Red Poppy Grand Cru
The Lost Abbey

Bottle erupted upon opening. I suggest doing so over the sink.

Bottle. Thanks, Chris and Shane!

Classic Lost Abbey funk but this time coupled with a deeper malt base, a blend of brown sugar, red malt, a pleasantly stale dough , a blend of red wine vinegar and sherry, tart cherries and cherry pits. Really great nose, especially as it warms up and opens up. The palate opens funky, tart and a nice blend of bright acidity and leathery depth. Cherry skin, cherry pits, oxidized brown sugar, sherry. Drying, tannic finish. Very good stuff.

Pours a rich burgundy with a heavy fog to the transparency. Head is two fingers of khaki foam. Head formation can go higher with a more aggressive pour. Aroma is dark fruits, plum, cherries, and oak. Cherries add a tart sweetness to the mix, with the barrel souring it a little further. It's not a nose twister though, dealing just enough sourness for a funky bite.

Flavor profile is cherry led, with a tart skin, and a refreshingly sweet center. Dark fruits layer amongst poppy seeds for the remainder of the fruits. Stone, faint grass, and barrel round out the flavor profile. It has a sourness to it, but it stops short of being a jaw tightening sourness. Acidity starts to creep up at the end, accentuating some of the sourness.

Mouth feel is medium in thickness with a soft bubbly effervescence. It's borderline refreshing, with the bubbles being just a little too dispersed to be consistently refreshing. Overall, a refreshing sour red ale with cherries. It doesn't dip too far into sour, nor sweet, landing in a crushable, thoughtful middle-ground.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 750mL bottle.

750ml corked and caged bottle into a Founders snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a pale brown colored head with excellent retention. Beer is a slightly cloudy muddy clay. Filmy legs. Nose is tart vinegar, sour cherry and raspberry, wet oak, and a woody mustiness. Deep, dense, and aromatic. Beer opens tart cherry, crushed raspberry, and dried goji berries. Dense red fruit throughout. Slight vinegar in the middle that's not overly acidic. Oak, leather, and a building acidity towards the finish. Tart, slightly puckering aftertaste. Body is light to medium with moderate carbonation. Prickly up front but smooths out as it lingers on the palate. Oily going down with a long, lingering aftertaste.

I don't know that is noticeably better than Red Poppy. I could do with a touch more fruit and a little less acidity with this one.