Review – Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale 2009
From The Lost Abbey – A medium-bodied ale, Red Poppy has a reddish-brown hue, rich fruit aroma, and a complex mélange sour cherry, plum and red wine flavors accented with notes of chocolate and vanilla. The beer’s name was inspired by brewery co-founder and director of operations Tomme Arthur’s annual springtime sojourns to Flanders, a time when fields of the Northern Belgian province are covered with the fiery red flowers.
The Lost Abbey – Red Poppy Ale 2009 – 12.7 oz. bottle poured into a New Belgium beer glass. 5% abv.
Appearance: A dark maroon/brown with a pin stripe of white surrounding the top of the glass. I notice some swirls of white gathering in the top center of the beer. Leaves light spotty lace that eventually disappears.
Aroma: Sour cherries, a small amount of wood and a bit of Belgian yeast. Also red wine notes upon further review, but nearly as strong as say Veritas or Cuvee de Tomme.
Taste: Sour cherries, oak barrel, a small taste of funky yeast, a little bit of cranberry-like bitterness and a subtle hint of spice in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Juicy and puckering.
Overall: A great adventure into the barrel itself. I really am able to pick out more flavors in this, than in Cuvee de Tomme. I know they are two completely different beers, but I think of them as cousins perhaps. The level of wood presence is perfect, the sour cherries make for an enjoyable sip after sip drinking session. I would imagine this would go with a meal or a chocolate based dessert.
