Red Poppy Ale - The Lost Abbey

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BA SCORE
95
world-class
-
959 Ratings

rAvg: 4.28
pDev: 10.28%
Reviews: 489
Hads: 470

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Brewed by:
The Lost Abbey

California, United States

Style | ABV
Flanders Red Ale | 5.50% ABV

Availability: Winter. bottle (460), on-tap (28), cask (1).

Notes:
Perhaps no country embraces the use of fruit in beers more so than Belgium. Numerous traditional as well as regional specialty ales are infused with every sort of fruit imaginable. In this way, the flavor of the fruit becomes especially prominent.

Red Poppy Ale is a veritable celebration of Sour Cherries in an explosion of aromas and tastes. Brewed from a brown ale base and aged in our oak barrels for over 6 months, this beer is not for the faint of heart.

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Reviews

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Reviews by JoeySchlitz:

JoeySchlitz

California

4.08/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

'09 from abfraser

A: Looks like murky brown juice when first poured with zero signs of life (i.e.. carbonation). As it sits, a light ring of carbonation forms on the edge along with a faint bit of lacing.

S: Rich sour cherries, with some vinegar lactic notes. Reminds me a little of Duchesse de Bourgogne, with a bit more toned down fruit up front. Also some red wine.

T: More sour cherries, fairly crisp and malt vinegar. The sourness bites at the back of your throat and leaves a puckering aftertaste.

M: Very light carbonation but there is just a bit to give the beer some levity. Could use a tad bit more and would be very good.

O: This is a tasty beer - kind of a mix between Supplication and Duchesse de Bourgogne. Not sure how much more pronounced the cherries would have been fresh but they are still evident. Another solid sour from the crew at L.A.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 04:24:44 | More by JoeySchlitz

More User Reviews:

cosmonick

Indiana

4.5/5 rDev +5.1%

05-25-2013 14:33:58 | More by cosmonick

Josiah2729

Tennessee

4.5/5 rDev +5.1%

05-25-2013 08:20:53 | More by Josiah2729

bb8189

Ohio

3.75/5 rDev -12.4%

05-24-2013 13:05:51 | More by bb8189

Callmecoon

California

4/5 rDev -6.5%

05-23-2013 02:25:46 | More by Callmecoon

e30todamax

Virginia

4.25/5 rDev -0.7%

05-22-2013 23:22:28 | More by e30todamax

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4/5 rDev -6.5%

05-22-2013 19:48:52 | More by randylangford

Zive

Hawaii

4.14/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Vintage 2012 bottle, cellared for fourteen months, poured into champagne flute.

Appearance: Looks like a classic brown ale with a half finger of khaki head that dissipates quickly. When held up to light it takes on a more amber/deep ruby red hue.

Smell: Oak and vanilla at first, the sour scent associated with most wild ales is present to a lesser extent. The cherry aroma has faded considerably, most likely due to cellaring, and is barely detectable.

Taste: First taste is a mild tartness, though not puckering like many other sours due to the mellowness of the barrels and the sweetness imparted by the cherries and malts. There's no doubt that the base beer here was loaded with dark malts which lend a caramel character to the taste. I was concerned that this would be overly fruity, but between the barrels and cellaring that's not the case.

Mouthfeel: Silky with lots of small CO2 streaming from the base of the glass. The acidity from the wild yeast strains adds to the stinging feeling of the carbonation. A bit more mellow on the palate than most wild and sour ales I've had (Lindeman's, Cantillon, etc).

Overall: I enjoyed this beer mostly for its uniqueness. The brewing process was well thought-out here, balancing the acids produced by the wild yeast with the mellowing and sweetening effects of barrel aging and cherries. I would be interested in trying this beer either from a fresh bottle or on tap for comparison. Although this is an excellent beer and worthy of much of the hype surrounding it, I don't believe it's great enough to justify the $20 price-tag.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 08:28:01 | More by Zive

gamanley

Connecticut

4.5/5 rDev +5.1%

05-22-2013 02:53:52 | More by gamanley

PlinyBeMiney

California

4.5/5 rDev +5.1%

05-21-2013 23:14:18 | More by PlinyBeMiney

Busker

Connecticut

5/5 rDev +16.8%

05-21-2013 18:10:16 | More by Busker

GuinnessAtRogerWilco

New Jersey

4.48/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml corked bottle poured into a small Chimay chalice.

AP: Rusty brown colour with a 1/2" cream/tan head that dissipates to 1/4" with bubbles still escalating to the top. Nice lacing on the glass when tilted.
AR: Has that classic Flanders Red Ale aroma that I associate with German sourdough pretzels (the hard kind). Apple cider and other fruits like white grape and tart cherries are discerned as well with Belgian yeast funk.
T: Very very nice. A lot of what I got in the nose with grape and cherry skins prominent on the finish and tart apple flavour weaving in and out from start to finish. The sour note is just about right, not too strong but vivid enough for instant recognition and enjoyment. It starts strong at the beginning then softly fades but lingers throughout. Well done.
M: Assertive carbonation, acidic, dry and tart on the finish but does coat your tongue and teeth nicely with what bit of sweetness there is.
OV: A very well done Flanders style Red Ale that would match any from the region itself and I've had my share of them being a fan of sours. The flavours on this are very tasty and the sour note is just right with acidic tartness and not too much of a vinegar aspect. A definite sessionable sipper that offers good flavours and cleanses your palate at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:23:50 | More by GuinnessAtRogerWilco