Mad Abbot Abbey Ale
The Wicked Elf Brewing Company

 

330 ML poured into a wide mouthed glass

A-- Poured a dark reddish brown, just a bit cloudy due to pouring the sediment into glass. Had a very large light brown head that quickly faded into a light brown film. No real noticeable carbonation bubbles. Pretty straight forward beer really.

S-- Has the traditional cherry/plum/ brandy smell of a dubbel but more sour than a normal dubbel would have. More of a fruity smell but alcoholic at the same time. Not a great smelling beer and I think metallic when I sniff this.

T-- Very thin and missing malt. Needs a cherry backbone to this. Has bit of sour to it but lacking a lot. More alcoholic taste than anything else.

M-- Carbonation is a bit higher than what I like with the style and it it is too hot, as in boozy. Needs more cherry and less of the sour taste. Felt like I was just drinking alcohol. Was not very pleasant to drink.

D-- I like to give beers a chance but this was not very good at all. If I compare this to Chimay or St. Bernardus I really have no choice but to give this an F. For the pricepoint La Trappe is a better deal in Sydney at $15 for a 4 pack and I got this 2 of these for $16.
Was not drinkable at all due to too much of an alcohol taste and no real fruit qualities besides the smell. Drain pour
Avoid and go to Vintage Cellars and get a LaTrappe Dubble for a better price and quality.

A - Jet black body. Good head on pour, reduced to a half centimeter ring, of tan bubbles. Consistently sized bubbles.

S - Lots of hot alcoholic aromas coming up, overpowering anything else. Some spicy notes, no major malt notes.

T - Nice malt character, its complex and interesting. I subtle smoke flavour, the alcohol isn't as obvious in the flavour as it is in the aroma. The taste is quite dry at the finish, leaves a clean flavour in the mouth.

M - Thick juicy body, carries alot of flavour. The beer finishes dry and leaves a clean flavour in your mouth. But the aftertaste does linger on quite pleasantly.

D - Not to harp on about the dry finish, but you can drink this fairly quickly, you can keep sipping without getting a tacky mouth. The alcohol, isn't too obvious so you can drink regardless of the ABV.

I was looking forward to this as the other Wicked Elf beers have been pretty good.

Poured with a thin head (I initially blamed this on the glassware) but had a very nice colour and aroma. Once in the mouth though it was a disappointment. Quite a harsh carbonation which obscured what I think was actually a decent flavour, genuinely reminiscent of the Belgian strong dark ale style. The overall effect was a Chimay Red that had gone flat and had been re-carbonated with a Soda-Stream.
Oh well!

Pours copper/ruby, with a large head that shows good persistence.
Aroma is a mix of caramelised bananas, sultanas, candi sugar and sweet malt. Very impressive although I think too much simple sugar was added, it's got a hint of a cidery character to it.
Taste is a let down, lacking in complexity. Cidery with some sweet malt and spicy phenols.
Creamy carbonation but the body is too weak.

Talk about a let-down. Poured decent and looked tasty enough with a hazy, mahogany-brown body topped with a one finger head. Not giving much away on the nose. I expect this style of beer to jump out of the glass but this one just sits there. A bit of raisin and dried fruits and caramel but not enough. Mouthfeel is lighter than expected but a little awkward. Alcohol is unfortunately obviously present. Finish falls away clumsily. I hate to say it but there really don't seem to be many Australian micros doing Belgian styles well. Sad.

A -Poured into a chalice a dark garnet colour with a 1.5 centimetre off white head that falls to a thin whisp fairly quickly.
S - Toffee, intense burnt caramel & dark fruit maltiness with some belgian yeast spice notes.
T - I know this style is supposed to be sweet but this is over the top. Toffee/caramel sweetness with dark fruit character and a spicy phenolic hit.
M - Smooth, medium carbonation & medium bodied.
D - Not horrible but certainly not something I'll be drinking again anytime soon.

Bought from brewery, Port Macquarie.
a) Pours a 1cm rocky beige head, sinks fast. Amber/burnt orange, faintest of haze.
s) Slight banana ester & bread. Sticky date/ caramel notes. Slight metallic hint.
f) Much as it smells, with an additional light anise note, spicy fruit roll, allspice. Flavour lingers, with a light warmth.
m) Mellow, and smooth, but quite light for style. Slight back-end stickiness, and lip numbing/tingliness. Mild astringency.
d) Quite balanced and tasty; not as heavy as Belgian equivalents, which tend to load up on esters and candy sweetness.

Clear mid amber hued body with a decent head of yellow-tinged beige foam. Some lacing, but not a lot. Body looks a bit thin but otherwise the look could pass for a Belgian.

Nice true Belgian aromas on the nose: plum, wine cork, a little aniseed, and a light phenolic alcohol note - perhaps a little like shoe polish. It's not huge, but all the characters are right. I approve.

Flavour is quite a let down, unfortunately. Very thin on entry, with just a lingering sour back palate, a little grain-husk earthiness. Maybe a touch of lingering heat, but not much. Mouthfeel is also quite thin - the Belgians trappist ales can have a light body, but this is a little too much.

Ultimately, this beer is a bit disappointing. Promised a lot on the nose. It's not bad, and it's an interesting find, but it really doesn't deliver in the end.