Abbey Ale Taste Test

I've been very anxious lately to test out the Abbey Ale bottled back in March and I decided yesterday it was close enough to its recommended 6 month conditioning time to crack open a bottle finally. It poured a clear coppery orange with a light, thin head. The aroma was sweet as was the flavor with an overall malty sweetness with a slight bitter and sour finish. It coated the mouth well and the slight carbonation helped to give it a lasting tingle. The orange started to come through a little as it warmed though. Overall, I wasn't all that impressed with it. It kind of fell somewhere near a tripel in flavor, but without the complexity typically found. It was decent, but the lack of flavors and the slight sour finish diminished any real pleasure from it. I'll let this one sit at least another month and see how it develops. I was hoping to have this available at my upcoming birthday party, but I think I'll just have to settle for my Lytle Creek Kolsch.