Alas! Yet another long overdue beer review has emerged from the woodwork. And this woodwork resembles a barn. A wee bit rickety with symptoms of must, wet wood, and sheer brilliance. An agrarian masterpiece. This upcoming beer must provide us with hope, promise, and intoxication. A beer who’s elegance is welcoming yet towering intricacies can shy away the timid. A beer that casts light upon the rolling clouds and shoots beams of light onto its dwellers. Ok let’s drink already….

The Lost Abbey - Gift of The Magi

Ah yes, an abbey lost in the depths of San Carlos, CA. As long as they have the means to produce and distribute these beers, I couldn’t care less if they’re lost. You might be scratching your head thinking, did this dweeb really just put baby Jesus in the manger figurines around the beer? Yes. This Bier de Garde is an “autumn holiday release."The label has some bros riding on camels in the desert. That’s just what they do in the desert, all the time, with no purpose, I get it… maybe they’re searching for the Lost Abbey. But it is now in the middle of July. I buy myself presents everyday with the exception of Jackson 5 Christmas carols in the background. Would I drink eggnog year round? No. Would I drink beer year round? Yes. This beer doesn’t have a coniferous tree or sack of holiday spices in it so what gives? I’ll tell you what gives. Not all holiday beers have to be consumed during the holidays. The contingency lies in the hands of the style, ABV, and drinker’s desire. Besides, it just so happens to be "Revolution Day” in Egypt. Egypt has deserts and camels and beer. Let’s celebrate.

Let’s keep in mind that Gift Of The Magi is a Brett bottle conditioned Bier de Garde. For any non beer geeks reading this, it means this shit is about to get weird. The Magi pours a rich cherry wood and shows a bright translucent amber under the light. The head is a silky, off-white with retention that quickly cascades down the glass. The aroma is all over the place; blood orange, mango, and tangerine start it off which meddles with some barnyard funk the middle. The nose finish has sweet lemon and an earthy touch. This beer was dry hopped but let’s not forget, it released last fall so the bolder characteristics fade most of “dry-hop” out. As the beer approaches room temperature (which is like a million fucking degrees), imminent heat and spicy phenols rumble through the nostrils like a stampede of Egyptian camelbacks. Mouthfeel is heavy with light carbonation but enough to showcase the complexities. Pungent apricot, orange, melon, and tropical fruit overflow the taste buds. The transition has barnyard funk with a touch of salted caramel from the roasted malts. The Magi finishes with an herbal, pine, and resin finish with lurking characteristics of must and wet wood. The heat and brett characteristics showcase their finesse as the beer gets warmer. Not to mention, the Magi is 10% ABV. As I creeped closer and closer to the finish of the Magi, I realized that the taste starts at the center core of an orange and slowly works its way to the rind. Which revolves around all the other characteristics as well.

Great, complex bier de garde. I poured two of my roommates a glass as well to get their enlightening input. Erik, the first roommate, started off by smiling and staring at me for a solid 10 seconds before saying anything. Then, in a pink panther-esque accent, he exclaimed, “Smells of rich mahogany and leather bound books.” So subtle yet so dramatic. TJ, the second roommate, noted the floral aromas along with the crisp, earthy aftertaste. They’re slowly but surely becoming cicerones in their own sense. Job well done gentleman. So yeah, fantastic brew. I was thinking to myself, the Magi bier de garde resembles an ester child playing seesaw with a phenolic child. They’re professional see-sawers by the way. Sporadic yet always finding balance. Drink Responsibly. Over & Out.