Like I said, its reputation preceeds it. I still count the easily-found MONK'S CAFE FLEMISH SOUR ALE as my personal favorite sour beer, along with a host of RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING masterpieces like "Temptation" - but it's truly hard to argue with an ale this well-made. Its rarity may be what gets tongues flapping, but you and I know there are plenty of rare beers. This one actually delivers, with a strong dose of sour cherries and that oaked, musky undertone that Lost Abbey has perfected in so many of their barrel-aged beers. I mean, you don't have to have the most sophisticated set of taste buds to notice right off the bat how fresh and delicious this is, even as you're reeling a bit from the puckering that comes from one of these "barnyard beers". You may taste almonds, tart cherries, dark fruits and even a little sweetness way off in the ether somewhere. Sweetness! It's one of those instances where I feel I got my $16.99's worth for only a mere 12.7 ounces. That price/quality ratio equation was the goal, and tonight I'm happy to announce: mission accomplished in spades. 9/10.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
SOUR BEER NIRVANA - LOST ABBEY's "THE RED POPPY"
Like I said, its reputation preceeds it. I still count the easily-found MONK'S CAFE FLEMISH SOUR ALE as my personal favorite sour beer, along with a host of RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING masterpieces like "Temptation" - but it's truly hard to argue with an ale this well-made. Its rarity may be what gets tongues flapping, but you and I know there are plenty of rare beers. This one actually delivers, with a strong dose of sour cherries and that oaked, musky undertone that Lost Abbey has perfected in so many of their barrel-aged beers. I mean, you don't have to have the most sophisticated set of taste buds to notice right off the bat how fresh and delicious this is, even as you're reeling a bit from the puckering that comes from one of these "barnyard beers". You may taste almonds, tart cherries, dark fruits and even a little sweetness way off in the ether somewhere. Sweetness! It's one of those instances where I feel I got my $16.99's worth for only a mere 12.7 ounces. That price/quality ratio equation was the goal, and tonight I'm happy to announce: mission accomplished in spades. 9/10.
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beer