Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

This is excellent, I enjoyed this more then the Brandy barrel. On tap at Lost Abbey. The aroma has lots of bourbon notes it it, but the flavor the bourbon is more muted. Raisin, caramel malt, vanilla, oak, bourbon, chocolate, cherries, and dark fruit. Complex and delicious.

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.

Bottle... Poured hazy ruby with a light brown head. Aroma of bourbon and barley grains. Smooth palate with noticeable bourbon and malts that helped balance the alcohol. A little tangy with a tickle from the alcohol in the finish.

Rating #996. Pours dark brown, with a light brown head. Aroma is bourbon, wood, vanilla, and dark fruit. Flavor is bourbon, dark fruit, malt, vanilla, wood, and caramel. Fantastic!!

’06 vintage at FoBAB. Dark brown to black with tan creamy head. Bourbon, chocolate, sweet aroma with little oxidation charecteristics. Flavor is well balanced bourbon to malt ratio with the oxidation finally coming out in the flavor like cherry but matches very well with the vanilla. Medium body with okay carbonation. Very barrel forward.

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.

Bottle from early 2008 release. Dark brown / black pour with light brown head. Aroma is woody, nice bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and light roast. The flavor is the same, very intense; sweet malt and vanilla / bourbon dominate. Enjoyed it.

On cask at the brewery. Tried several samples at the first anniversary party. I’m so glad I thought to bring a real tasting glass in order to gain a full appreciation of this one; it was certainly worth the extra attention. Pours a dark, semi-opaque red cedar bark brown color with a frothy layer of creamy tan head. Aroma is dripping with dark fruits - prunes, raisins, and figs, and is softened and sweetened by a silky wave of sweet caramels and lots of vanilla bean. The bourbon character is really the perfect compliment for the beer, as the slightly drier oak character of the bourbon barrel seems to work perfectly with the beer. While there is an increased oak presence compared to the brandy barrel version, the barrel character still holds itself very much in check with the overall balance of the nose, allowing the terrific, sweet malt complexities shine through on the center stage. A little bit of caramelly bourbon reveals itself to the nose, but is sufficiently subdued to leave but a gentle warming glow in the nostrils. Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel - this beer lends itself to the cask amazingly well. Loads of freshly picked, black cherries instantly flood the tongue, backed by an aggressively flavorful blend of raisins and lightly spiced fig. Tons of heavenly malt sweetness that’s complex and far from cloying; the light creaminess of the body simply makes this one dance across the tongue. Some fresh, woody maple syrup, clover honey, and lots and lots of vanilla bean enhance the dark fruity base. A little bit of dry oakiness lingers in the finish along with some warming bourbon, although while not hot, is pretty much the only less-than-perfect trait this brew has. Honestly, was it possible for this one to be a disappointment? No. Is it possible that this one even surpasses the brandy barrel’s greatness? Hopefully someday there will be bottles to do a just side-by-side comparison. Fantastic.