Try?
"A life worth living is full of discovery and we are reminded everywhere there is opportunity. All it takes is desire to seek out and find these things, these moments and everything in between."
I found these noble words printed on the back of my bottle of Lost Abbey Lost and Found Ale, a Belgian Abbey styled ale brewed in San Marcos, California. And they certainly ring true to beer lovers, who are always on the lookout to discover a new and exciting beer. Then too, they recall the admonition of Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living. And what better way to examine one's life than over a bottle of Lost and Found Ale?
Specs on this beer, from the brewery website:
OG- 1.065 TG- 1.010 7.5% ABV
Malts-
Two Row, Wheat, Medium and Dark English Crystal, Special B and Chocolate Malt.
Hops- German Magnum and German Tettnang
Yeast- Proprietary Belgian Ale Strain
Adjunts (sic)-
Dextrose and Chef Vince’s Raisin Puree.
Lost and Found Ale is bottle conditioned, and I paid $8.99 for a 750 ML caged crown cork bottle. Though the website says the beer has ab alcohol of 7.5% by volume, my bottle indicated same as 8%.
Lost Abbey Lost and Found Ale pours to a tawny mahogany color with a very thick, very creamy head formation and a sweet malty, dark fruity nose. A thick layer of tan Brussels lace foam clings to the sides of my bowl-shaped Chimay beer glass as the liquid descends. Taking a sip, I'm amazed at the deep dark flavors here: malty, bready chocolate, toasted nuts, fruity raisin and fig. Quite frequently, notes of raisin appear in dark beers as a function of the malt and fruity yeast esters. Here, though, it's the real thing, and I think the addition of raisins imparts sweetness in addition to raisin flavor. Along with the dark chewy malt, the raisin strongly suggests a hearty slice of sweet brown raisin bread.
There's a bit of funky Belgian yeasty character here, though not as much as in other doubles I've tried, and this one I would peg as broadly in the double category. Some grassy, herbal, slightly bitter German hops balance the finish and leave it surprisingly dry. A bit of alcohol warmth helps with that as well. The perfect beer for a nightcap in my opinion, perhaps as you muse on a life worth living.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
