From the Beer Writer: One cannot live on expensive, rare beer alone. Even if humankind could subsist on a whale-only diet, it’s unlikely that would be all the enjoyable. There’s a time and place for funky concoctions birthed over the course years spent incubating in spirit-laced oak barrels. These artisanal masterworks are part of what make special occasions special, and they’re what The Lost Abbey in San Marcos has excelled at producing for a dozen years. But even they realize the importance of beers which can be drunk on a more everyday basis, and have shifted their portfolio to include more of them. The latest debuted last week and goes by the name Citrus Sin. A foeder-aged wild ale blended with fresh beer and given further flavor care of blood oranges, it sounds like something you’d expect to take out a loan to procure (some of the Abbey’s specialties cost over $40), but a 750-milliliter bottle comes in at less than ten bucks. The beer pours a lovely pinkish-peach hue. It’s light on the palate thanks to substantial effervescence that brings fruit, funk, and barrel character to the forefront. All of those characteristics harmoniously coexist, providing a taste experience similar to old-school champagne wedding punch. At 6% alcohol-by-volume with exceptional balance, it’s the type of offering one can enjoy a good deal of (especially at that price point).
From the Brewer: “Citrus Sin is a collection of things we love here at The Lost Abbey. Lower-ABV, summer-porch-swing-type beer…it checks that box. Fruity with some crazy-fun blood orange notes…it checks that box, too. Mild acidity and a pleasing oak finish…it definitely has that covered. Fresh Brettanomyces funk and fun times ahead for those who seek this out. We’ve created a fun and simple blended wild beer. We did so, beginning with a base wild ale that has been evolving in our oak foeders for the past ten months. It is blended with a fresh golden ale, then an amazing amount of blood oranges are added to the concoction. The result is a refreshingly crisp wild ale, piquant notes of citrus peel and a burst of juiciness that finishes bone-dry thanks to the Brett and oak tannins. It hits all the hallmarks of a beer made to beat the heat and that has us very excited. While it can be cellared to let the Brett continue to develop, we recommend drinking Citrus Sin fresh to keep the vibrancy of the blood oranges at the forefront.”–Tomme Arthur, Director of Brewery Operations, The Lost Abbey