Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

Bottle@Home, thanks Edo. Vanilla and varnish aroma. Murky brown colour. Bourbon, vanilla, bitter, complex. Great stuff.

2008 version, 375 mL-corked & caged, sampled 30 June 2009: the bottle released a small pop as I pulled the cork and the beer immediately began carbonating and within 20 seconds the bubbles were coming out the top of the bottle...my angels share poured a fairly opaque, rusty mahogany with a generous dark tan cream that eventually diminished into a thin, but persistent (lasting a full 2 hours while I enjoyed every drop). Deep vanilla bean and raisin aroma-it actually smells chewy. The bourbon is subtle in the aroma-there is more fruity sweetness than whiskey sweetness: pears, over ripe apples, mashed sweet cherries and plums. Mouth feel is super creamy and soft...the carbonation adds to the creaminess instead of making it fizzy. Flavours match the aroma in depth, but the sweetness is subdued-the raisins are more malty and bready than sweet and the over ripe apples a tart bite and the plums have morphed into prunes: rich and almost chocolaty. Lingering stickiness on the tongue and lips smacks with wisps of whiskey bitterness and oak. More balanced than any bourbon barrel aged beer I can remember...amazing that the alcohol is hidden too-I believe this is what everyone strives for when the put beer in bourbon barrels: sweetness to enhance the aroma and depth of flavour to enhance the taste-without being cloying or tasting like a nip of whiskey. Very well done.

Bottle… GIABMISGFAB… This beer rocks!… Dark prune-colored ale with a mid-sized, beige head. Terrific retention. The malty, earthy nose imparts a luxuriant mélange of caramel, buttery praline, bourbon and oak. Full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Leans heavily toward the sweet side of balance. Big notes of caramel and sourmash whiskey with an undertone of dried plum. Finishes sweet and fairly boozy. Mgumby10 donated this world class bottle of beer!

Bottle courtesy of Immy. Thanks Tim! Corked and caged. Dark bronze. Nose is vanilla, bourbon, wood, caramel, and maple syrup. Taste is wood/oak, vanilla, sweet malts, bourbon, caramel and sweet syrupy notes. Very tasty! Body is creamy with soft carbonation. Medium overall feel. Ends with more caramel, bourbon, vanilla, sweet malts, toffee, and syrup. Yummy!

Bottle: Thanks Jake65! Dark brown, tan head and light lacing. Nose of vanilla and toasty cherry with ample oak and caramel. Ample wood notes along with the vanilla. Low alcohol and grapes. Nice bitterness and sweetness along with the tannins and vanilla. So barrel aged. Yummy!

375ml bottle. I had this in the truck for about 5 hours but let it settle for a couple when I got home because I know how much the Lost Abbey yeast can negatively affect the beer. Let’s just say it’s one of the many reasons I’m not such a huge fan of this brewery. They do have some winners, though, namely the Brandy Barrel Angels Share, which I absolutely love. So on to the rating... out of the bottle it’s foaming and overcarbonated and lands in the glass under about twelve feet of thick brown foam. Okay, I can wait. The nose is primarily semi-sweet bourbon, complete with the maple and vanilla that seems to be the norm in bourbon aged strong ales or barley wines, something that doesn’t come through so dominating as with a stout or porter due to the roast and chocolate. But this one smells nice enough, with some spicy charred malt, some boozy alcohol, some barrel tannins and some tobacco/plum/date/nut notes, which is pretty nice but doesn’t impress me as much as the brandy barrel version. Texture is overcarbonated but sticky, with a resinous nut and dried, spiced plum flavor that’s most prominent. The finish has a hint of alcohol, not completely transparent but not overpowering at all, and as a whole it comes off heavy with the nut character. There’s some sweet maple-flavored bourbon for sure, and also some peppery wood and graham cracker flavors hidden a little deeper. Overall it’s a fine beer, has a lot going for it, especially the dried nuts and wood, but it doesn’t measure up to the brandy barrel version, but then I’m a whore for brandy and wine barrel barley wines (bourbon belongs with stout, brand and wine with barley wine). Quite good, but dare I say overrated a bit?

2008 bottle.Pours a dark brown,with basically no head, Huge bourbon aromas dominate the nose,but is quickly followed up by sweet aromas of raisins,oak and caramel malt and alcohol.Flavor is very complex! First you get the big bourbon flavor that dominates,but then comes the smooth oak and dark fruit flavors that eventually end in sweet caramel flavor.The alcohol is there,but well hidden.Great brew!

Cask at GBBF08. Good roasted aroma, some vanilla, and a vinous hint. Very dark brown colour, small frothy light brown head. The flavour is quite strong and alcoholic, but also sweet enough to balance it. Again plenty of vanilla. Sweet vinous aftertaste with some burning alcohol.