Lost Abbey Devotion Ale

I picked up a bottle of pricy beer at the beer store after having worked like a dog over the past few weeks.  I was definitely looking for a comforting beer to spoil myself, and I didn’t care about the cost.  I saw a rack of beers offered by The Lost Abbey out of Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, all of them corked and 25.4 ounces large.  They all weighed in between 12 and 15 dollars a bottle and I was intrigued by the idea of abbey ale, and so I grabbed the closest bottle to me, Devotion Ale.

Devotion Ale is categorized as blonde ale, and true to its type, this ale poured a cloudy pale gold, with ample light, airy head.  The nose brought to mind complex ideas of musty wood, spice, phenols, and wine.  As I brought the beer to my lips, my mouth was awash with an array of sensation.  An upfront, lively spiciness was balanced by a rich and smooth body toward the back of the palate.  The body soon faded to a long finish of sharp and biting bitters and flavors of fall flowers and dark bread.  As the beer comes to room temperature, the smoothness is increased to a delicious creaminess with fruity notes of pear, apple, and banana, while consistently finishing with a strong and lasting, though not overpowering bitter note.

Devotion Ale definitely served its purpose.  A comforting and complex blonde ale touting a 6.25% alcohol content, Devotion Ale served up a challenge to other breweries.  This beer is technically in the light category, yet its flavors and body were surprisingly complex and deep.  Bravo to the folks at The Lost Abbey, and I look forward to your other offerings, and yes, I will even spend the extra dough to treat my palate right.  The story on the bottle’s label wasn’t half bad, either.