Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

(2006 batch on tap @ the bistro)brown body with a huge brown head.small bourbon notes along with some citrus hops,cotton candy,and brown sugar.very well balanced and no alcohol is detected.(2008 bottle from the sinners release)uber-dark brown.in fact,you cant see through the beer even when its held up to light.nice big light brown head that leaves some lacing on the glass.the aroma is simply awesome.bourbon,vanilla,oak,cotton candy ,pine hops,and bubble gum.the thing that i like best about the aroma is nothing is overpowering.the flavor is pretty much the same.again,everything is very well balanced.i think the 2008 has more flavor,although its a tad bit overcarbonated.

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!

(Bottle thanks to WeeHeavy) Pours dark mahogany, reddish brown with a sand colour/light-brown head. Sweet vanilla-ish, sugary bourbon and caramel/ buttery fudge-like malt up front in the aroma. The undertones are full of dark, dried fruits like raisins, plums and figs, earthy hops, maple syrup, English fruitcake, toasted nuts, blackberries and tropical pineapple and banana hints. The nose is extremely soft and the bourbon is well integrated. The flavour is of bourbon, vanilla, caramel, buttery fudge, plums, figs, sweet blackberries, toasted nuts, English fruitcake and maple syrup. The mouthfeel is soft, velvety carbonated, light sticky, chewy and light grassy bitter in the finish. Lingering aftertaste of overripe dark fruits, light bitter hops and sweet malt. Medium to full bodied.

2008 Bottle. Pours a dark cola brown with thin tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of caramel, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, wood, molasses. light smoke. Flavor is also sweet and malty with notes of bourbon, wood, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, light wood. Medium body with a pleasing malt and booze finish.

Sampled at the Hellbilly’s Hellraiser Phoenix tasting (4/13/08). Bottles courtesy of me and Bockyhorsey. Pours a deep caramel color with minimal beige head and spotty lacing. Nose is yeast, caramel, brown sugar and a oaky bourbon background. Palate is caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, some dark fruits and bourbon, though just enough – not overpowering in the slightest. Deserves the hype – just an awesome brew. Wish the bottles were bigger… ;-)

Hmm and Wow! I was wanting so hard to find a perfect rating. Well, 4.8 is close. I tried the spectacular bourbon barrel aged Angel’s Share beer today at Lost Abbey’s anniversary tasting. Wow! Probably the best beer I’ve ever had. Sweet creamy head. Deep rich color. Nice bourbon aftertaste. Nice malty smell at the bottom of the glass. People tell you to rate the smell first, before your smell sensors are saturated, but i think you should wait until the end, where the temperature has raised and the glass is filled with aroma. First taste, and i would say a touch more sweetness. Second tasting, and a touch less. Hmmm. just an incredible beer. I think they open a bottle once a week at the tasting room. They are releasing another in August. 10,5,9,5,19:4.8 Rerate: On tap at 2008 release: Perfect! 5.0 Rerate: Bottle with iowaherkeye at PP bottle shop. 4.8 Rerate: 5/8/08: Bottle at home. Strong carbonation. Tart acidic burn. Not good. Bad bottle or aging poorly? I’m afraid to ask. Drain poured half of it:3.9

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.

Notes from 4/5/08. Bottle from the Sinners Club. Shared with Ethan, Aubrey, and Henning at Aubrey’s place on a stormy candle filled night. On to the brewski: pour is darker and cloudy with very nice head retention. Aroma of wood, sweet bourbon, toffee, earth, vanilla. Flavor is so smooth for such a big beer. Bourbon barrel takes on surprisingly earthy and tart characteristics. This is very a very different beer from from the brandy barrel release, but it is a very good one. I’m glad I’ve got a few more in the cellar.