Santo Ron Diego
The Lost Abbey

Santo Ron DiegoSanto Ron Diego
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
The Lost Abbey
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #120
ABV:
12.5%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,208
Avg:
3.84 | pDev: 11.46%
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
180
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 15, 2023
Added:
Feb 02, 2015
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  39
A brand new offering from our barrel project. A spiced Rum barrel aged strong ale with Ginger, Orange Peel and Vanilla
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.73 by hopley from Massachusetts

Nov 15, 2023
Photo of tide
Reviewed by tide from California

4.24/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is a vintage 2015 bottle, consumes at 2023. It might passed its peak already. The beer is mahogany, dark brown in color, mostly opaque. There’s no foam, but have couple of strings of bubbles, and a ring of fine bubbles on the edge of liquid. It smells boozy, brown sugar, molasses, soybean sauce, plum juice, vanilla, light smoke of coffee, toffee, caramel and chocolate noses. It smells complex, that’s a good sign. The beer light to medium sweet, turns to bitter from middle, ending with a rounded bittersweet. The beer shows strong dark ale yeast character (Belgian Abbey doubel or quadruple style yeast), oak barrels, very malty, caramel, molasses characters. The lost of carbonation doesn’t bother me, it’s still very complex and true to its style. The flavor is bold, starts with bolder medium sweet and balances out with bitter quickly. It’s full bodied, with a thick texture. As described earlier, the beer starts with a dark malt and dark candy sugar characters, shows blackstrap molasses, caramelized malts, licorice, maple syrup aromas, which is a strong malty background. There’s abbey ale’s yeast follows that, which has a big of funk, dried fruits like dried plum, portal wine, raisin, dried fig fruitiness, soybean sauce fermentation character, used oak barrels, golden Caribbean rum pungent liquor and oak, subtle cold brew coffee aromas. When those complex aromas starts to fade, I can sense a layer of hops characters which is unique for those dark ales in US, I can sense, resinous pine, juniper seed, cedar wood, tobacco aromas in the aftertaste, quite elegant finish. Although I worry this beer is off from peak, but at this stage I must say this beer is still super delicious. I can’t compare it to it’s original state while bottles because I only acquired one bottle back at 2016. I’m very happy with the wait. Not sure if you follow The Lost Abbey, I think this brand is scaling down on its size, but I believe they will be long lasting as this bottle, because the quality is so dense in their beers. I’m a firm believer in quality (as a zen and motorcycle maintenance follower)!
Mar 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by Avitra from California

Mar 13, 2023
Photo of ryan1788a5
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12.7oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Deep mahogany brown color. Head is short-lived and there is next to no lacing.

S: Toast, raisins, cocoa, and some of that black currant and Concord grape fruitiness that candi sugar will bring. Subtle spiced rum and dusty oak with woody vanillins. Undercurrents of ginger and a bit of orange peel. Faintly peppery.

T: Toasty malt. Brown bread, burnt crust. Soda bread. Plump raisins, Concord grape. Plenty of spiced rum character, though it isn’t hot. Plenty of toasty oak and vanillins too. Warming ginger spice on the back end. Oily orange peel comes out too. Big peppery push late. Some slight signs of oxidation in the background lend a sherry-like character. Long barrel-driven finish with a lot of lingering rum, oak, ginger, and orange peel.

M: Heavy-bodied and thick. Chewy and rich. Rounded and firm malt textures. Brush of woody astringency. Warming rum. Ample carbonation.

O: I like it. The rum barrel is fairly front and center, but the beer holds its own. The ginger and orange peel additions support well too. It’s a really refreshing change of pace to have a well done rum barrel aged beer. I was also pleasantly surprised with how well this held up. It was kept at fridge temp for the majority of its lifespan, so that probably helped. Makes me want a glass of rum next.
Apr 25, 2020
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
In review - 2015 Vintage

A - Dark garnet raisin color with a thick toffee colored lacing ring.

S - Rum, raisin, light toffee, some oxidation, and a slight bit of delicate funk.

T - Rum, spice, oak, light oxidized toffee malt.heat on the way down.

M - Thick and velvety soft with enough booziness to create some

O - This bottle is past its prime.
Apr 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.02 by socon67 from New York

Nov 27, 2018
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown topped by a dense finger of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of sweet brown sugar and molasses with some spices and rum barrels. Slight dark fruits as well.
T: Taste is rum barrels up front with some brown sugar, oranges, and molasses. Slight ginger, mulling spices, and oak with more rum barrel. Slight alcohol as well. Swallow is rum barrels and molasses with some more ginger, mulling spices, and a hint of dark fruits.
M: This beer is on the heavier side of medium in body. Carbonation is effervescent and just a hair under being prickly while the beer has a drying finish due to the ABV.
O: Overall this one is good but not great. The barrel comes in a little stronger than I would have liked. The beer has some solid complexity and some interesting flavors but the alcohol is also hidden fairly poorly. It may be worth a try if you really like rum barrels but I don't see a reason to revisit this one.
Sep 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

May 23, 2018
Photo of zentaoist42
Reviewed by zentaoist42 from California

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Pours a rich copper color with a cream head that quickly dissipates. Right away, you get the scent of alcohol and rum with hints of leather and dark cherries. Tastes of vanilla, going to orange and ginger. Very light and a bit oily on the tongue with no alcohol burn, possibly from 2 years of aging. The finish is light and spicy like rum, complete with a mild burn. Not their greatest effort, but still quite pleasant
Mar 31, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by seanh99 from Massachusetts

Mar 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by JuiceMan818 from California

Dec 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by NickThePyro from Washington

Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.21 by Kurmaraja from California

Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Mikexw from New York

Sep 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.76 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Aug 20, 2017
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

4.36/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a one finger cream head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Opaque dark brown color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Malt & oak nose and flavor has malt sweetness with some rum and vanilla, high ABV, 12.5%, is hidden. Beyond expensive at $18.95 for a 375ml caged & corked bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.
May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Apr 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by bshefftz from California

Apr 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by redfox405 from Virginia

Apr 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.19 by Jlang2012 from South Carolina

Mar 13, 2017
Santo Ron Diego from The Lost Abbey
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 180 ratings