Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

Black body with a medium tan head. The aroma has some tobacco and oak. Some hints of pears and caramel. The taste is fairly sweet with caramel and some leather. There is also a little bit of pears and some notes of vanilla. A nice woody note helps to make this interesting. A good beer, but far from mind blowing.

Bottle sent to me by one of SoCal finest ratebeerians, Jon (WeeHeavySD), mucho thanks bro!

A deep brown with russet hues topped by a surprising frothy head which left good lace upon my Duval snifter, I expected little head from this beer honestly. Some oily legs as well with a swirl of the glass. The aroma has a big kick your ass Bourbon character at first. Lots of oak, vanilla, charcoal, molasses, fig, heavy brown sugar, aromatic pipe tobacco, star anise and a leafy peaty earthy yeasty ester... yes, quite the run on sentence but so what.

The taste profile opens with a heavy amount of malt and sugar overtones with a nice supportive twangy fruit background. Much like the other Angel Share, this has some strong port like characteristics but seemed to be more tannic and charred, therefore a tad rougher around the edges. The finish has a splash of vanilla and rye-like malt, slightly smoky and peaty too which rocks. With some age and a reduction of the somewhat aggressive booze, the finish could become glorious.

The mouth feel is lush and sharp at the same time with each sip a slightly different experience. I do seem to enjoy the brandy barrel version more, however I see this one aging better. Either way, I could do a lot worse that to sip and enjoy these treats from the hands of Tomme Arthur.

Cask at GBBF 08... WOW i didnt even realise i had the Bourbon version. Deep brown... sweet vanilla nose ... again a light vanilla ... loads od toffeee and sweet malts ... nice mellow ... very warming... didnt really pick up much bourbon... Note were a bit poor as i thought it was a rerate of the normal version. Though i did think it seemed smoother that the normal bottle id tried at RBESG 08 but put that down to being cask.

GBBF, Trade Day, 2008 Gravity cask. 2nd beer. Wow! Very smooth - velvety. Fresh oak and vanilla ice-cream. Faint twiggy bitterness. Nothing overdone, and a lovely flavour. Top notch, and a pleasure that this has lived up to the hype. A great start to the day.

Cask. Low but lasting off-white fluffy head. Pitch black body. Coffee hops alcohol aroma. Smooth and pleasant port wine like flavor of coffee and just a hint of vanilla with low carbonation, long veneous aftertaste. Alcohol well hidden.

Poured a deep hazy brown with a thin beige head. The aroma was of aged fruity malt with a medium sweetness. Vanilla and bourbon stood strong but not over powering. Some sugary caramel mixes with the fruit and bourbon. The flavor was also semi-sweet and fruity with a good back bone of bourbon. Notes of vanilla, raisin, and wood. Medium to full bodied with a little warmth. Very nice.

Extra thanks to BDR for sharing this rarity. From a 375ml bottle pours a hazy dark brown brew with an average sized tan head that has some nice retention. Aroma of mostly bourbon with a touch of raisin, honey, some apple, and coconut. Taste is smooth, light carbonated with flavors of dark caramel malt, bourbon, a touch of chocolate, apple and vanilla. Finish continues the same as its flavor with a semi-sweet caramel and bourbon aftertaste. An outstanding bourbon barrel barley wine.

Thanks to Michael for the bottle! You’re going to want to chill this more than I did before opening.. explosive cork and a bit of a mess on the table, but all was well. Poured deep, seductive brown with a well-retained cap of oaky-tan head. The aroma picked up a fresh burst of oak and vanilla with dark, sweet bourbon sugars not far behind.. deeper yet, rich aged caramel and molasses join in.. right at the very back the alcohol prickles the nose hairs.. I loved the way this was layered in its presentation.

Caramel and molasses roll over the tongue, trailed closely by a vibrant hit of whiskey.. the middle was a tad messy with the whiskey still trying to steal the show, repressing the vanilla, caramel, and molasses.. oak plays a huge role in drying out the edges and the back.. a bunch of whiskey and molasses on the long, memorable finish. Heavier-bodied, but somewhat slick on the palate with a dry finish.. the balance could have been better at times when the whiskey took off. Overall a mighty fine brew!