Gift Of The Magi - The Lost Abbey

nquigley16

Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 10/27/11
Poured into a hennepin goblet.

Appearance- Pours a dark amber brown with hints of a red and a hefty light tan head. A little cloudiness, but pretty clear.

Aroma- Starts with a bit of alcohol, but breaks up into a bunch of other flavors- pineapple, bubblegum, whole wheat bread and a little must.

Taste- Lots of Brett characteristics coming through obviously. A nice maltiness that is balanced by a relatively strong booziness. Pretty sweet as well with some pineapple flavors coming through in the after taste. A little bit of dark fruit, almost like a Belgian dark ale, but just hints of that.

Mouthfeel- A little slippery but somewhat dry in the aftertaste. Medium carbonation levels.

Overall- Nice beer. Nothing to crave but it does the job and has a pretty nice complex flavor profile. It's not the most amazing, but it definitely is well balanced and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:48:48 | More by nquigley16

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle shared by Zack, 750ml into a tulip - 2011 vintage.

Reddish brown, with a huge tan head. Great lacing and spots of retention. Nose is malty, fruity, some brett, light spice and some musty character. Taste is malt forwars, yeasty, musty, darker fruits, bitter finish. Medium feel, medium high carbonation. Nice malt and yeast character, but the hop bitterness that lingers detracts from this for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 16:24:23 | More by liamt07

harrymel

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Vintage 2012

Amber with blood cherry notes and a loose, thin sheet of light cream foam. Smells of plums, raisins, amber malt, some bread, some dry desert dust and a little bit of clove. Taste is not what I expected - sweet malt, bitter over steeped tea, some hibiscus and rose petals. Really pleasant flavor profile here for me. Medium on full bodied with fine, overpopulous carb and a wet finish. Nice beer. Quite surprised by this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:28:37 | More by harrymel

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

kind of a strange one here, sort of a holiday saison if you will. pours a nice deep copper to red color, with a dull glow and a bright white head with fine retention. excellent lacing is left at each sip, and there is just a bit of sediment settling out. the nose is spiced a little like a holiday beer, but to me yeast was the star here. its funky and farmy, but this isnt a sour beer despite the brett. its like a lesser version of their red barn ale in this respect. flavor has some sugar to it up front, and a dried fruity character with some tartness, maybe cranberry in complexion, with a lighter grain bill and that wet animal yeasty finish. the alcohol was a little much for me in this one. usually i like the huge ones from the lost abbey, but i thought this would have been a better beer around 8% abv. its just got real boozy as it warmed, which went oddly with the yeast and the residual sugar. made the mouthfeel a bit strange as well. carbonation was decent, but i think would be better if it was even more ramped up. body was a nice full medium. a must share bottle, i would have been wasted if i didnt have a few people around to help. good stuff for the holidays, outside of that context its less impressive.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 19:08:48 | More by StonedTrippin

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.94/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From the 750 ml. caged, corked bottle that is stamped Vintage 2012-1130. Sampled on January 21, 2013.

The pour is a copper amber with lively carbonation building up to an extraordinarily large puffy, off-white head that sits on top for the entire session.

At first the aromas are subtle with pale malts, candied sugars, and yeast but as it warms up in the glass the aromas evolve and become fuller with the same notes but an added meaty fruitiness of pear.

The body is medium and smooth.

The taste is a lot bolder than the aroma with many of the same pale malt, yeast, and sweet notes progressing into a more virulent biting pepper bitterness lingering to the finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 20:50:52 | More by puboflyons

searsclone

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a fresh bottle into a globe glass

pours a hazy copper color with a cloud like tan head that lasted through 2 or 3 sips

smell is huge! earth, horse blanket (brett?), chocolate, roasted malt, and vanilla cream

taste is spice, clove, roasted malt, alcohol and vanilla. <I'm not exactly sure what "Brett" tastes like,so the clove and spice that I'm getting might be that>

mouth is crispy then creamy and chewy with a thick finish

overall, very smooth and really sweet. easy to drink, alcohol is well hidden. I'm new to Brett beers, but I think this will be even better with some age. I think I'll look for another bottle and cellar it for a while to see what happens, but, it is really good fresh too.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:50:09 | More by searsclone

gr0g

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 vintage.

Pours a slightly hazy copper with an epic head. A very nice lace pattern is left behind. On the nose is a vinous quality along with a very slight Brett funk. Despite the dark color and 10% strength, light fruity esters of apple and white grape come through.

The malt body is more assertive on the palate. Slight musty, "old cellar" character amongst a toffee-like rich maltiness. Tart, bitter finish. There's also a hint of oak coming through. The fruit notes in the aroma are mostly lost on the palate and would've earned this a higher score. Carbonation is spot-on at first but falls flat a little too quickly. Alcohol does not intrude at all, a nice accomplishment considering the 10% ABV.

Overall, this is a very nice high strength "BdG" that affirms Lost Abbey's brewing cred.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 19:18:55 | More by gr0g

cjoc83

Pennsylvania

3.44/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

My first Lost Abbey beer, and expectations are high given the praise that is heaped upon the brewery on this site. A 2012 Gift of the Magi ($11.50 at the local Wegmans in southeastern PA) pours a cloudy ruby/brown with an initial 3 fingers worth of light khaki head that recedes to a small layer and leaves sparse lacing.

Not getting much info off the bottle as far as the style or taste of the beer goes (besides the fact that it's brewed with Brett), I learn on BA that this is a virgin style for me, a Biere de Garde. The Brett is evident in the nose with some slight yeasty funk and horse blanket, but underneath that is sweet caramel and biscuity malt and a touch of hops. So far so good.

The flavor is a bit underwhelming, but nevertheless pleasant. Musty funk and bready malt intermingle with some subdued sweet brown sugar and earthy hops, but the finish (especially as the beer warms) is quite nice as some ever so slightly tart fruit mixes with a bitter, spicy hop note.

Medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation. A small amount of heat is noticeable in the finish, but if I didn't know the abv was 10%, I would guess it around 7.5 or 8. Pretty well hidden.

Overall, a solid enough beer, but somewhat disappointing given the high expectations I had for it (which, in hindsight, were unreasonable as I initially thought this was a wild ale when I bought the bomber). The flavors were good, but too subtle. If the Gift of the Magi tasted as good as it smells, I would be picking up another bottle of this. For now, I'm content to try something else from LA. Certainly drinkable and I can appreciate the craftsmanship, but not really my cup of tea. Maybe BdG's just aren't my thing. I'm still very excited to try other offerings from the Lost Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:26:35 | More by cjoc83

Jmamay22

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

By his beer pours n orange hued amber. There doesn't appear to be much carbonation leaving only a thin collar that leaves little lacing. Smells of caramel, orange and a hint of spicy hops. There is a intriguing yeast and a slight funk possibly from Brett lurking in the background. Possibly even a touch of vanilla. Very beguiling and I'm excited to start sipping.

The taste is slightly subdued compared to the scent. Thankfully the mouthfeel has more carbonation that leads to a creaminess I would not expect given the seemingly lack of carbonation. Back to the taste. It starts of sweeter than expected and personally desired with a toffee caramel flavor. The flavor gives way to the spicy and fruity hop presence. Altogether, I would have preferred a drier finish as this comes of a bit cloying personally. Also the interesting yeast complexity did not come through in the taste. That said it is still a good beer that I am nitpicking a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 01:45:48 | More by Jmamay22

kylehay2004

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: single finger head on a copper with orange hues cloudy body. excellent lacing.

S: cake, vanilla, caramel, orange peel and belgian yeast although the yeast is very mild.

T: very spicey, acidic tropical fruits mostly banana and green apple, with belgian yeast, earthy and herbal hops, corriander

M: highly carbonation with chewey, full body. semi dry.

Overall: this one is pretty sharp and acidic almost burning the palate. Very flavorful, a little over carbonated. Definitly a must try.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:19:09 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with one and a half fingers of white foam on top of a hazy, copper brown body. The foam settles at a moderate pace and leaves nice lace.

S - Bready malt with tropical fruit and lots of spicy yeast character.

T - Thick malt up front with lots of musty pineapple and mango. Some peppery notes in the middle with clove, anise, coriander, and banana. Finishes with notes of vanilla, pound cake, pepper, and more mango.

M - A thick, chewy body, high carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Really nicely done, the malty, farmhouse ale base beer is taken to new heights by a brilliant application of funk and fruit from the Brett. I particularly like how vanilla and cake flavors mix with mango and pepper in the finish to leave a dessert like impression that is sweet and thick without even coming close to becoming cloying.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:09:29 | More by nickfl

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Tieman for sharing this one at his tasting.

2009 vintage.

Pours a murky dark orange with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, fruits, and a caramel aroma. Taste is much the same with a medium spice bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 08:21:48 | More by UCLABrewN84

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from 2008
Pours a deep reddish orange amber color with a thinnish white head that shows moderate retention but little lace. The aroma strikes me as quite musty like a barrel room. Hints of sweet malt with a lot of non descript spices. Hints of bretty funk add to the mystery of what sits in this glass. The flavor is complex and a bit odd really. Up front I get an aged barleywine kind of oxidized caramel malty sweetness. Some spices that I don't recognize sweep in to counter what is left of the malty sweetness. This all finishes with a healthy does of funk and spice with a somewhat menthol herbal edge. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet syrupy bubbly spicy mouthfeel. This beer is honestly like nothing I've ever tried, its quite different. Its quite complex, but some of the flavors don't agree with my palette. I'm glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:18:23 | More by johnnnniee

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

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

2011 Bottle my brother gave me as a Christmas gift. Poured into a Weyerbacher tulip...

A - Poured a hazy, orange-amber color. There was a big, fluffy, 2.5 finger, off-white/khak colored head that retained quite well. Some slight lacing on the glass.

S - The smell was nice. The nose is sweet and starts off with carmel, sugar, and some dried fruits. Apricots, apples, and some white grape come through nicely. There is some significant spice notes as well along with a funky, musty, fruity aroma. Some sweet malt aromas come through as well.

T - The flavor is more sour on the palate than the nose would let on. Almost as if Brett had been used in this beer. Nice flavors of apricot, apple, and lemon making things light and refreshing. Currants and corriander come out as well adding to the soice flavors that are already present. Nice floral and citrus end to the flavor.

M - Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a nice crispness on the backend and a slightly dry finish.

O - Pleasantly surprised by this offering from Lost Abbey. I really thought this was a fine play on a Biere de Garde and the addition of Frankincense and Myrrh is an inventive way to think outside the box.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 18:45:21 | More by KAP1356

CommanderOfAwesome

California

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle was a yr old 10/2011 poured into a pint glass.

A: Deep yellow almost carmel color. Tons of carbonation, straight bubble lines. Nice lacing and head retentions. 2 finger head.

S: Very Malty/carmel aroma, with some sweet fruit coming in. Little bit of funk as well.

T: First thought was that it tastes like a American Strong Ale brewed with Belgian Yeast. Best way I can think of describing it. Strong alcohol finish.

M: Full bodied, malty as hell. Tons of carbonation, beer really made me feel full.

O: It was a very interesting beer, solid overall. Glad I shared the bottle, wouldn't want to finish the bomber myself. Great beer for the cooler nights to sip on, not a beer you're going to drink quickly.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 17:51:44 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

kojevergas

California

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery. Cost was $9.99 at my local beer store.

Served quite cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Poured with standard vigor even though carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a healthy vibrant khaki colour head of nice cream and thickness, and great retention for the high ABV (at least four minutes). Colour is a hazy vibrant copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Heavy on the spice. Rosemary, cinnamon, pumpkin. It's a bit perfumey. Clean and fragrant. Incense comes through. A mild strength, subtle aroma. Right on the money for the style. I'm looking forward to it. No alcohol or yeast comes through.

T: The spice is quite dominant in the flavour as well. Bretts come through, as does a very light lactic touch. There's some off-notes and the ABV does come through. Badly hopped, with floral notes in all the wrong places. Badly balanced. Clean malts provide the foundation. There's just something wrong here. The spice is nice, but the build is severely flawed.

Mf: Fluffy and coarse. It succeeds at achieving a surprising lightness. Wet. Aimless. Too thin. Doesn't suit the flavour well at all.

Dr: A huge disappointment from Lost Abbey. I expected far better. Very pricey for its lack of quality. I wouldn't get this again.

Maybe it ages well. Hard to tell.

Would go decently with salads.

High C

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:31:31 | More by kojevergas

Dennycurr

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

For those who drink this beer...
Get ready to drink a beer that tastes like there's been a perfume bottle poured into the mix.
YES---it has a distinct flavor and yes....the eyebrows raise, but....whew...it is not for everybody.
The reason I even gave it a bit above average is because the taste is so radical----I dig the difference. Although, this beer would be on the lower rung of diff and distinct beers I would try.
I was told by the people I bought this from, (Monks in Philly), this beer is called the Gift of the Magi because----there is an actual presence of Frankincence and Mir, in the beer.
You actually can taste it.
Heavily.

I give props to a beer that can do that. In fact----that was a big reason I bought it.
Am glad I tried it.
Is a wayyy diff taste than any other beer.
Kudos for that!

But a bit too perfumy, for me.

Den

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:08:29 | More by Dennycurr

mscudder

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Eyed this bottle for some time; finally committed to one at $8.99/750mL. 2011 bottle. Poured into a snifter.

A - Pours a ruby amber with an explosive off white head. Average retention and lace.

S - Lots of fruit with sweet caramel. I detect more pear than any other fruit, also features a nice dose of funk.

T - This constitutes a fine treat! Spicy notes up front followed by a sweet progression of caramel. Fruits are present throughout with some complexity to boot. The funk from the nose is still there, but surprisingly makes it more interesting.

M - Creamy and medium bodied. Carbonation is low-moderate which is well suited. Beer is big and remains fairly drinkable for the ABV. The alcohol is suppressed to a subtle warmth.

O - A good beer that I may revisit in the future. I was a virgin to the style and if this is any indication of the norm, I will be pursuing the style much more aggressively.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:59:19 | More by mscudder

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL of the 2009 vintage courtesy of hawks10. Pours a super clear, amber color with a decent cap of beige head. Not a whole lot of retention or lacing, but plenty of effervescence for a beer 3 years old.

Nose is very fruity and caramely, one of the nicest Biere de Garde noses I have smelled. Like pears coated with melted Sugar Daddys.

Wow, this beer has really held up well, there is almost no oxidation. In fact, I think it could go another two or few. The alcohol is still big though...too big for the malt really. Dial this one down to about 8% and I think it would improve the beer quite a bit. I like the mild spice flavors I am getting, not sure if it is the yeast or actual spices...it kind of has a cinnamon-nutmeg thing going on. I don’t find the brett to be that much of a factor, which is probably a good thing in this beer's case. It already has a ton going on. Pretty good, I like it enough to buy another bottle next time I see it...although next time I will share it, lol.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:13:48 | More by twiggamortis420

AgentMunky

California

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet.

A: Tight head. Off-white with good retention.The body is clearish nut brown.

S: Faint, grainy, funky. Bière de garde-ish. Alcoholic esters are strong and dry.

T: Fantastic! One of my favorite Lost Abbey beers. Sweet-spicy base, with odd grain and even more caramel/toffee maltishness. Complex and difficult to describe and, honestly, I'd rather drink it than review. Find a bottle and appreciate it for yourself.

M: Toasty and tasty.

O: Brett character is subdued, but noticeable. Spiciness is in the forefront, but I can't place the spices used. The beer is drinkable, compelling, interesting, and highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 21:27:48 | More by AgentMunky

BostonHops

Massachusetts

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

appropriately, enjoyed christmas day. (review from notes). shared bomber.

pours a hazy amber/brown tone with big two-finger plus creamy head. the pour was not the best, but i didn't want to start a christmas altercation. nice retention, lacing.

nose is a nice bouquet headlined by caramel malts, some fruity notes, spice, and a touch of funk. flavor follows the aroma with a sweeter, fruiter feel out front becoming more earthy by the finish, again with spice and shades of funk. very tasty, flavorful brew. 10% ABV well hidden.

medium-bodied with some crispness; medium carbonation. very drinkable for such a big beer.

originally reviewed: 01-03-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:14:52 | More by BostonHops

portia99

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle (2008 release) poured into a Lost Abbey stemmed glass.

A - An absolutely brutally difficult to remove cork finally gave up and released a nice pop of carbonation. Pours a crystal clear deep amber color that trends towards orange on the color palate. A finger of foam cap, pale tan in color sits on top of the beer for a minute or so and falls to a thick skim coat with mild lacing on the glass. Really good looking beer.

S - Very spicy Belgian yeast aromas here mixed in with Brett-y funk. Cloves, black pepper, tropical oranges, mild caramel, earthy brett has taken hold of this and added a really great extra layer to the aroma.

T - Oh yeah...really Brett-y flavors too...earthy funk up front, a bit of barnyard (especially noticeable on the exhale), spicy too - black peppery and clovey. Hints of sweet malt, lower level but noticeable hop bitterness.

M - Thinnish medium body with a mid-level carbonation too. Funky and earthy from start to finish, spicy, a bit of booze. Brett has really done its job here...really taken hold nicely.

O - I'm gonna stop short of calling this truly comparable to Boulevard's Saison Brett...but it is the first thing I can think of to compare this to. Bought a couple of these bottles on clearance and glad I did. I remember this beer being decent when fresh, but 4 years of age have helped this tremendously. This is really brett-y in a very good way. Alcohol is noticeable at 10%, but actually kept in check pretty well. Gonna have to go back to the store I got these and hope they still have a couple more of these left.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:02:54 | More by portia99

SHODriver

California

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a coppery brown with a large and rocky beige head that does not retain well
S: smells of spice, pale malt, some funk, and a slight sour note as well
T: tastes of spice, slightly fruity and some lightly toasted malt, funk comes on toward the end and the finish is fairly yeasty with a little bit of fruitiness
M: Heavy carbonation but not overly prickly. I could feel the beer bubbling against the roof of my mouth. A bit on the thin side
O: Not bad but not great. A solid beer and a steal for 3.99

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 05:34:18 | More by SHODriver

chadmoe1

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From notes on 1/3/12 (first beer in 2012!)

A -- Brown with 3/4" white head, slow dissipation; lots of lacing

S -- Malty, boozey, stone fruit, Brett horsey-ness but not overwhelming

T -- Dry and malty, then long sharp aftertaste; toasty (slightly roasty) flavors with little hop contributions

M -- High carb, dry

O -- Really cool beer though maybe not what I've had with other Biere de Gardes. Definitely strong with all kinds of malty flavors. Brett is not overpowering -- a good beer for those interested in trying some Brett flavors.

Bottle, Russian River snifter

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 12:59:28 | More by chadmoe1

DovaliHops

California

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark amber color with a medium, off-white head that disappears quickly. Scent is very malty with some farmhouse aroma and wild yeast...brett? Some burnt malt and English hop aromas. Some dark fruits and bread as well. Taste is very malty...caramel and biscuit malt with some light, bitter hoppiness. A bit of brown sugar and brett flavors. Floral notes and booze as well. Mouthfeel is full-bodied and smooth. Drinkability is fair. Overall, it is a decent beer, but nowhere near my favorite offering from Lost Abbey or Biere de Gardes.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 09:08:42 | More by DovaliHops