LOST ABBEY’S DEVOTION ALE – THE HOTTEST BLONDE IN CALIFORNIA

It’s been a few months since we checked in with our friends at THE LOST ABBEY, hasn’t it? Well in those few months they’ve released a slew of new beers, many of which have set the beer blogs a-buzzin’, but which I have not been able to get my hands on. Luckily, for completists’ sake, I’ve actually been able to enjoy two of them – CUVEE DE TOMME and ANGEL’S SHARE – as this old post will attest. The new one that no one’s had until fairly recently is called DEVOTION ALE, and it’s the single best beer I’ve had all summer.

DEVOTION ALE (it’s the third from the left in this photo) is a wonderful American take on the Belgian blonde ale. It’s a robust, peppery beer with very deep & chewy yeasts. I found it exceptionally smooth to drink, all the while appreciating just how complex & finely crafted it was (just like every other beer I’ve had from this upstart brewer – a spin-off brand from the outstanding PORT BREWING). The thought occurred to me that, unlike most Belgian-style beers, I could probably drink five glasses of these in a row if I was so inclined to do so. At just over 6% ABV, that might even still have ya into work the next day. As it was, I slowly polished off just over a pint on a regular weeknight, and regretted that there wasn’t more lying around the house. At $7.99 a bottle, that’s perfectly understandable, I’m sure you’ll agree. I was happy to unequivocally crown this beer with a perfect ten, instantly putting it into the Hedonist Beer Jive 25. Oh yes my friends, you heard that right – 10/10! Run, don’t walk, to your nearest retailer and demand that they order you a bottle or three.