Lost Abbey The Angels Share (Bourbon Barrel)

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

sweet jesus, finally! lovingly shared by bockyhorsey and sparky27 at the PHX tasting. after a struggle with the cork and devastating near-overflow (crisis avoided, though)... this pours very dark reddish brown, nearly black. perched on top is a big light tan head that eventually fades to a film of funny colored foam leaving behind a nice trail of lacing. the aroma is akin to a red wine.... notes of prunes, black raisins, belgian chocolate and wood. the bourbon smell is present and sweet but not overwhelming. (notes get sparse at this point!) as far as the flavor... well, it is more refined and smarter than i. it’s a complex mix of oak, vanilla, dark fruit, a little molasses, chocolate again, wood and a peppery dry woody finish. everything is in perfect balance. the bourbon does nothing to get in the way but rather plays a secondary role to help coalesce an amazing experience. insanely drinkable if it weren’t for the price tag...

Bottle from a friend. Pours a dark brown color with a big tan head that had good retention and plenty of lacing. The aroma is rich and complex with bourbon dominating the nose, other aromas of butterscotch, raisins and pecans fill in nicely. The flavor is similarly complex; the taste of good bourbon dominates with a host of supporting sensations--there is cloves, roasted barley, cola and pecans--all superbly balanced. The mouthfeel is full, smooth and creamy. The finish is long with a bit of lingering clove numbing my tongue. Overall: A great concoction. The balance of whiskey flavors to beer is superb, the bourbon is up-front but not overwhelming. Very nice.

Sampled at Hellbilly’s Hellraiser tasting. Bottle courtesy of Sparky27 & Bockyhorsey. Let me start off by saying all three of you are gentlemen and scholars!!! This was the BIG WINNER of the night. It began with a pop and a thick caramel head slowly climbing out of the top of the bottle. Incredible rusty brew with yeasty bits floating throughout the glass. Oak, molasses, vanilla, and toffee all playfully fighting for attention. Flavor is extremely complex with various dark fruits, chocolate, and mild bourbon. Unlike other barrel-aged beers, this one isn’t overpowered by the whisky, but instead, accentuates the brews other qualities. Delicious, refined, and exceptional.

Thanks again to Agentsteve. Careful this one pops and tries to spill out. Deep dark brown, bourbon, caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, molasses, malty, sweet, creamy, dark fruits.

Hark! Thanks to ajm for allowing me share what the angels left behind. Pours a dark molasses from the bottle with a creamy brown head of foam. Smells exactly like walking into a log cabin, with notes of powdered cocoa, and alcohol. Loaded with balanced flavors of caramel, cocoa, and butter. Amazingly complex and labored over.

Crushed with Jakebra. This is not fair. No beer should be this awesome. Fuckin a. Cant describe it. The most euphoric beer Ive had so far. Definitely almost angelic.

On tap at the Draft Room EXTON, PA... flavor of caramel malts, vanilla, oak- aged in bourbon ... well balanced, smoothest I’ve ever tasted

Pours a dark black with a slight reddish brown at the edges. Head is a medium tan color and the beer is overcarbonated enough to warrant an extremely slow pour.Smells like heaven. Hints of oak, maybe a slight boozy aroma. A bit of vanilla I think.Tastes like it smells. Well, sort of. It’s better. There’s a slight bourbon flavor, which unlike a lot of beers, is very subdued and balanced with the other flavors of vanilla, oak, maybe some dark fruits, and a bit of caramel. Minimal amounts of alcohol are present in the taste. Very impressed.Mouthfeel is where I feel this beer suffers. There’s simply too much carbonation in here. Instead of feeling a syrupy thickness I feel a fizzy bubbling sensation. With as relatively thin as the beer is, I feel it would serve better with a heavier mouthfeel.However, I think that after you move past the beers somewhat fizzy nature, it’s very very drinkable. None of the flavors are overwhelming and always in balance. The only thing that would stop me from drinking more of this would be the lack of availability (I had to get this VIA trading) and the fact that the ABV would knock me onto my ass in a hurry. Especially because it’s so well hidden. I am very impressed with this beer as a whole. Most of the regular Lost Abbey brews I’ve been unimpressed with, and with all the hyped up beers I’ve tasted recently, this is one of a few that I feel lives up to it’s hype.