Framboise De Amorosa - The Lost Abbey

mactrail

California

3.58/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Local Habit in San Diego. The color is dark brownish and murky in the glass-- "swamp water," as DefenCorps calls it, which is right on. A splash of a head and quite a tingly mouthfeel, both from the carbonation and what I suspect is taste buds dying. More of a vinegar smell with a touch of fruitiness.

Tart rather than sweet to start, but hugely berry flavored. Some bitterness for the finish. A slight sweetness creeps in along with the vinegar edge. It does taste just like raspberries, which the brewer says were added again during the year-long wine barrel aging. This is actually quite sippable, though unmistakably a serious sour.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2013 05:55:24 | More by mactrail

haazer

Pennsylvania

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

Last beer I had at Capones black friday event.

A- A very pretty looking brew. Poured a deep purple color, with mohagony and red highlights. There was decent lacing left down the sides of the glass.

S- Tart and acetic aroma. Somewhat funky but not a lot. Sour raspberries of course, and even a bit of vinegar.

T- Fairly tart brew here. Slightly sour but not so much as the nose would lead you to believe. The raspberries give a nice flavor throughout and linger somewhat. The acidity of this beer is digesting my enormous Thanksgiving meal from the day before quite nicely.

M- Light to medium bodied brew, and highly carbonated. Way to go Tomme.

O- Overall this makes a great sour. The sourness and raspberry flavors are balanced very well. It's not overly sour or funky. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 16:17:34 | More by haazer

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured out as a murky looking red color with an off white pinkish foamy head on top. The retention here is a good and so is the lacing on the glass. Very pretty looking beer all around. The smell of the beer gives off plenty of raspberry aromas some nice fresh oak and some subtle funk in there too. The taste is excellent in my opinion. There is an explosion of raspberry with the tartness of the fruit itself mixing with the oak from the barrels and the wild yeast. The sourness of the beer is very tolerable in my opinion and still remains very easy to drink. The after taste brings out some of the malt in the base of the beer as the fruit subsides, there is also some hints of cocoa in there as well in the late finish. The mouthfeel of the beer is good, it's a little thin but had a moderate carbonation to it. Overall it was highly enjoyable, I would order this beer again in a heartbeat. Very glad i got to try this, If I ever have it again I want to have it with a rich chocolate dessert of some kind.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 01:29:30 | More by Knapp85

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz serving in a tulip glass during Tomme Arthur night at Lord Hobo last night. Reviewed from the notes that I wrote down.

A- Hazy mostly opaque dark brownish red with a very thin layer of reddish off-white head that leaves some spotty lacing. About average carbonation.

S- Mainly raspberries with maybe a tiny bit of cherries in there too. Lightly sweet smelling with some light tartness. Slightly above average aroma strength.

T- Lots of raspberries, fairly sweet with some light tartness on the finish. Not too sour, slightly more sour then Cuvee de Tomme and Red Poppy.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, tingles the tongue a little bit with larger mouthfulls, very easy to drink.

O- I haven't had too many framboises, but I definitely enjoyed drinking this one. Not my favorite sour I've had and definitely not the sourest, but definitely a nice enjoyable beer that I'm glad I had the opportunity to try. I wouldn't go out of my way to try it again, but I would certainly drink it again. It was one of my favorites of the night. It had a nice raspberry flavor with a decent tartness that could have maybe been toned up a little bit. I would definitely recommend this beer if you like raspberries.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2012 19:28:20 | More by jaasen64

UCLABrewN84

California

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap for Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a clear dark red with a foamy reddish-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is pretty sour and tart with lots of fresh raspberry and raspberry juice aromas. Taste is much the same with an acidic quality with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is pretty refreshing and very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 01:13:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

SoCalStout

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Lost Abbey for their first Throw Back Thursday. Poured into a Lost Abbey stemware. 2010 Vintage

Appearance: Pours a dark red/purple with two fingers worth of light pink.rose colored head that fades fairly quickly and leaves very light lacing.

Smell: The aroma is amazingly complex. Lots of tart fruits such as raspberries and sour cherries which were most present. Very crisp with brett. Oaky with a mild, sweet malt backdrop as well to balance it.

Taste: Huge sour raspberry tartness up front with a huge acidic sour level. A large creamy vanilla oaky wood dry bite in the middle. The sourness lingers with you throughout. Has a dry, sour, and acidic bite near the end as well.

Mouthfeel: Full body with lots of carbonation and a prickly feel towards the finish.

Overall: This is a solid wild ale. It is very drinkable and I can't wait to see what some age does to this beer as I have some 09, 10, and 11 ageing. I think it is going to be amazing!

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 07:00:38 | More by SoCalStout

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at the Armsby Abbey on Lost Abbey night. Poured as a 4oz pour.

A - Pours a hazy red raspberry juice/light blood colour with a thin white head that leaves a nice halo.

S - Aromas of fresh raspberry and vinegar. Super sweet raspberry preserves. Oh my goodness this is inviting.

T - Wow this is something to marvel at. Delicious raspberry notes and jam with light sweetness. Some little vinegar notes as well. So, so much better than the bottle I tried. Tart, sour, sweet so good.

M - Goddamn this is a great mouthfeel. So nicely carbonated here this stuff is tart and crisp. Each sip makes me want more.

O - Overall I love this beer. So freaking good with delicious raspberries. So glad I got to try this on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 00:23:07 | More by rudzud

claytong

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance - ruby red with a fantastic head that last the whole time im drinking.

smell - raspberry...wow, basically just raspberries here. maybe could detect some funk, but it was hard to really say

taste - raspberry, wine soaked oak, a bit of raspberry tartness, very delicate and nice.

mouthfeel - good carbonation with a light to medium body, a wet finish possibly from all the raspberries.

overall - certainly something to keep around the kitchen for pairing. also certainly something non beer lovers could enjoy, or even a beer lover. terrific beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2011 14:03:44 | More by claytong

Spider889

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of the couple beers at GABF I had multiple tastes of, at least three, in this case I believe.

Nice reddish/cranberry color, with pretty good clarity.

Smelled really bold. Tart raspberry was fresh and mingled with very acidic yeast/buggers. Sweet but not so much that it was distracting like most American "framboise" beers.

The flavor was equally bold. The acidity was much bigger than I expected. Really nice sourness here, with ripe raspberry deliciousness.

Nice strong carbonation. Overall an excellent beer, one I believe I had the opportunity to buy once or twice but simply assumed it wasn't going to be worthwhile. This one isn't talked about like many of the other LA beers, but this is a prime example of why the brewery is at least capable of producing world class beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 04:11:07 | More by Spider889

dirtylou

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on-tap at brouwers on lost abbey night

appearance: served in an unbranded snifter, dark purple-ish body, fizzy beige head

smell: fresh raspberry, definitely more tart than sweet, woody notes

taste: very good - i love the high tartness:sweetness ratio as so many of the style are cloyingly sweet. potent fresh raspberries, oaky, puckering and tongue buckling. Great

mouthfeel: high tartness, fizzy carbonation

overall: quite good

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 17:46:00 | More by dirtylou

DoubleJ

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I would comment on how awesome the label artwork is, but I had this on-tap, so I didn't get to see a label. Another great tap at 38 Degrees, on to the beer:

Looks reddish violet in the glass. No head formed on the pour, so one could confuse this as fruit juice upon first look. Very pungent is the aroma; filled with all sorts of acidic qualities and vinegar, and also a drop of raspberries.

This is where Lost Abbey makes its name. Tart, sour, and fruity. Very pleasant raspberry notes make up one dimension while pleasant vinegary and tart notes make up the other portion. Not too tart, sour, or fruity in any aspect.

It's no Raspberry Tart, but that shouldn't be the standard. Tasty stuff. How this costs twice as much in the bottle at a store versus on-tap at a bar will remain one of life's greatest mysteries.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 16:58:22 | More by DoubleJ

Sideswipe

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery.

Was pleasantly surprised to find this on when I stopped in today. Poured into 4oz LA glass.

FdA arrives with little to no head. A ring of fizz is present around the outside of the glass and a steady stream of bubbles rises in the center. The color is red hued mahogany, like a finished piece of fine hardwood. The aroma is of sour red fruit. Not surprisingly, raspberries predominate. The beer smells tart and fruity. Taste follows wih huge raspberry notes. The initial fruity sweetness is followed by a blast of acetic sourness. Vinegar and light funk present themselves as my mouth puckers wonderfully. The finish is dry with a lingering tartness. Raspberries abound in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is light to medium and very refreshingly carbonated. Overall this is a wonderful beer! The over the top raspberries coupled with mouth puckering sour qualities make this a joy to imbibe! I can never get enough of this one. Well done Lost Abbey!

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 23:36:34 | More by Sideswipe

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Monk's Cafe served in a 12+ ounce octagon shaped glass. This brew appears a hazed ruby color that is a mix of brown with purple hints. There is no head but a few bubbles rise from solution and collect around the edge of the glass. A swirl creates no assistance in head formation.

The smell of this brew is fantastic. It emits a bold character if fresh raspberry purée that is pitty and earthy like real fruit not extract. Some light oak and barrel presence creates some vanilla quality which creates a smooth, sweet underlying to the fruit. More sniffs of this brew start to take a turn into a medicinal quality once the alcohol comes out. A light trance about the nose let's you know this is going to be tart before you even take a sip.

The taste is puckeringly sour with fresh raspberry flavor that is lightly medicinal. Deep earthy and herbal flavors mix with the raspberry creating a bit of a twang. This is quite an acidic brew from the mixture of raspberry and bacteria but makes for quite a salivating brew. The alcohol creeps up the throat with increased presence as the brew warms. Once warm, some deep wooden flavors emergenwith tannins that are not harsh, oak and light vinegar round this brew out.

This is a medium to full bodied brew, leaning more towards medium and quite creamy and smooth in texture. The light amount of carbonation exaggerates the thick fullness of this brew. Much more fruited and sour than I was expecting but that is welcomed. Very well hidden abv except for it's warming factor.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 16:26:40 | More by stakem

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

on tap at monks in philly

Pours a clouded purple color with some pinkish and red hues, light head with barely any retention or lacing on the glass.

Avalanche of raspberries and fruit juice with some barrel and plenty of tartness. Biting, but pleasantly, with sour notes and acid.

Delivers the raspberries in spades from top to bottom. Juicy, sour, and lively on the tongue with jam and berries. Fruit skin with acid and continuing sourness. Some sweeter fruit tones towards the finish, which has (you guessed it) even more raspberries.

Medium bodied, a bit lighter on the carbonation (but better than Duck Duck Guava was), lingering and biting on the tongue. I really was into this one, more so than some other LA beers I've had, and this was the only beer that had me going back for more that day.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 04:26:07 | More by xnicknj

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had a few tulips of this at Monk's Cafe and I am very glad I did.

A- Off the spout, Framboise De Amorosa does not contain a whole lot of bubbles. There is just a bit of off white semi red blotches on top but after a bit it's just liquid on top. No stick.

S- This smells like raspberies and a nice oaky hit with vanilla backing. I could say more, but I wont, when you smell this you get raspberry, nuff said.

T- Oh my fucking lord, raspberry here, raspberries there, raspberries everywhere. I knew they really packed it in, but I was just blown away by how tasty they were. Under that the oak influence comes out with the vanilla as well. Tannins, and a nice sour vibe. Im thinking the tartness comes from the skins of the berries rather than a innoculation, the taste is just to clean and I dont get any brett/lacto vibes here. Raspberries.

M- Like I said, this was just not very carbed, it looked dead and the feel is kinda lackluster but the taste makes that an after thought. I hear the bottles rxplode and now there are no bubbles from the tap, is there any middle ground with this beer. Body is a step down from medium with a tart vibe.

O- this was a treat for beer week and Im going to seek it out again before the week is over. Thank you Tom and tomme for making this happen. Very amazing beer here and I want the double version.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 05:31:18 | More by onix1agr

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A tulip on draft at monks. Nice small cap of pinkish white head that holds for just a bit then settles to a thin ring. Deep hazy pink purple in color with good bubbles stuck to the glass.

S- Strikingly bold fresh tart raspberries with a wonderful sour fruity punch from the bugs. Light sweetness rounding things out.

T- huge fresh ripe raspberries with a great tartness that rolls expertly into a great woody funky hit. The fruit just owns the show and never let's up. Mild yeasty sweetness keeping things in check.


M- silky medium body with a perfect refreshing carb hitting all the right spots. Great big pucker and all the juices are pumping.

O- this is a spectacular beer. Holds its own against some of the best from Belgium, and the best american copy I've ever had. Just blown away. Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 07:21:25 | More by oglmcdgl

SDDanC

California

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap into smaller wine glass. Pours grapefruit red, no head. sour cherry, wheat, raspberry and maybe a little watermelon on the nose. very delectable. taste is quite tart, reminds me of the black raspberry sour warhead candy. mouth feel is awesome. the initial carb goes excellent with the tartness, it almost excels the experience. overall, i am comfortable saying this is a great beer. very refreshing and an awesome cap to the session.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 07:35:30 | More by SDDanC

thetomG

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice murky brown/reddish/purple color with very little head/carbonation.

Tart aroma. Tart & sour flavors, but the raspberry comes thorough nicely in the end leaving a slight residual sweetness throughout the finish.

Despite the low carbonation, it feel nice on the mouth and seemed to get more and more sour for me with each sip.

Very very tasty beer. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2011 04:23:43 | More by thetomG

FosterJM

California

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

489th review on BA
Draft to taster
@Lost Abbey

Again Jason, Thank you for the kindness for my birthday on Sunday!! You're the man!

App- It's slightly darker than pink, almost pink mixed with a little red. No head just flat. Was expecting that though.

Smell- GIGANTIC raspberries in this. It was sweet, tart, lush and ripe.

Drink- This beer was a great sour. It was tasty, without being to spritzy and too flat. A well blended drink. The oaky sweet came through about 1/2 way through.

Mouth- This was pretty lush and wet (I guess right adjective). It was low carbed and medium bodied but not over done.

Drink- I would like to have this again with a nice cheesecake or paired with something to really highlight those flavors. Very tart, sour, sweet, lush. Loved it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 04:20:21 | More by FosterJM

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A pink and purple appearance, minimal head, quite interesting to start with. Aroma was sweet and funky, dark sweet colored berries.

Taste, nice and dry, equal parts sweet and sour. Strike that, more on the sour side. Tangy. A little gritty even, probably the difference from using fruit as opposed to filtered fruit juice as a shortcut (much less the added sugar).

Not a beer for everyone, not even close. Relatively rarely used fruit, paired with a dubbel, high price tag, fruit acidic sourness.

Not recommended for novices. Highly recommended for those off the beaten path.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 00:02:39 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DovaliHops

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Went to the release and had this on draft...also just popped one of my 4 bottles open the other night with my girlfriend and buddy. I will be reviewing the one I had on draft. Drove all the way from Fresno for this! Pours a very murky brownish-red color with very little head. Scent is STRONG raspberry with hints of funk, oak, and sour aromas. Taste is initially sweet, fresh raspberry goodness. Finishes very sour and acidic. There are some lovely wooden notes throughout. Mouthfeel is very full-bodied and thick. It reminds me of some very acidic, unfiltered fruit juice. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this beer was just fantastic at the release. I'm interested to see how the remaining bottles hold up over time.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 07:54:44 | More by DovaliHops

MrHirschybar

California

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

5th taster at Port - Barrel Blast

A - Cranberry/Raspberry Red leaning towards a slight maroon color with no head off the tap

S - Tart, sour, raspberry, a little funk, and citrus

T - Raspberry, tart, with a sweet finish that lingered - didn't really find this to be all that sour -- very tasty I found myself comparing it to a tart fruit drink without the overwhelming sweetness - very agreeable with just a slight bit of the funk from the smell

M - Nice carbonation, surprised there wasn't much head on the drink with the carbonation it had. Blended well with the taste - light refreshing fruitiness with just a little tartness that wasn't overwhelming and a little sweetness that lingered

D - This was nice, light and refreshing, I could have drank this in the warm San Diego/Carlsbad sun for a bit - it was a great break between tons of heavy barrel aged stouts and water. Very agreeable and would easily be something to have a sour hater try and be swayed.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2011 04:47:58 | More by MrHirschybar

BS68280

South Carolina

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

I had this one on an amazing vacation in San Diego. Just getting around to reviewing it. This was drank side by side with Red Poppy, and IP at The Lost Abbey. While I was enjoying IP, the bar tender was kind enough to pour me a glass of this and Red Poppy to try out too, what an amazing experience. I even got to meet the man behind the artwork on the bottle (and all the other bottles).

A: 3/4 inch of pinkish whiteish head on top of a dark murky red orange brown colored body.

S: Smells like a lot of raspberries. Spicy funky smell after that.

T: Tastes like sour sour funky raspberries.

M: High carbonation.

D: Up there but to be fair I could have stayed all day.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2010 00:59:25 | More by BS68280

womencantsail

California

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Lost Abbey

A: The pour is a very muddled brown color with plenty of red highlights and a short lived off-white head on top. Not particularly attractive in any sense.

S: A very pungent raspberry aroma, as you would expect, which provides a nice mix of tartness and acidity with a mild sweetness. There is a nice contribution from the oak as well, along with a very light funkiness, and plenty of lactic acidity and only slight vinegar notes.

T: The flavors mimic the nose quite well. The raspberries are certainly the star of the beer and work very nicely with a strong acidity and a minimal vinegar flavor. The oak and fruit skins provide a very nice dry and tannic quality.

M: A medium bodied beer with a puckering tartness, full carbonation, and a dry finish.

D: I'm usually not the hugest fan of the framboise variety of lambic/sour beers, but this was a really pleasant and refreshing take on it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 23:52:22 | More by womencantsail

belgianjunkie

California

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this off the tap at the Lost Abbey Amorosa/Veritas 007 release.

In appearance, "cloudy" doesn't even cover it- it looked like pureed fruit, beer, and V8 had a baby. The scent is fruity first, and malty and tangy, getting the salivary glands going. In flavor, it's tart and sour up front and keeps on coming, with the raspberry flavor on the back side, easing through the oude bruin sour (Rodenbach-style) ale taste and rounding it out nicely, though considering the appearance screams "fruit overload" it was surprisingly secondary to the sour beer flavors. I'd call it a medium to medium-heavy mouthfeel, a bit chewy and full on the palate, working hand-in-hand with the salivation that's now working overtime due to the sour base. And though I couldn't appreciate this one all night long (or even maybe more than two bottles in one sitting), it's a genuine treat for anyone who enjoys wild, sour, artistic beers.

All in all a fine entry, and one I'm glad I was able to try both from the tap at the brewery and in the six bottles I was able to pick up at the release event.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2010 21:49:31 | More by belgianjunkie