Gift Of The Magi
The Lost Abbey

Gift Of The MagiGift Of The Magi
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From:
The Lost Abbey
 
California, United States
Style:
Bière de Garde
Ranked #40
ABV:
12%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,208
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 11.52%
Reviews:
321
Ratings:
758
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 23, 2023
Added:
Jun 10, 2007
Wants:
  65
Gots:
  134
It seems that everyone knows the story of the Three Kings. Sent to follow the star in the sky each brought a gift for the baby they sought. One King brought Gold, the other Frankincense and the other Myrrh. Many breweries produce a Christmas Seasonal beer and this is our beer to celebrate the holiday season.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.82/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
750ml bottle into a tulip. NO freshness dating.

Looks very nice in the glass. Deep burgundy red body with a small but persistent off white head. Decent lacing at first

Aroma of boiled candy and sweet malt.

On tasting, it initially follows the nose. It is quite warm in the throat. Then, as was the case in TLA's Devotion beer, a wave of dry hopped bitterness comes in, crushing all before it.

Mouth just above medium, finish sweet then dry bitterness.

Overall, not a bad beer by any means. Some might appreciate the dry hopping to balance out the sweetness. I am less enthusiastic about it.
Dec 20, 2020
Photo of TrojanRB
Reviewed by TrojanRB from Texas

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear coppery amber with persistent white head

Smell is raisin, rum, brown sugar

Taste is definitely a bit of farmhouse funk...different flavor profile from the nose. Lots of muddled flavors, but the most prominent is a charred caramel

A little oily, moderate carbonation....you can tell it’s high ABV but I wouldn’t have guessed >10%
Feb 18, 2020
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml corked and caged bottle

tan colored, clear, foamy head. funky earthy aroma, bready and spicey. taste is complex and a bit grassy and herbal, dry. thin bodied.
Jan 24, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Oct 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.54 by Luke_Warmwater from Pennsylvania

Oct 26, 2018
Photo of JackRWatkins
Reviewed by JackRWatkins from Georgia

2.77/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
A: Pours a deep ruby red with a creamy, two-finger beige head
S: Strong notes of cherry, dark fruit and raisin with something of a candied prune note as well, a touch of sugary sweetness and a slight tartness coming through
T: Immediately, pretty off putting. Doesn't much resemble it's nose, is a Bière de Garde in name only (though to be fair I wasn't really expecting it to be traditional). This beer has a strong, chemical astringency right out the gate that I find very hard to get past. The booziness here is handled well, (noticeable but not painful). It is very malty, and some dulled undertones of the fruit suggested in the nose do come through. There is supposedly Brettanomyces in this beer, but I'd say you are about as likely to notice that as you are the candied yams they added late in the boil (if you are now staring at the label wondering where it says anything about candied yams, it doesn't, because they didn't and that's my point). The astringency does dissipate but for my money it doesn't exactly leave much behind to enjoy or discuss. At this point it kind of tasted like a less flavorful cherry cough syrup.
M: medium body, medium carbonation, decently dry but not overly so.
O: This was my first non-collaboration beer from The Lost Abbey and I have to say, I hope they make better beers than this because if this was all they made I might suggest that they should stay lost. That being said, this isn't awful, but it isn't good. I would never order it and if it was offered to me, I would likely turn it down. I like strong beer, but the beer has to be worth my sacrifice of drinking other, lower abv beers (anything lower that 10%) and this beer is not worth it. I hate to say it but, skip this one. If you want a good Bière de Garde similar to this in approach, might I suggest Smistletoe from Smuttynose and if you want a more traditional Bière de Garde then go for Cuvee Des Jonquilles if you can find it and if not that then there's really not a great one (that speaks truly to the style) that's easy as pie to get so just don't worry about it.
May 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Jan 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by krome from Illinois

Jan 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by heymikew from California

Dec 31, 2017
Photo of Avitra
Reviewed by Avitra from California

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
An almost warm lager, it has some bitterness, though very different than that of an IPA. There aren't many 12% Lagers, and there's no question this one is boozy due to it's alcohol content, but overall pretty balanced between citrus, bitterness and booziness. Good beer by one of my favorite breweries,, but not as great as some of their others
Dec 31, 2017
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Now in its tenth year, this is the only Christmas beer I know that also is a biere d'garde. And it is brilliant !
In fact, it reminded me of Dupont's Avec Les Bons Voeux. I hope to have them alongside each other next year.

Great with food. I had this with a varied cheese plate at lunch. (I know, a bit strong for lunch... but even the wine drinkers liked it.) As for the label's claim of Brett, I was apprehensive. If there is Brett, Lost Abbey hides it better than any... IMHO.
Other than less alcohol.... If there is a way to improve this ale, I do not know what way that is.
Dec 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by goopy from California

Aug 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.57 by anon from California

Aug 26, 2017
Photo of BeerDawgs
Reviewed by BeerDawgs from Georgia

4.06/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
L - Murky, cloudy brown, with 1/2 a finger of head and no lacing

S - Belgian yeast, candy sugar, apples

T - Hoppy, sweet, and a hidden ABV.

F - Medium carbonation, medium body.

O - This brew is a few years old, but tasty still.
Aug 13, 2017
Photo of danasofia
Reviewed by danasofia from California

4.83/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a goblet glass. Nice, quick-forming white head that fades to lacing quickly. Large chunks of sediment visible in the bottle.

Look - Overall color is murky orange/amber, more reddish when held to light or with less beer left in the glass. Doesn't catch much light and is very opaque, nice but nothing special.

Smell - Earthy and grassy outdoor notes, sweet malt, faint alcohol, and orchard and stone fruit.

Taste - The highlight of this beer and a surprise after the nose. Unusual funky flavors (earthy, herbal, outdoor, woody ), very subtle fruity tartness accompanying acrid, leathery brett flavors, prominent pear, apple, and peach flavors that are tempered by the brett and biscuity malt. Earthy and spicy European hops. Nutty and woody flavors on the finish that highlight the alcohol, which is hidden very well otherwise. Most of all, this beer is still a lager despite how unusual it is. The sweet, biscuity malt is akin to a steam beer and the body and carbonation are on-point for the lager style. An incredibly interesting brew because it mixes those lager traits with brett, high abv, and nutty/woody amber flavors. Surprisingly drinkable and refreshing for its alcohol content and unusual flavors.

Feel - Very nice and also in line with lager style. Fairly light, but more sticky and viscous. Definite alcohol presence and high carbonation for such a strong beer, this complements the spicy hops and the initial sip resolves quickly, while the bitter and acrid herbal/woody flavors (from the addition of frankincense and myrrh?) linger significantly.

Overall - A fantastic brew if you approach it looking for the ways that it is a lager, probably disappointing if you look for other qualities (wild ale, sour ale, strong ale, or what have you). Incredibly unusual and worth a try, but not necessarily something to have again and again.
Jun 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.12 by JaeTea from New Jersey

Jun 24, 2017
Photo of jopezu
Reviewed by jopezu from Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
pours a murky, dark copper-mahogany with a medium head that hangs around for a bit. nose; bread, yeast funk, brett, hay, & light berry scents. taste; biscuity malt, band-aid brett, vinous grape, pear sweets, banana, yeast, light ethanol, hay/grass, & light citrus hops. all-around musky & "earthy". medium carbonation & mouthfeel. the 12%abv is wonderfully tamed. among the nicer of the "wet blanket" beers i've tried! :)
Jun 03, 2017
Gift Of The Magi from The Lost Abbey
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 758 ratings