Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

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.

Bottle shared with bager. Pours a clear dark brown with a yellow head. Smells of bourbon, vanilla, caramel and a hint of alcohol. Quite sweet with aromas of slightly burned caramel. Also aromas of bourbon oak casks and vanilla. Has a tiny whiff of sulphur. Some residual sugars. Very (too) high carbonation. Almost full bodied. Almost too sweet fnish. Big thanks to Dennis who gave me this when I came to a tasing in his house in San Diego.

375 ml bottle from the Patron Sinners release. When I pulled the cork it nearly took my arm through the ceiling. The gush followed a few seconds later. The pour is very dark brown with some garnet highlights. A very Coca-Cola-esque head to begin with. It eventually settled out to a dark tan ring with some wisps in the middle, and some lace. Boozey bourbon alcohol vapors attack the nostrils. Underneath that you certainly find a pleasant chocolate/caramel character. Here come an aggressive oak character just got me. The flavor seems a bit more balanced. Most of the same flavor. Bourbon is still in the lead. A nice blend of chocolate and oak. I also get a bit more smoke and tobacco character. Levi Garrett anyone? A little bit of cocoa powder in the finish. Medium/light body. High, aggressive carbonation which is sort of a put off for me. Dry warm finish. I am certainly glad for the chance to try this bottle of beer. This may just be a bit too bold for me, I guess. It drinks more like a spirit than beer. When barrel aged beer starts to get to this extreme, they start to turn me off. Still, a fine beer. When you only have one bottle, its hard to stay away for too long.

375ml bottle from the Sinners Club. A vigorous pour, dark brown to burgundy, with a fast rising but quickly diminishing head. Crisp carbonation makes the complex nose even more rich, with not only a nice balanced wood and bourbon aroma but a subtle, vinous character that’s extremely appealing. Hard to ignore the nutty aroma and flavors in there too, a nod to the glories of the English style. It all blends together sumptuously. There are lovely hops in there, making the barrel presence light rather than syrupy and cloying. The malts are also not too sweet, but just there to add depth. Dark fruits and bourbon mellow out into something with a full, smooth mouthfeel but with a liveliness and zest that you wouldn’t ordinarily expect. So much going on with this beer. It’s truly awesome and I’ll be very curious to see how it ages.

#1700. Tasted 10/29/09. Thick and pitch. Tan head. Aromas of alcohol, leather and raisins. Dark berries and fudge. Vanilla oaky aromas. Man, there is a lot going on in my olfactory. Full bodied with a ton of malts and a ton of burn. The wood really has a strangle hold on this beer. Very big with a vast complexity. This is indeed a champ. Dried fruit and dark esters. Little light on the hoppy end, but still generates a ton of flavors. Good base, good wood, good flavors. Good burn but still well blended.

Bottle: Dark brown pour with ruby tones. Big beige head. Aroma is sweet, faded hops and bourbon barrel notes. Roasty. Taste is a smooth blend of soft barrel notes with roastiness. Vanilla. Faded hops into a nice oaky tail. Smooth and delicious.

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.

Pours a deep brown color with amber hints and a brown head. Aroma is malty, caramel, roast, brown sugar, bourbon, fig, alcohol, oak, and vanilla. Flavor is malty, caramel, oak, vanilla, fig, bourbon, and alcohol.