Well, I don’t know if anyone else had this Lost Abbey beer but I hope others are able to chime in. The moment I saw this beer on the shelf, I was intrigued. Maybe you know the feeling that I’m talking about, don’t you. The bottle and label looking interesting, the name is kinda cool, and you read the label only to find out that there are raisons in the beer. Well, that was my story on this one…it turns out that it was only the beginning.
The Pour: Judgment Day pours with a very very deep brown, almost black, body. But, there was little head retention on this beer, which is not what I normally expect out of a Belgian (in this case, Belgian Strong Ale/Quadruppel) beer at all. I’m used to that fluffy, billowing, dream head to sit atop that wonder that is Belgian beer. Nothing…very little.
The Nose: This beer had raisons in it, I could smell their aroma wafting into my nostrils. Because of raison and perceivable alcohol on the nose gave Judgment Day a pretty vinous (wine-like) nose. Actually, I thought that the beer was somewhat Port-like in aroma. What else? The powdery yeast and wheaty quality on the nose reminded me of Aventinus. Interestingly, this is a proprietary belgian strain that they use, so it’s hard to say why it reminded me of it so much. Those of you who have had Aventinus can probably recall that it is a Wheat Double Bock (they also have a stronger Eisbock version). I don’t know if you do, but I know that smell very well and Judgment day reminded me of it. Hints of chocolate also popped through.
The Taste: Raisons were very much a part of the initial sip I took of Judgment Day. Alcohol was also present but not overly. I also tasted some smoky burnt tones (from the raisons?) along with some of the chocolate I caught on the nose. Touches of biscuit (malt), yeast, and some sweetness also made an distinct impression. One small detractor from the beer was that it had a very slight cooked vegetable touch on the very end.
Overall, Judgment Day was a good beer. I suspect that this is not the best thing I’ll have by them. In fact, I like Ten Commandments better. However, their beer is nothing to sneeze at. Creativity, complexity, and a terrific packaging of this product make it a worth while experience. Try their stuff if you can get it.
Mike’s Review:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other Belgian Style beers: 
Man, i;m Jealous!
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You don’t have to be…come visit!
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I’m desperate to get my hands on some of the Lost Abbey brews. Ever since I heard about their brewery I have been trying to find out as much as I can about them. So far I have heard nothing but good things. At this rate I’m going to have to make my way south to 99 Bottles in washington and just expect to pay a small fortune in duty on my way back.
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I have to drive over 2 hours to Philadelphia to get Lost Abbey beer. It is one of the breweries that I’ve wanted to try for awhile. Next time I’m in Philly, I seek some out, been hearing some good things about the beer. Beside 10 Commandments & Judgement day, what else did you like from Lost Abbey?
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I really like their stuff. It stinks that it can’t be gotten very easily by a lot of us. In fact, I never saw it when I lived in Indiana (barring drinking it at Dark Lord Day in Munster). Maybe a drive down to Washington is in order. You could always trade for some stuff.
It’s funny that you say Philly is two hours away and that it where you have to drive. I’m now a two hour drive from Lost Abbey itself. What else did I like from Lost Abbey? I liked Lost and Found and I also have a bottle of Angel’s Share waiting for the proper time to be opened. They simply make good stuff.
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