Rock Candy Abbey Ale
Lost Forty Brewing

 

Many thanks to jvgoor3786 for this can.

A - Dark hazy amber colored pour with floaties, creamy, frothy head and lacing.

S - Nose falls on the shorter side with not much personality, some musty earthiness, and sweet candy sugar.

T - Some musty dark fruit, figs, dates, a nicely balanced bitter finish with some lingering spice.

M - Thick and viscous mouthfeel with alot of dryness on the back side.

O - The nose falls flat but the rest of the beer is rock solid.

 

 

Got in a BIF from jdell15. 12 ounce can into tulip glass, best before 1/5/2018. Pours lightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, banana, bubblegum, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy hop bitterness and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, apricot, red apple, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light banana/clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, with zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden; a lightly increasing warmth of 9% lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome dubbel style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, candi sugar, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. More of a BSDA at the alcohol level, but a spot on style example either way. Very complex and nicely rich. Perfectly balanced between yeast and malt flavors; well attenuated and never sweet/heavy feeling for the ABV. A really enjoyable offering, loved this one.

 

 

 

Pours an effervescent orange/caramel with a thumb of tan head, Above average lacing & a trace of head retention

S: Brown bread & slighty peppery yeastyness

T: Follows the nose, also candied orange up front, slight boozeyness as well. Yeastyness increases as this warms, along with figs, a little cherry, some dryness & a whisper of tangerine & wooody hop bitterness. Finishes with green banana peel, cherry juice, orange, dryness & some biscuitty notes

MF: Medium body warming, a little overcarbonated

A really good take on the style. Like the barrel aged version better, but this is no slouch! Easy to drink, despite the heft, worth a go

 

February 14, 2015

Draft, snifter

A – Deep mahogany to brown, very reddish but dark. About a half inch of light tan foam sits on top, moderate retention, with some lacing remaining.

S – Some sweet caramel and dried fruit, raisins. Treacle and brown or toasted / caramelized sugar, Maillard-like. Really not very strong in aroma, surprisingly.

T – Sweet molasses with a bit of licorice and dried fruit, figs or cherries. Some stronger hop bitterness follows, though hop flavor is hard to discern. A bit of alcohol / fruity ester impression.

M – Medium-high carbonation, very juicy, light touch of dryness on the finish. Medium-full in body, not a ton of sweetness considering the malt character, everything seems to be in balance and harmony.

O – Would love to see some stronger character in the aroma, but no doubt this is a well made dubbel. The candi sugar is used judiciously, not overdone, and there’s enough bitterness to really keep all the sweetness in check.