Saints' Red Barn
The Lost Abbey

Saints' Red BarnSaints' Red Barn
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From:
The Lost Abbey
 
California, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.99 | pDev: 11.03%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
22
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 28, 2015
Added:
Oct 11, 2009
Wants:
  18
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by pwoods:
Photo of pwoods
Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml corked and caged Belgian style bottle pulled from the cellar at the LA tasting room.

I really liked this beer... great showcase of Brett bottle conditioning. Pours a somewhat hazy straw color. Nice sized loose head that leaves nice lacing. Great saison aroma. Lots of spicy, earthy yeast. Brett is lightly detectable with some musty aroma. The brett is a bit more noticeable in the taste with more of the mustiness and a bit of that farmy flavor. The Brett really dries the beer out wonderfully. Very drinkable... I wish they did Red Barn this way normally.
Apr 21, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by SocalKicks from California

Oct 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by BDeibs from Colorado

Jul 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by drewone from California

Jul 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by wethorseblanket from California

May 21, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by jeezie from California

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by spycow from Illinois

May 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by KyleMA from California

Jun 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by jsilva from Massachusetts

Dec 21, 2011
 
Rated: 4.5 by GRG1313 from California

Nov 26, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by jerz from California

Nov 16, 2011
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
pour was a bright golden yellow with a light cloudiness to it that settled out nicely showing some really nice carbonation that reinforced a pillow like white head. nice look overall.

aroma was massive funk that you could smell from everywhere. just a deep vinegar and apple sourness that was only slightly balanced and cut by some underlying notes of fruit and light grain. no matter how you sliced it this one was a beast. each sip puckered the lips,sucked all the moisture from your palate and left you searching for something more. huge sour apple finish that again really showed off just how sour this beer actually was with an increible hit of dryness
Oct 31, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to Sean for acquiring this for me via his secret and slightly insidious channels. Served in a Hill Farmstead glass.

A - Big creamy white foam with excellent retention and glass-coating lace. Lightly hazed dark peach body. A properly carbonated Lost Abbey offering - how novel!

S - Tropical brett, dry champagne, farmhouse yeast, lemons, lactic notes, white pepper, phenols, sage and other Indian spices, gin-like botanicals, and suntan lotion. Once of the most bizarre and insane collections of flavors I've encountered in recent memory.

T - Taste is a bit more mellow and smoothed out - a mixture of Belgian yeast, spices, and pale malts. Reminds me of the rose cardamon cupcake my wife had for dessert recently.

M - Zesty carbonation that is a bit harsh and prickly. Medium bodied, with a very dry finish. Style appropriate, but too many bubbles.

D - Very strange beer - Jason and I gave up after finishing half the bottle, but it wasn't an altogether unpleasant experience, just an exhausting one. Saints Devotion is a far more successful experiment in my book.
Sep 08, 2011
Photo of ShogoKawada
Reviewed by ShogoKawada from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Ah, the backlog of cellphone reviews. I've hit the maximum, so time to start entering. Consumed in summer 2010.

super secret tasting of Saints Red Barn, thanks to mr. jlindros.

A- Big pillowy ivory white head sitting on a hazy golden body.

S- Spicy and fruity, I think we're picking up on the red barn here. Very strong belgian yeast character.

T- Regular Red Barn with just a bit of something sending it off in another direction. I like it.. funk isn't as strong as I had anticipated. Orange/tangerine and husky grain. Medicinal too- a bit too much.

M- Moderate, medicinal bitter pill gets to be too much. Drying and chalky at some points.

O- I like it better than regular red barn, but wouldn't knock anyone over to get the last bottle. Interesting.
Mar 31, 2011
Photo of portia99
Reviewed by portia99 from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml corked and caged bottle cracked open by jlindros and shared amongst several BA's. Big thanks for opening this one Jared. Poured into a Corsendonk tulip.

A - Pours an orange tinged golden color with a mild haze and a big couple of fingers of dense white head with good staying power.

S - Very spicy up front with some background grainy malt, estery fruitiness and some light hints of brett, although not especially funky.

T - As with the aroma, the flavor is quite spicy with some cloves showing the most presence. Fruity with a clean, grainy malt base, mid-level hop bitterness and a gentle kiss of funk from the brett. This could probably stand a bit more time in the bottle to really bring out the brett character more.

M - Medium bodied with an assertive carbonation level. Very fizzy and prickly on the tongue. The spices give a slight cooling effect in the mouth too. The brett effect is most noticeable in the extreme dryness of the beer...no sweetness is detectable at all.

D - This went down incredibly easily. Very crisp and extremely dry. Nice mild bretty funk that should really develop more as these bottles age. A nice variation on a pretty good base saison. Very enjoyable.
Jul 25, 2010
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Got this beer from Julios. They got like half a case and I had to give the secret handshake and show my $5000 per year or more spending account at Julios in order to get it.

A: A big fluffy 2 finger head, fizzy, mostly clear, with golden orange color and lacing.

N: Spiced ale, some saison malts, little spices, a light touch of Brett, little fruit, even banana, light tangy fruit too.

T: Little saison tasting again, light spices, some spicyness too, light sweetness but mostly dry. A little yeast and funk too, touch of Brett, slight barnyard, still young for the Brett to take control. As it warms the Brett and barnyard come out more and more though. A little spicy bitterness and earthy flavors. I even get a hint of peppermint?! A little clove, and other spices.

M: Medium body with ridiculous carbonation (yes it actually has carbonation thanks to the Brett).

F: Dry, some spices, light Brett and barnyard funk, some yeast, lingering dry saison malts, little earthy bitterness. As it warms Brett gets more prevalent.
Jul 24, 2010
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sampled November 2009
This only sat a couple weeks before first tasting this and it is still quite hazy looking through the bottle. A solid, but not aggressive, pour produces a five finger thick, pale off-white colored head in my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip. The beer is a hazed, gold-honey color that, when held up to the light, brings out more of the gold and I can just about see the markings on the other side of my glass. The head leaves quite a bit of lacing on the sides of my glass and forms a rocky, uneven surface as it slowly subsided. Ample Brettanomyces aromatics are noticeable, but so is a peppery note, some lemon character, and earthy coriander note as well as a musty, somewhat musky character and a strong finish of cracker-like grain and dusty crushed pale malt aromatics. This lacks the sweetness in the aroma that the regular version has.

The flavor still has some sweetness to it though, but it is certainly drier than the regular Red Barn. Soft spice notes of pepper, herbal-earthy coriander, Meyer lemon zest, and perhaps a hint of ginger are noticeable in the flavor profile. There is some grassiness from the combination of the grain character and spice and there is also a grain like taste of crushed pale malt and wheat. This can seem a touch hot in the finish from some higher alcohols, though this is not overbearing. The body has dried out enough that it has lightened up considerably, but it is still not quite as light and quaffable as I prefer in a traditional Saison. The carbonation provides a nice zippy texture. As the beer warms some soft flavors of orange-scented honey become noticeable.

The aroma of this beer ends up being very nice and more balanced than the flavor is able to achieve. Still, even the flavor is nice and I think I am enjoying this more than the regular version; I like that the Brettanomyces provides more balance to the spice than is found in the regular. This is ultimately a nice beer; it is not nearly as Brett influenced as I was expecting and I guess I'll just have to hold onto some bottles to see how they develop with age.
May 05, 2010
Photo of nectar14
Reviewed by nectar14 from California

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From a 750 mL bought at the brewery. Black label, as opposed to the usualy (non-soured) orange label.

A: Yellow-gold color, growing hazy as we get lower down in the bottle. Decent white head.

S: Bretty scents are subtle at this point. Some peach yogurt, banana peel, and faint coriander.

T: Dry, round, citric flavors buttressed by some grain and lactic notes. Might get better with some bottle age, but enjoyable.

M: Medium-bodied and pretty well-balanced with grain, fruity, and bitter tastes.

D: Easy drinking, good for a saison.

I would imagine that this will be more interesting after some further bottle age. Solid.
Apr 11, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From a bottle into a snifter @ the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens on 11/9/09 during the "Tomme Arthur Experience" event.

Pours a hazy apricot color, with a thin covering of brite-white foamy head. A rich cascade leaves some biggish swathes of lacing behind. The aroma is tart and funky smelling, intermingling with notes of grassy hops, spice, and some sweet wheat character. It basically smells like what they were shooting for. This is actually quite fresh and vibrant in the nose.

The taste is bright tart citrus, which quickly moves into a surprisingly assertive bitterness. The Brett adds an extra layer of tart feeling funkiness but this never does get souring. The bitterness has an earthy, pithy, and deep spicy feel to it. A good bit of sweetness from the wheat does come out strong here and is probably the most consistent force in the profile. Spice and bitter dryness really lingers past the finish, holding it in a tenacious grip. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a touch lighter, with a very easy creaminess to the carbonation, which helps this freak show of flavors go down pretty smoothly.

Brett can do some weird things to certain beers and this is a great example of that, turning this former Saison into something more akin to a funky and tart IPA. Even with the strange profile though, I still found this to be a quite refreshing and easy sipper.
Dec 02, 2009
Saints' Red Barn from The Lost Abbey
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 22 ratings