Lost Abbey The Angels Share

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

Bottle. Body-cola. Nose-buttery, buttered popcorn, brandy. Taste-medium wood, spiced rum, butter, medium bitter, bark, pine, spruce, medium wood.

2007 bottle, 750 ml, from the release party - thanks to DarkElf for the assist! Pours dark brown and mostly opaque, with brick colored highlights when held to light, and a smallish, creamy beige head that diminished quickly to a ring and a skin. Complex aroma is flush with dark fruits, molasses and brandy, along with oak, vanilla a bit of spice and alcohol prominent as well. The big flavor is sweetish, with burnt caramel, fig and prune juice, somewhat overshadowed by the alcohol-brandy character, somewhat tannic woody notes, white pepper and hints of citrus peel. Body is full and smooth, with just a bit of carbonation and leaving a little astringent dryness on the palate. This is of course, very much a sipping beer, with the alcohol and brandy becoming more pronounced as it warms from cellar to room temp. Enjoyable in limited quantities.

2007 bottle courtesy of Ibrew2or3. Pours a clear dark brown amber with a one finger mostly lasting tan head that leave good lacing. Huge aroma of brandy, oak, vanilla, alcohol, caramel, and dark fruits. Taste is the same as aroma just not as prominent. Medium full mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness and smooth warm alcohol. Very good.

Below is for the 07 batch, scored a 3.5. Newest batch is not drinkable and is completely flat and stale. My personal opinion is that the brewer should have never released it or at least have pulled such an inferior product off of the shelves by now. Ok, 2 bottle with zero carbonation and one that was highly infected. I finally get a decent one here. Almost black pour with a small off white head. Strong vanilla and wood aroma. Flavor was vanilla, brandy, wood, popcorn, and foot. Finished creamy, slight hint of the abv. Meh, do I keep getting bad bottles or what? This is the closest thing I’ve gotten to normal so I will go ahead with this rating.

750ml bottle courtesy of Hair. 2007 bottle. Aroma: Coconut, vanilla, alcohol, dark fruits, tons of caramel and brown sugar, chocolate, cookie-like barley notes. Deep and delicious. Appearance: Deep brown in color with a small rusty highlight. Light tan head was full and foamy with good retention. Good lacing. Flavor: Medium sweet maltiness upfront with notes of cookie, brown sugar and caramel. Alcohol comes in strong with the barrel flavors. Dark fruits right before the finish. Palate: Full bodied. Moderate carbonation. Strong alcohol warming all over the mouth and into the throat. Overall: Very good beer. Nice flavors in the base beer were enhanced by the barrel aging. Only complaint is that the alcohol is a little too aggressive.

750ml bottle generously shared by Stine. Aroma of brandy soaked fings and raisins. Toasted vanilla. Soaked oak chips, tobacco leaf. Malt and wood in excellent balance. Pours an unremarkable dark ruby brown with a thin khaki head. Big brandy presence on the tongue. Loads of big, rich, toasted caramel malt. Vanilla. Wet wood. Rum soaked fruits. Cherries, plums and maple syrup. Toasted almond and cashew. Big nutty characteristic as the beer opens. Full bodied. Lush and creamy with a decent boozy finish. Lots of spicy brandy on the finish. Thanks a ton Eben!

Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Rich chocolate brown pour skinned with a bit of off white cream. Brilliantly evocative aroma of toasted coconut, pineapple, brown sugar, powdered sugar, raisins, creme brulee; all sweetness, but all of a caramelized or seared quality. Warm. Bits of raisin, alcohol, plums, and cake batters. In sight of the summit of barrel aging of any type, if not reaching it. Little wink of tartness in the oak flavor here; beside the beautiful irish cream texture and balanced honey sweetness, a bit of pear and dried fig simmered in maple syrup lends a soft touch of outdoorsy, tangy fire-baked fruit character. Brazen smokiness and reduced-jam sugariness, seeming just a bit young. Cocoa dusted pineapple, apricot, chocolate liqueur; a bit of dry wine and spirit alcohol drying out in the mid palate. Texture of honey and bitten with a bit of nutty bitterness; full, oily, completely decadent. Long finish with lots of tropical fruit and sweet cinnamon bread and prickly warmth in a pulsating, thick decadence. Youth seems to win out, altogether, but with even just a slight rub of age there’s not a doubt as to the wonders this could achieve. Thanks Andy!

Thank you pepsican. Dark mahogany pour, almost no head. smells of brandy and feet. Tastes of candy corn, brandy, some booze. Nice