is present, it’s further in the background than I expected. The flavor starts off with a bitter zap to the tastebuds. As it warms up, there’s a slightly different fruity taste, more along the lines of pears and apples. The whole thing is wrapped up in a cloak of alcohol. The alcohol flavor is somewhat hard to pin down - somewhere between wine and bourbon.

Lighter bodied than I expected, with a coating mouthfeel.

Things are slightly more bitter than I have found in most Belgian Quads. Part of that is due to the relative abdication of the sweeter elements of the beer that were in the nose, and part is due to the rather uncompromising nature of the booziness. While I am glad to have tried it, I would rather have had this in a 12oz bottle than the gargantuan bottle I have in front of me, as it would simply be a more reasonable amount.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:56:35 | More by woemad

HattedClassic

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Pours a nice and lasting light tan head and leaves quite a bit of lacing. The beer itself is surprisingly clear but dark. The beer's color is a dark brown with hints of purple.

Smell:
Raisins dominate the nose with hints of dark fruits. I also get coffee notes that mix with the raisin with very light hints of Belgian sugar.

Taste:
The raisins dominate the palate and mix with the coffee. The dark fruits get lost within the raisin taste. I get a slight hint of alcohol and hops as well.

Mouthfeel:
Medium-bodied with biting carbonation. The beer goes down pretty dry.

Overall:
A pretty decent quad. I have to admit that it was lighter than other quads that I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:28:45 | More by HattedClassic

snaotheus

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Little corked bottle (maybe 12.7 oz or something?) poured into a big snifter

Pours dark brown, fizzes up a big coarse light beige head which fades into a clumpy layer with high edges. Medium amount of fine carbonation. Smell is funky, dark fruity (plums or dates), funky, yeasty.

Taste is actually dominated by coffee, which is a bit of a surprise. Then dark fruit and the funk. Still more yeast. The alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel is dry and surprisingly light. Overall, this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 04:47:36 | More by snaotheus

mscudder

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served in a chalice.

A - Pours a deep brown hue with a thin head. Sub-par retention and lacing.

S - Sweet dark fruits, plums, raisin, some faint cocoa.

T - Follows the nose with sweet raisins and fruits and descends into a creamy ester-filled finish. I'm getting a touch of a metallic flavor on the end as well.

M - After the carbonation settles, a medium, slightly-creamy, body is all that is left. Wish it were bigger.

O - Feels like this lacks complexity for a style I'm quite fond of. The Belgian-brewed ones are just plain better than our American interpretations.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:52:18 | More by mscudder

claspada

New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle purchased Spring 2011, so about 2 years old.

Pours a deep dark, viscous burgundy / brown color with a small khaki colored head of foam that recedes to leave some solid lacing.

Aromas begin with tons of rum soaked raisins and dark caramelized sugars. Then you get some of the Belgian esters and phenols with some dark moist brown breadiness. Other lingering dark fruits emerge.

Flavors follow the nose but are a bit more abbrasive. Boozy raisins and sweet dark caramelized malts are in the forefront. Belgian yeast esters emerge to help counteract the alcohol but doesn't quite hide the booziness. Raisin and figs are present throughout.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied with medium carbonation. Belgian carbonation levels help slightly but the two years have left a sense of flatness. Alcohol emerges more as it warms and it comes across as slightly syrupy in the end.

Overall I would have hoped 2 years would have helped to tone down the higher ABV and mesh the flavor profile as with most strong Belgian ales but this was not the case. Just too boozy and unbalanced; the kind of beer I would have loved in my craft beer infancy but a more developed palate merely passes this off as hot and way too raisin forward.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 13:04:17 | More by claspada

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.89/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

It has a big three finger of head on an almost black body.
The aroma has raisins, dark fruit and more raisins. It's great if you like raisins.
The taste has great depth and complexity. It has bread, raisins, plums, mild bitterness and alcohol. Though the alcohol hides well for being 10.5%.
The texture is crisper with moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:44:32 | More by Fatehunter

gr0g

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very dark but not quite black, sporting a two-finger tan head that leaves some spotty lacing. Aroma is primarily of dark fruit. A little rum character, plus some yeast character in the form of clove.

Flavor profile is an interesting fusion of Belgian Strong Dark Ale and Stout. Chocolatey notes from roasted malts meet ripe raisin and plum, and a balancing hop bitterness. Carbonation is aggressive but fine, nicely done. Alcohol is very well masked. Interesting hybrid sort of beer, a quad that's not all that "quad-like."

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 23:16:09 | More by gr0g

ricchezza

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Initial aroma is sour, featuring berries and a known alcohol presence. Despite the sour aroma my initial thought upon tasting was chocolate. Not exactly Hershey per se but a chocolate malt or a slight touch of a roasted malt. Definitely contains a taste consistent with Munich malt. Drawing from the aroma there is also a berry or raisin like flavor about it (later read the label that it is in fact brewed with raisons.).
A bold, slow sipper of a brew.
I enjoyed this 100% on it’s own, but imagine paired with the right meal this would escalate to a whole new level.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 15:27:20 | More by ricchezza

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I cellared this bottle for about a year and a half. The quad was poured into a snifter, with an appearance that was black with some degree of cloudiness. The aroma was that of malt and dark fruit. In the initial taste, one gets a high level of dark fruit such as raisin, prunes, and dates. Even before identifying the initial taste, one notices the warmth on this one. Dark fruit are heavily involved. Burnt malt, molasses, and dark chocolate notes are also present. The malts become more noticeable in the aftertaste. The warming sensation continues throughout each seem. Though this is a year-round brew, quads are great on a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 16:44:45 | More by JohnnyHopps

DocJitsu

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a translucent prune brown with glints of cola color around the edges of the glass. The head is HUGE, foamy, and dark tan. A bouquet of tart grape, raisin, cherry coke, and notes of chocolate. Mouthfeel is full, nearly thick, wet, with a bit of carbonation burn that interacts with the spiciness. Some vanilla, more raisin and brown sugar, and chocolate flavors. Sweet and tart occurring simultaneously. Not an off-putting amount of spiciness, for which I am grateful. A bit (just the slightest) boozy at the finish. A pretty clever beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 03:37:58 | More by DocJitsu

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer is chestnut brown with a thin beige collar. The aroma offers sweet malt, raisins, prunes, yeast, caramels, toffee. The flavor is sweet, with an abundance of toffee. Caramel candies with a touch of Belgian yeast. Medium bodied with adequate carbonation. Perhaps a bit out of balance with an over abundance of sweetness and toffee. A tasty beer in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 03:10:41 | More by Huhzubendah

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a dark, murky brown with a nice one inch tan cap with good head retention

S: Nice nose. Strong booze, raisins, figs, chocolate and molasses

T: Initially very good with some dark fruits mainly in the way of raisins, figs, purple grapes and light chocolate, caramel and molasses which has a stinging but dry finish

M: Medium to big body. Somewhat smooth mouthfeel. Not too much carbonation.

O: I really enjoyed this Quad. Classic and well done for a non Trappist Quad.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 17:20:21 | More by barleywinefiend

draheim

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750mL (bottled 1/10/2012) into a chalice. An appropriate choice for Election Day I think.

Pours a deep brown mahogany w/ a thick khaki head that settles like a pillow, leaving behind a uniform film of lace.

Aroma is fruity and sweet with notes of coffee, molasses, and chocolate. A pretty strong booze presence too. Unique.

Taste is sugary sweet and fruity. Grape juice beer? Also picking up the unexpected bitter coffee and molasses I got on the nose. Kind of a weird combination, not sure it's working so well.

Mouthfeel is sticky and chewy with a somewhat bitter, almost harsh finish.

Overall a sweet, powerful quad that lacks the finesse of the better ones. An interesting effort, but one I probably won't revisit.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 04:16:21 | More by draheim

One2Remeber

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a stemmed goblet.

A: Dark brown sugar body with a dark amber hue. Thin leather colored head with excellent retention staying put the entire sipping experience.

S: Rich toffee, raw leather, sugary red licorice candy, slightly tart fruits, crisp and clean without any noticeable boozy aroma.

T/M: Warming sensation on the throat. Slight metallic aftertaste takes away from really enjoying the malts. Warm, inviting malt profile smoothly slides without being astringent, harsh or too heavy. Mild carbonation. Hint of peppery spice on the back end.

O: Would not have guessed raisins were used even though all the tart, juicy, fruity tastes are there. What I expect from a Quad with tons of complex caramel malt flavor and little booze taste for strength.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 02:29:32 | More by One2Remeber

Jules11788

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy dark reddish-brown color; finger-width head, light lacing

S: Dark fruits, tart wine, raisins, figs, wood, toffee, caramel, malt. Smells amazing

T: Starts off with a sweet raisiny/woody character, opens up along the middle to reveal subtle flavors of dark fruits with a little hint of Belgian yeast; finishes smooth with some sweet woody flavors

M: Very smooth and buttery; light carbonation, medium viscosity

O: This beer was quite delicious, I would definitely buy this again

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:42:51 | More by Jules11788

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in a Trappist chalice.

A: Pours a dark brown color forming a big creamy beige head. Good retention and lots of lacings formed and left. Quite clean. I could not see any particles or remains in the bottom of the bottle

S: Quite fruity and bready with notes of coffee. Oak, caramel, caramel malts and yeasts. Despite of the high ABV, I could not feel the alcohol

T: Sweet profile, as expected for the style. Quite malty too. Notes of dark fruits, oak, caramel, bready yeasts. Strong notes of coffee which differentiate it from a Belgian Quad. End is bitter, but not much. Good bittersweet balance

M: Heavy, creamy and molasses body. Medium carbonation. Bittersweet aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. My fist American made Quad. My second Lost Abbey after the Angel's Share. Not as good as the first one but still a good beer. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 07:05:17 | More by eduardolinhalis

macrosmatic

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a CCB pint glass (I know, but it's what was easily accessible).

A: Very hazy reddish brown in color with a thin light brown head. Minimal visible carbonation. Not a particularly attractive beer.

S: Sweet malt, fruity (I got figs and dates, but I suppose this was really the raisins after seeing the brewing notes), spicy and boozy.

T: Follows the nose - sweet, somewhat boozy, oaky, dark fruits, and roasted sweet malt. There is a bit of an astringent flavor at the end that becomes more noticeable as it warms.

M: Body is on the thin side, relatively low carbonation sensation. The alcohol is noticeable; although expected, this still seems a little too hot.

O: Well, it's pretty good, but nothing I'd go back to. I'm not sure if the alcohol would fade with some more age, but this bottle already had several months on it. A big quad to be sure. Glad I got to try it once, but I doubt there will be a repeat performance.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 00:12:13 | More by macrosmatic

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with a tan full rocky head with tons of lacing.

Dark brown sugar and dark fruit in the nose. Some sugary raisins.

Sugary malt that evaporates with some alcohol on the tongue. Light dark roasted bitterness, but very pleasant and balanced. Alcohol is not even an issue --can't tell this is 10%. Almost coffee-like bitterness in the finish.

Fuller bodied, but quite carbonated. keeps this moving and prevents this from being cloying.

Really nice quad. Nice balance with out being over-boozy. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 19:56:17 | More by OtherShoe2

tigerbeer90

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle bottled on 8-11-11 poured into a chalice

A-dark brown with red notes and a fairly large beige head

S-Dark fruits, very strong smells of raisin with hints of fig and cherry. A light warm alcohol note

M-Very well carbonated, maybe a little more than I would like in a quad, but pleasant. A medium mouthfeel, not too chewy

O- I really enjoyed this beer and for around $10 I hope to buy another one if given the chance. A good quad for sure. This one was aged around a year and was smooth. I could see where a fresh one may have a more boozy taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:37:07 | More by tigerbeer90

Jsenay

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into white wine glass

A - Pours tar black with moderate head that dwindles quickly. Lacing is minimal.

S - Slightly metallic smell that trails off eventually leaving the you with a strong smell of raisin, plums, molasses and some warm alcohol notes.

T - The flavor is similar to the nose. You get a nice zest to the palate up front with some grape and raisin flavors. Then it begins to smooth out as it warms on the palate and giving the stone fruit flavors of plum and apricot. It finishes with a bit of mouth drying, warming alcohol while leaving trace flavors of apricot and raisins on the palate.

M - Sharp acidity up front followed immediately by a caramel smoothness. Carbonation is light but strong enough to carry the flavor all the way through the taste.

O - This is a solid quadruple. However, it finishes a little too dry for my taste. I prefer quads that leave your tongue moist with those fruit flavors lingering but, that's just me. The alcohol is there but, it doesn't feel like a 10.5 there is a good sweetness that keeps it masked until the end. I wanted to give this beer a shot before I try the Cuvee de Tomme seeing as this is the base beer for that recipe. If you can get this bottle for ten and under it's definitely worth a try. Seeing as some have payed up to twenty and over for the 750ml I would advise against that. This shouldn't be over ten dollars.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:04:16 | More by Jsenay

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Doing a side by side of two American made Quads. Blasphemy by Weyerbacher and Judgment Day by the Lost Abbey. I'm a huge fan of both breweries so I'm wondering which I'll prefer and I'm sure whichever one wins, they'll both be pretty good. I havent had too many American Quads that I've liked but I recall having weyerbachers Quad a few years back and being rather impressed. Both bottles are fresh so lets see how it goes.

As always, an incredibly hard to remove cork from the lost abbey. Dark purple/garnet color with no visibility and a massive sticky off white head.Lots of lacing. Ripe raisins on the nose with an overall musty and earthy scent. Touches of smoke, charcoal and molasses.

Impressive subtlety like Weyerbachers Blasphemy but with a much chewier body. Raisins on the front end of the tongue followed by deep roasted malts, dark bitter chocolate, burnt caramel, and finally finishes with a smokey character reminiscent of Dogfish heads Immort Ale. Compared to the Blasphemy there is no detection of alcohol what so ever but the smoked malt probably covers that. For being brewed with raisins it isn't overly sweet and you really only get a touch of their flavors. The Smoke really balances the beer out but dries out the mouth. For how big of beer it is though there just isn't enough depth. Their are a few things you can hone in on and not much else. Despite this, it still manages to be better than most American quads that try to go over the top. This beer is a bit simple but brewed very well.

Overall I preferred the Weyerbacher Blasphemy to the Lost Abbey Judgment day but this doesnt mean Judgment Day was bad in the least. While neither can really compete with true Belgian Quads, both breweries did a pretty damn good job of not destroying the style, in fact I'd have to say they both made progress of being truer to style than most. While I do chose Weyerbacher Blasphemy as the victor, it has had the advantage of having a bit of aging on it at the brewery letting the beer mellow out and become a bit more complex. If I recall, while weyerbacher quad was very good, it was a little sloppier than it's barrel aged counter part. Good show by both breweries though, I enjoyed them both.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 02:53:10 | More by jtierney89

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml caged and corked bottle. I know I've had this bottle for a little while, I'd guess it's about a year old. Served in a DFH Signature glass, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with about an inch frothy tan head that stays around for a very long time. There's also a good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, it smells like dark fruit (raisins, plums), peppery spice, molasses and some bready malt. It tastes like dark fruit (raisins, cherries, plums), molasses, caramel, bready malt and some chocolate. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and is well carbonated. I think this is a good overall brew. I'd buy this one again at $10.99 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 22:05:53 | More by bluejacket74

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer, poured from a 750 ml corked bottle is a burgundy color with a rich tan head. The head dissipates after a few minutes, but the beer retains a continuous stream of small carbonation bubbles. The aroma is of intense malt...mildly roasted, with lots of bubblegum, spice, and sugar. Belgian, sweet...grape skins...hints of apple skins and cinnamon. Full in body. This is a fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 03:05:20 | More by Suds

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

This is about a year old now and decided it was time.

Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A: Poured a caramel color that collected in the glass several shades darker than that. It had a nice, bubbly carbonation bill and a mere mocha ring around the liquid posing as a head.

S: I got a strong, raisony, boozy, red wine scent as soon as the cork popped. Under closer inspection, I got some rich caramel thrown into the mix.

T: This was definitely a quad through and through: Thick, vicious, with tons of dark fruit notes, and a hint of brown sugar and caramel. I actually think a tad more sweetness would have added a bit more complexity, but that's just me.

M: Like I said before, thick and vicious, and with a pillowy enough carbonation bill. It wasn't as boozy as I thought it was going to be.

O: I wish this wasn't so expensive and that Lost Abbey wasn't so pretentious about this one. It was good, but not worth the $20+ price tag. Especially considering the many Belgian Quads on the immediate market in my area that are far superior.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 22:24:33 | More by Chaney

peabody

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out a slight reddish brown with tons of brown foamy suds.
Smell is raisin and date and mabey a fig newton.
No smell of alcohol here.
Taste is really strong dried fruit and a yeasty bread. Toasted raisin bread is what this brings to mind. There is very little alcohol in the taste here.
Mouthfeel is a bit sticky and you do get a boozy afterburn but it is very tolerable.
Overall I like this offering a lot. Will probably drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 14:17:36 | More by peabody