Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

2009 bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a head that dissipates quickly. Bourbon and sweet burnt caramel aromas linger in the room. Some fig, maple, and oak in there as well. Mouthfeel is silky/syrupy very, very light carbonation but not entirely flat like the brandy. The alcohol is a little more noticable than I like, but still enjoyable. Flavors are like the aroma with a pronounced bourbon whisky flavor. Why can’t they just get some more carbonation in here and it would be a phenominal brew.

Bottle at the Cuvee de Castleton release at Captain Lawrence. This was a bottle of the 2008. Pours a clear black to brown without much of a head. Sweet bourbon on the nose, but no overpowering isopropyl component to it. Lots of sweet caramel and vanilla to it as well. Medium thick body, with more caramel, and vanilla coming through. My partner described it as tasting “like old coke”. Finishes with a touch of alcohol but barely a hint of what the true abv in this is. Very well done, and one of very few barleywines I’ve actually enjoyed.

First release bottle (EDIT: 2008) shared with a couple friends and courtesy of one of several possible people. Pours a murky brown, bright red edges, fairly hazy, with brown bubbly head, big at first, but dies to a film and clings a bit. Aromas are a nice sweet and toffee maltiness, oat and light dark fruit, bourbon vanilla and oak comes in fairly well, a bit sweet a bit boozy but overall very nice. Initial is fairly full, a bit sweet ad thick pushing caramel and toffee malts strong, light bitterness, bourbon pushes good alcohol, vanilla, and oak. Booze is hidden well, and mixes in with a good balancing bitterness on the backend, light dark fruit notes, and overall, a very pleasant experience. Cheers!

2008 750 bottle. pours dead, no head whatsoever. looks like a flat rootbeer, slightly transparent dark brown. lots of dark fruits in the nose and flavor. intense fig with sweet oak. overall very sweet and malty. vanilla in the nose. extremely complex flavor profile. nice pronounced oak. Definitely worth the $32 for the 750.

’09 375ml bottle courtesy of Smokepot23. Poured a dark brown with a orange-ish hue and no head. Aroma is strong bourbon and dark fruit, also present are notes of wood and vanilla. Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel and completely flat. Flavor took me a little by surprise, much more balanced and far less boozy then the nose led me to believe. Fairly sweet with lots of over-ripe fruit notes, hints of caramel, vanilla, and bourbon are also present. Finishes sweet bourbon with lots of warming alcohol. I think a little carbonation and this beer would be awesome. Very tasty brew!

Bottle thanks to bman1113vr on his birthday night. Pours with a dark brown almost black hue with no head whatsoever. Nose has overwhelming amounts of bourbon, and alcohol in it, coupled with some dark fruits, molasses, brown sugar, and caramel. Flavor is sugary, chocolatey, and a nice alcohol warming sensation on the finish. Medium-syrupy texture - light carbonation.

2008 version, 375 mL-corked & caged, sampled 30 June 2009: the bottle released a small pop as I pulled the cork and the beer immediately began carbonating and within 20 seconds the bubbles were coming out the top of the bottle...my angels share poured a fairly opaque, rusty mahogany with a generous dark tan cream that eventually diminished into a thin, but persistent (lasting a full 2 hours while I enjoyed every drop). Deep vanilla bean and raisin aroma-it actually smells chewy. The bourbon is subtle in the aroma-there is more fruity sweetness than whiskey sweetness: pears, over ripe apples, mashed sweet cherries and plums. Mouth feel is super creamy and soft...the carbonation adds to the creaminess instead of making it fizzy. Flavours match the aroma in depth, but the sweetness is subdued-the raisins are more malty and bready than sweet and the over ripe apples a tart bite and the plums have morphed into prunes: rich and almost chocolaty. Lingering stickiness on the tongue and lips smacks with wisps of whiskey bitterness and oak. More balanced than any bourbon barrel aged beer I can remember...amazing that the alcohol is hidden too-I believe this is what everyone strives for when the put beer in bourbon barrels: sweetness to enhance the aroma and depth of flavour to enhance the taste-without being cloying or tasting like a nip of whiskey. Very well done.

Pours dark brown with a decent sized head, particularly for a barleywine. Aroma is phenomenal; bourbon, vanilla, maple, caramel, vinous qualities, dark fruit, and malt. Flavor is also excellent; soft and mellow, but immensely flavorful- caramelized sugars, molasses, chocolate, and beautiful alcohol burn. Epic barleywine with a palate that combines alcohol with ridiculous smoothness. Awesome.