Abita Abbey Ale
Review Date 7/15/2009 By John Staradumsky
The first time I saw a
bottle of Abita Abbey Ale on store shelves, I was pretty impressed.
Not just that is was
packaged in a veryattractive and smartly festooned 22 ounce bomber bottle,
mind you, no, more because this seemed a somewhat radical departure for
Louisiana's Abita Brewing. An Abbey Ale? Why this was the biggest brew for
Abita since Andygator (which is also now sold in similarly decorated 22
ounce containers).
For a meager $4.50, I could not help but snap one up. Then too, 25 cents out
of that paltry sum is donated to the good people at Louisiana's Saint
Joseph's Abbey, that they might continue with the many good works they
pursue. If you like, you can read more about the abbey at http://saintjosephabbey.com.
So, I had great expectations for Abita Abbey Ale. Following the European
tradition of ales made in monasteries, Abbey Ale seemed a sure thing. Here's
what Abita says about the beer:
Dark amber in color, the aroma of caramel, fruits and cloves invites you
to contemplate the creamy head of this "Dubbel" or double ale. Abita Abbey
Ale is a malty brew, top-fermented and bottle aged to rapturous perfection.
This ale pairs well with barbecue, meat stews or a nice thick steak. For
dessert, try Abita Abbey Ale with milk chocolate or chocolate bread pudding.
We suggest serving this brew at 46 degrees.
Abita Abbey Ale is no lightweight, either: it has a hefty alcohol content of
8% by volume. The beer has 19.17 calories per ounce, too, meaning if you
partake of the whole bottle you'll be packing on 422 calories. But who
counts calories when it comes to good beer, anyway?
Abita Abbey Ale pours to a hazy reddish brown color with a very
thick, rocky cauliflower head formation and a rather unappealing nose of
sour apple and old bananas. I must admit that the nose here did not make me
want to take a sip of this beer at all, but I did press on and take a sip of
the brew. I get a hint of chocolate (just a hint), though not as much as I
want in a dubbel style.
The whole affair goes downhill from there, sadly. There's some brown sugar
sweetness that tries to poke through, but its overwhelmed by sour, fruity
notes of bad apples and sharp vinegar. There's also caramel and spice
(nutmeg? clove?), and the finish is warm with alcohol, but none of that can
save this one for me. Indeed, every time I find a positive note in Abita
Abbey Ale it's quickly subsumed by the unpleasant fruit. I don't find much
about the beer to suggest a dubbel in style, either. And I really love
dubbels, so you can imagine my frustration.
The off flavors make this a beer I found barely drinkable and one I would
certainly not buy again. In this case, Abita Abbey Ale seems a noble
experiment gone terribly wrong.
Glad I tried it? T
Would I rebuy it??
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, Canned
(D)=Draft