Deliverance | The Lost Abbey

4.03/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a near black with a thick, off white head that slowly fades into a chunky cap. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, vanilla, oak, coffee, cocoa, bourbon, toasted nuts, brown sugar, and molasses.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a caramel, vanilla, and a hot brandy flavor that just seems a tad odd with a hint of astringency. Complex but a bit clustered.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, warming, creamy, and a tad thin in the finish.
Not bad but certainly not my favorite Lost Abbey beer.

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4.27/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12.7 ounce bottle, 2014A batch, into a snifter.

Pours dark, opaque, thick looking. No head, little lacing. Smell is great- bourbon, a little brandy, malts, some cherries, vanilla, oak. Taste continues the bourbon- although the brandy has dropped out. Maybe a hint of it on the back end at room temp. Also malts, vanilla, oak, plums, a little bit of chocolate. Pretty boozy for a year or so. Good body, a definite tongue coater.

This is really good and I'm giving it a high rating, but for some reason I was expecting more out of this. Certainly worth a try, but- and this is a bigger "but" than I usually give, the price point is really high for what you get.

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4.32/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap.

A - Pours flat looking engine oil color with a minimal, thin, tan colored lacing.

S - Bourbon, vanilla, toasted caramel, toffee, candy sugar.

T - Very boozy. Cherries, vanilla, dry oak, bourbon, molasses.

M - Thick medium body, viscous, sticky, lightly syrupy.

O - Very memorable and in a good way.

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4.31/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type: Bottle
Vintage 2014b

A: 4.25 Pours thick and pitch black. Not much head (maybe half an inch) and it only lasts about a minute.

S: 4.5 Initially, there’s a lot more brandy than bourbon on the nose, bringing a huge amount of vanilla. The stout aromas come in close behind with a lot of chocolate and some roasted malt and berries. It’s really interesting how the chocolate and the brandy both dominate, while at the same time take turns up front.

T: 4.25 Similar to the nose, however, it’s a bit less balanced. Again, there’s lots of brandy and vanilla followed closely by the chocolate, roasted malt, black licorice, and a bit of coffee. With the vanilla, the brandy brings along some fruity, cherry flavors while the bourbon and stout seem to add a bit more raisin and cinnamon. Quite sweet at first with a slightly bitter finish.

M: 4.25 The thickness is great. It’s very rich considering it’s a blend of a stout and what’s essentially a barleywine, but there could be a bit more carbonation.

O: 4.25 This is a very interesting beer and a nice job of blending here. Some aspects are top notch, but the flavors could be a bit more integrated. Sometimes sips are quite brandy forward while others are more chocolate and bourbon forward. I prefer the latter, so hopefully a bit of time in the cellar will result in a more balanced flavor.

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4.55/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice dark brown/black color with a dark red/brown tint on the edges. Smell is HUGE bourbon sweetness with hints of brandy. Flavor is big on the bourbon (almost BCBS-like, with a tad less fruitiness) with some dark fruit and chocolate notes on the finish. Alcohol is detectable, but not hot. Mouthfeel is medium to medium heavy with a some light carbonation. Still pricey for $15, but it's a nice treat. I'd happily pick this up again.

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4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

3.78/5  rDev -12.3%

5/5  rDev +16%

5/5  rDev +16%

4.16/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

4.59/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

4.37/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Blend of bourbon Serpent's Stout and brandy Angel's Share pours into my glass a wonderfully deep viscous black with a half inch of dark tan foam on top. Aromas seep out with rich dark malts, raisins, dark fruits, toffee, caramel and char. Loads of oak melding with bright bourbon and sweet brandy accents. Vanilla and alcohol soaked wood. Enticing and complex!

First sip brings a smooth melding of bourbon and brandy alongside dark roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, raisins and dark fruits. Vanilla and woody oak tones seamlessly float across the palate. Toffee with a burnt accent. Flows down with some alcohol heat, bitterness and lingering sweet brandy. The best of both brews shine through here in this intoxicating brew.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation. Not overly heavy and goes down smooth considering the high gravity here. Overall, this ranks up there as one of my favorite Lost Abbey releases...the melding of bourbon and brandy is quite nice.

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4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

4.54/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Opened a bottle from 2014. It pours pitch black and very viscous. Almost no carbonation. Smells of raisins, vanilla, cherries, bourbon, and a meaty type aroma (umami). Taste is dark fruits, vanilla, bourbon, and a hint of soy. Mouth feel is super slick with almost no carbonation. Overall, this was worth the wait. I was pretty sure this beer was too hot for me fresh and I just found it in the back of my beer stash, nice find.

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4.37/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The Beers of California

#78

Vintage 2013

A: Velvety black on the pour with a small cap of espresso foam which fades to a collar on the glass.

S: Big alcohol notes complimented by wood, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar and dark berries.

T: The alcohol is towering, smooth, and warming with highlights of wood. There is dark sugar, vanilla, molasses and dark berries which bring a countering sweetness to the alcohol. The malt is grainy, oaty and bready with moments of burnt cocoa nibs and espresso. The finish is warm with an accompanying earthy spiciness.

M: Full bodied and smooth with minimal carbonation.

O: This stout, strong ale blend boasts big flavors and big alcohol with subtleties and nuances that make for a complex and worthy brew. Hope to try the component beers soon.

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