Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

Courtesy of Mgumby10. Pours a dark brown with some lacing. Aroma is mostly dirty wood. Tastes of bitter caramel with a huge boozy taste. Oak, molasses, and dark fruit dominate this brew. Palate is a little sweet, followed by a warming sensation.

On TAP at Brouwer’s Big Wood 08. Pours dark – as black as a stout – with a great off-white head. DEEP aroma – a ton of malts, reminds me of something breakfasty – a deep, roasty maple syrup, maybe. Bourbon. Oak. The flavor is just huge – it explodes when it hits your tongue unlike anything else I’ve had. Incredibly thick, but still clean and dry. I still think it’s a bit too sweet, and I’d love to try something like this that has a bit better balance. There’s a roastiness that comes through at the end. This is about as full-bodied as it is possible to make a beer. Points for novelty.

My angel descended upon me on late evening to share with me her bourbon-barrel blessings. Her murky earthen brown depths hide darker glimpse of midnight black while a tiny halo rests atop her head. Like a sprinkling of star, lace twinkles mischievously as I bask in her rich aroma of chocolate covered cherries, soft pie-crust, and bourbon-soaked raisins. A soft presence of ginger and spice linger in the background. Enthralled by my angel’s song, we meet in a sinfully sweet kiss of rich cinnamon, ginger, and spice with brown-sugar sweetness leading to dates, plums, prunes, and raisins. Permeating all of her bounty, bourbon exudes warmth with faint vanilla notes. Further on in our relationship, green vegetal notes such as asparagus and broccoli along with dry spices perch atop my tongue, adding dryness to her finish. Ever growing warmth mingles and soothes while softer notes of ginger, spice, and booze-soaked raisins leave the longest lasting impression. I haven’t had the original Angel’s Share yet, but every mouth-watering quaff of Lost Abbey’s Bourbon-Barrel Angel’s Share has been heavenly. The bourbon does not overwhelm, instead exuding comforting warmth with a hint of wood, spice, and vanilla while the rest of her bounty speak for itself. As is with all good things though, we must depart and say our farewells, until next time.

I really want Lost Abbey to make it to Florida, if not in 2009, I can settle with 2010. If anyone is ever out their way, do not miss an opportunity to visit the brewery and to savor their brews. If you’re lucky, or have amazing self-control, you may even be able to bring a few bottles home with you. Exquisitely delicious.

Vintage 2008 Ap: Midnight brown with an inch of sudsy head. Aroma: Vanilla, bourbon, cookies and graham crackers. Taste: Cocoa powder, vanilla, bourbon, hops and oak. Mouthfeel: Sliky. Overall: ****1/2 out of *****

2008 botling. Dark, nearly opaque mahogany brown with red highlights at the rim. Big, fluffy, medium-tan head on the pour dissipates into a fine, thin layer. The nose is redolent of sweet, dark, caramel malt with vanilla, oak, Bourbon, and alcohol top notes with golden raisins, toffee, molasses, and dark brown sugar base notes. Dark, sweet, malt notes again in the flavor along with a soft smokiness, molasses, and brown sugar. There is caramel and woodinessas well alongside pleasant aged and oxidized characteristics with a very slight bitter tartness in the finish. The body is full, but oddly light-feeling. This is in contrast to the big, dense body with heavy thickness on the palate that one might expect from a beer of this type. It is a refreshing surprise and adds a new dimension to this very interesting beer.

Sampled on Cask at the Lost Abbey Anniversary gathering. This was the first thing I tried and nothing else could compare. Pulled from the cask a dark brown with some redish hues. Thick and cream head fill my plastic taster glass. Aroma of cherries, oak and bourbon. Flavor was very rich with rasins and dates. A very bourbony finish, with alcohol warming and sharpness, but without a harsh flavor. I tired it with a friend whom I recently shared some Westy with, and we both agreed this blew it out fo the water. Easily the best thingk I’ve ever had.

Pure black color. Aroma is full of chocolate, vanilla, barley, raisins, and coconut. Taste is nothing short of amazing. You’d have to have it to honestly know what I’m talking about. Flavors include chocolate, vanilla, malts and barley, and dark dried fruit. Has a nice milk chocolaty and vanilla finish with a little bit of dried cherry. WOW!!! This is one amazing brew!

375 ml bottle. As others have mentioned, the cork comes flying out of the bottle with a huge pop. Pours a deep brown with a large, light khaki head. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, and caramel. Active carbonation in the body. Flavor is nice and smooth. Notes of fruit, caramel, vanilla. The bourbon really blends in nicely. Warming alcohol is a treat, not something that overwhelms. Really looking forward to what some time in the cellar will do to this beer.