Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Barley Wine
San Marcos, California USA

Tasting session at jbrus. Bottled. Very dark brown coloured, big brown head. Extremely complex nose, malts, raisins, fruit, really nice. Very well balanced flavour, malts, chocolate, vanilla. Perhaps not as good as regular version, but still absolutely world class.

Bottle from Mashmaster, shared with good friends @ jbrus’s place. Corked bottle, opens with a loud bang. Vanilla, oak and bourbon in the aroma. Fruit confit, a hint of oak, cherry, alcohol, bourbon and vanilla in the flavor. Good complexity. World class.

Brouwers Hard Liver festival 2009. 2008 Vintage. Dark brown, one of the darkest beers at the fest. Tall smooth khaki head. Big bourbon character, lots of vanilla and a soft cream/icing like flavor that’s gives an almost butterscotch like note. Silky smooth palate with lingering chocolate and plum notes in the finish. Really well built, and by far one of the best of the festival.

A: Popped the cork and foam immediately came flowing from the bottle. Poured it into a Russian River Barrel Aged Tulip. The beer was a radiant dark black/brown hue. The head with four fingers high, big, bold, and rocky. Tons of carbonation this one... it did not want to die. Once it finally died down it did leave nice spots of lace all the way down the glass. S: I am in love. Wow this smells even better than bourbon. Tons of oak and vanilla right up front. I have had some hard to get highly regarded bourbons from little known Kentucky distillers that did not smell as nice as this one. Beneath the barrel is a nice complex brew. Nice tones of dark fruits, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and chocolate. Boy can’t wait to taste this one. T: Best barrel aged brew period. (Though to be honest I won’t compare it to barrel aged stouts as it’s a whole different monster). The flavor is wonderful. This has the perfect amount of bourbon goodness without going overthetop at all. Tons of oak, vanilla, and whiskey. That being said the wonderful flavors of the ale Lost Abbey started with are not lost. Nice whiskey soaked dark fruits make an appearance. As does nutty toffee and burnt dark brown sugar. Soo complex and sooo good. Wonderful. M: Medium in body smooth and creamy. If there is one flaw it may be a bit too over carbonated. D: So nice. I had planned to share this one and to be honest I am glad I kept it all to my self. It has been quite sometime since I enjoyed a brew this much

2008 bottle. Poured into a snifter. Deep brown with a very active head that grew as it sat. Overly carbonated but wonderful aroma of caramel, vanilla, bourbon. Very full flavored: molasses, dark fruit. bourbon & oak, alcohol not overpowering but clearly part of the package. Enjoyable, but I was expecting phenomenal

Pours dark brown with some stray bubbles. Smells of oak, sour, molasses, dark fruit. Tastes Sweet and fruity and boozy with a sour finish. Not seeing the allure.

2008 Vintage - 12.7 oz. bottle. I drank this bottle last night in honor of my father’s birthday; he would have been 74. God bless you, Dad. Pours a very dark brown, just about black, with a large brown head that lasted through two-thirds of the glass and left a web of lace. Very pleasant aroma of caramel, vanilla, bourbon with a few notes of raisin in there as well. The flavor is equally enjoyable with caramel, vanilla and bourbon, although I am not getting the fruit notes I picked up in the aroma. Fairly smooth on the palate with some mild heat from the alcohol approaching the swallow. This one is a sipper for sure.

2008 bottle rating #700. poured a cola color with a frothy foam head that crackled initially with the high carbonation. aroma has molasses, bourbon soaked barrel, vanilla, and dark dried fruit. rich and hearty. the first sip coats the mouth completely and the carbonation is quite high. flavor has plenty of bourbon, barrel wood, rich dark fruit, molasses sweetness, and some alcohol. I will say the 12.7 oz bottle size is just right and the bottle itself is cool, no need for a 750 of this. certainly rich with lots of complexity.