Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

bottle. Pours very dark brown with a thin tan head. The nose is very much bourbon and alcohol. Taste was very overwhelmed with the bourbon, instead of just highlighting it. A bit too much for my liking. While the flavors and mouthfeel were complex, the bourbon just took prominence to too high a degree. Shame. Still not bad, but not excellent. Mouthfeel was medium and had a dry finish.

’09 375ml bottle thanks to kegbear and smokepot23!
Dark brown, conjured a thin tan-bubble head by pouring from about a foot above my snifter. Oily after that dissipates. Bourbon, vanilla, tobacco, and hints of caramel are found in the nose. Flavor is some dark chocolate, nut, some dark fruit, more bourbon. The thin palate again makes the alcohol too prominent, but there is some carbonation here unlike the Brandy Angel’s Share, and the flavor is more vibrant. With carbonation, this would be a masterpiece.

[Bottle] Pours a somewhat hazy caramel brown with a huge beige head that slowly dissipates. Aroma is oak, bourbon, vanilla, and a hint of chocolate. Flavor is mostly bourbon and oak flavors with some vanilla, caramel, and chocolate. I’m a fan of the more carbonation. The alcohol isn’t terribly present, but it can be felt on the way down. This was good, but the bourbon had a little more influence than I was hoping, and I feel like it masked a lot of the subtle complexities of the base beer.

2009 release. Pours a deep opaque brown with a very small head at first that quickly recedes to a light lacing, and this was with me trying to coax some carbonation out of the pour. Aroma is just glorious: Brown sugar, molasses, honey, maple, and yeah, bourbon. Ooh, this is a lot smoother than the brandy-aged, I can say right off the bat. Again molasses, but now there’s chocolate, spoiled dark fruit with gives it a slight sourness, there’s a lot going on here. Very complex. Bourbon is huge throughout the flavor and finish, but not too cumbersome really. Mouthfeel is a little watery, aftertaste is pure whiskey, like I just took a shot of 80-proof. Alcohol is clear and present from start to finish, and actually makes this seem more around 15% as it shamelessly puts itself at or near the forefront of every facet. I didn’t think that this would be that different from the Brandy Barrel, but it really is. A lot smoother, more mature, and less agressive. A real pleasure. Overall, world class.

Big thanks to Ken for this one. Dark brown to black body, tall gushing tan head. Aroma of warm brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, strong bourbon character, noticeable alcohol. Flavor has an overwhelming bourbon note, cola, coffee bitterness in finish. Effervescent body. Bourbon is boring.

The test of a ball-buster of a good beer that stands on it’s own?.?.?.the aroma and flavor standing up to the whiskey barrel process - CHECK! This monster retains the cherry and date and plum elements - but carries them in sequence with the vanilla/coconut lead. Solid.

375mL 2009 bottle. Dark nearly black pour with some mahogany highlights and no carbonation.. Very rich dark fruit with notes of vanilla bean, oak, and alcoholic bourbon. There’s also some hints of tobacco and black tea. The flavor is almost too rich at first but as it rolls past your tongue it leaves wonderful notes of dates, oak, cognac, vanilla, bourbon and a nice alcohol kick on the end. The body is oily and full with no carbonation and strong alcohol warming.

19th April 2008 Beautiful oaky smoothness with smooth bourbon that does nothing but compliment the beer. Semi-dry finish. Yum! 5th August 2008. On tap at GBBF. Superb! Woody but not dry. Whiskeyish bot not bitter. Fresh. Lovely!