Tradition has it that 3 kings from the East visited the baby Jesus bringing with them gifts. One king brought gold, another brought frankincense, and the other myrrh.
The Lost Abbey has created a golden beer, brewed with bark of frankincense, and spiced with myrrh to commemorate the Magi.
Gift of the Magi pours caramel with a firm, tan head of foam. The aroma is sweet malts, toffee, honey and whiff of alcohol. It tastes complex, with sweet malts, hops that reveal themselves after a moment, spice, lots of bread from the yeast, and a touch of Brettanomyces funk. It has a medium body, good soft carbonation and a slight burn from the 10% ABV alcohol.
The style is Bière de Garde. This is a style of unfiltered farmhouse ale brewed in Northern France. The term means “beer for keeping.” Gift of the Magi is made for aging. It is bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces yeast, which over time, will become drier with more Brett funk that characterizes farmhouse ales.
The traditional date of the 3 king’s visit to Jesus is January 6, Epiphany. Lost Abbey’s Gift of the Magi is a splendid way to mark the occasion.
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