Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

Dark, rusty appearance. Smell of sweet bourbon. Variations of berries in flavour, including hints of blackcurrant, strawberries, a good dash of cherry and with a finish of bitter redcurrant. Some sweet malts beneath. Brandy-like alcohol to the finish. Stunning drink, maybe a bit over the top. Chosen as the best American cask-beer at The Great British Beer Festival 2008. Very good, indeed, but I had a few better ones during the festival in Earls Court (05.08.2008).

I figured the first rating after my son was born should be a good one and cracking a "sinners" might not be the best choice, so this bad boy gets the call (due to his birth, I get the bonus of having my mom bring out my beer from Chicago!). This one has a deep brown color with a surprisingly large head (nearly a major gusher!) Aroma is a high quality "down in the barrel" mixture of oak, vanilla, caramel candy, bourbon and sugar. Flavor is woody and bourbon dominant with hefty doses of vanilla, brown sugar, and vinous fruits. Feel is nice with a slight sting and woody thickness. Overall a very good beer, but not quite the standard version. It seems obvious that the base beer is absolutely made for brandy barrels, though bourbon barrels take to it quite nicely. Another awesome PP/LA beer!

We tried both Angels Share blind during a tasting and just guessing which is which was already a challenge. Surprisingly, the Bourbon one came out as my favourite of the two. Basically, it felt less alcoholic to me and also seemed tighter in its aromas, with more of the pleasant vanilla overtones. Both remain quite similar, very complex and integrated barley wines with endless dessert malt and fruit layers all the while not being fatiguing with its high sweetness. The body also felt a bit tighter, not necessarily rounder, but less oily in the bourbon one.

Bottle from Sean. Thanks. When he called and said he could get me some Angels Share bourbon edition, I said hell yeah. Why not? Eh, I think I would have rather have a bottle of something else in hind sight. I really like the brandy barrel edition as I find it to be perfectly blended, with the barrel not being too obvious. The appearance and all of the subtle flavors of the other edition are all here - with the exception of this one being really hot from the bourbon barrel. Over powering bourbon flavor, strong bourbon aroma, bleh. This beer is way over rated. The other one is deserving, this one isn’t near in the same league. Woulda rather had an old viscosity than this. Very glad I did not get in the club and pay 30 bucks for this.

Poured a dark brown with actually a pretty big tan head. Aroma was really complex, probably containing dark fruits, caramel, some vanilla and bourbon/alcohol. Flavor was just as complex as the aroma, the bourbon really sticks out, but doesn’t dominate the rest of the complexities. There’s so much going on here, its hard to even tell this is beer. Very well done.

My Bottom Line:
This ever-so-succulent malt paradise of a Barley Wine graces the tongue with eloquent caramel, anisey bourbon, vanilla and port-like grapey wealth, hypnotizing and beguiling each tastebud at every single sip.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A bubbly head of foam laces around the burgundy-smeared dark brown.
-Alcohol felt more present in this one than the regular Angel’s Share imho; this Bourbon version is stronger too, so that might be a logical explanation.
-Carbonation in these bottles was slightly stronger than in the 2006 Angel’s Share regular release.
-Some roastiness is tasted in the back, alongside alcohol trails and wooden dryness.
-The barrel character in this was as flawlessly integrated as the brandy barrel is in the regular version.
-Some smokiness is hallucinated in the aroma.

Bottle. Thx Dany!!

Bottle. Near black pour, nice persistent 1 cm thick dark khaki head. Nice looking beer. Aroma is a sweet mix of oak, caramel, vanilla, light oak, treacle, some alcohol. Lightly sweet taste with caramel, vanilla, nice tannic finish. Alcohol is extremely well masked. Aroma gets even better as it warms up.

Sampled at Brewery during RBSG. Pours a deep mahogany with a solid brown head. Nice big bourbon and sweet vanilla nose. Full bodied but with a slick, velvety texture. Intial flavor of molasses and raisens, but transitions on to a nice, but not overtone bourbon flavors. Oaky wood finish, with some vinous notes as well. Alcohol is there, but blends well.

CELLAR CHECK 4-4-09: To celebrate 9 days of sobriety due to antibiotics, I decided to see how this one was doing. A little more carbonated than the sample I had at the brewery. The hops have faded some, bringing more malt and bourbon notes to the forefront. Bourbon notes are very strong. Finishes dry and woody.