Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

Diverse, intense, different every sip but some how this is still tainted for me in some way. Could have one more layer of excellence with a little more carbonation. 2008 vintage. A little bit of a smoky woody aroma. Vanilla flavors with a bit of cocoa a little further down the palate. Lots of red fruit mid palate and a nice sweetness to round it all out. Caramel, plum, earthy tones, all a little bit in there. Finish is a little hot and a little bittersweet. More like a chocolate than a hop finish.

Bottle courtesy of mar. Very murky brown color. No head whatsoever. Huge whisky smell with roasted notes. Flavor of bourbon and heavy coffee malts. Sharp flavors that linger. A bit of chocolate sits later on. Wow intense.

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!

Bottle: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a medium foamy head with little to no retention and no lacing. Aroma of bourbon with light vanilla and balanced sweet rich malt. Taste is a well balanced mix between some deep rich English style malt with light dry fruits and with great notes of bourbon and light vanilla. Body is fuller then average with very low carbonation but still enough to be enjoyable with no apparent alcohol which is surprising considering the clear notes of bourbon. Not bad thought not sure it is worth the price tag or should be ion the top 50 but glad I tried it anyway.

Bottle via trade with toncatcher. Deep murky sediment-laden red-brown body, thick, puffy tan head. Nose of prune, soy, and molasses, salty and leathery, with hints of oxidation. Dark fruits (especially raisin and prune) and oak feature prominently in the rich, creamy body, which also features notes of soy and dusty oxidation. Vinous. A complex, rich beer with a dense flavor profile. Although this was a fine beer, I prefer the brandy barrel version.

On tap at Stumbling Monk in Seattle. Overall, this beer was perfect for a bourbon barrel barleywine.

2007 vintage thanks to the Tampa Tasting Group. Pours cola brown with a tan head. Nose is malt, bourbon, brandy, overripe dark fruit, caramel sweetness, and lots of fruity, bourbony, sugary goodness. Flavor is malt, bourbon, wood, vanilla, dark fruit, caramel, and lots of mellow sweetness. Balanced for a bourbon beer, yet still boozy. Medium bodied, sweet finish, and overall pleasure in a bottle.

2008 (last years) vintage (not the new release). 375ml bottle into DFH snifter. A - Open with a loud "pop". Poured aggressively so there was a huge head. Black with a frothy tan head that leaves a good amount of lacing behind. The head is very sticky and hangs on to the side of the glass. S - Dark fruit, boozy bourbon, chocolate. Smells very smooth and complex...a lot more then I can describe in a review. A sweet smell fills the nose after the initial notes fade. T - Wow. Very good. Plums, raisins, milk chocolate, malts, dark cherry, smooth bourbon flavor. Better then I expected, truthfully. M - Medium bodied, fizzy carbonation, rich, creamy, smooth. Great to swirl around in your mouth and savor. D - Very smooth for the style and barrel aging. Easy to drink, alcohol is smooth and subtle, very smooth. Lost Abby hits a HR on this one. Very good.