Lost Abbey The Angels Share

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

bottle 2008 Pours a murkey brown with no noticable head what so ever. Has a wonderful aroma of wood, sweet fruits, vanilla, and sweet caramel. Has a awesome flavor. Very lightly carbinated. An Awesome mouthfeel. The alcohol is well hidden. Very well balanced. Has a great mouthfeel. A real good finish. This is a wonderful beer. Makes me wish I was an angel for my share. Very well done.

2007 version. Aroma is first bewildering to me, it is very lightly sour with notes of wood, whiskey and vanilla. And there would be many other ways to describe it, let’s just say that it is beautiful. The taste is sweet and the oak agedness is present in a perfect way, playing in the background, not too rough but balsy enough to make you take note. Lovely full body and soft carbonation brings it on home to me. This beer is like Sam Cooke’s voice, as perfect as it can get.

750ml Bottle. 2006 vintage - first bottling. Tasted as my 1400 rating on March 31st 2009. The pour is a deep murky brown with only tiny spots of bubbles dispersed on the surface. The aroma tells me this is going to be impressive. Rich sweet malts that tell a take of dark fruits mixing with vanilla and caramel. Everything is well-blended and cohesive. The flavors roll over the tongue smoothly and leave a lasting impression. The booze appears only faintly and in no way takes away from the beauty of the beer, even at the end when its room temperature. There is spice and more depth of character than I would have expected. The body is silky smooth and incredibly easy on the palate. This single bottle leaves me overwhelmed with the talent of the Port Brewers. A masterpiece of craftsmanship.

I’ve been looking forward to this one. Poured a deep brown/black with zero head or lacing. Cork sort of just fell out. Aroma of wood,vanilla and fine liquer. Taste is wood, vanilla, caramel, toffee with a smooth and lasting finish. Hides the alcohol very nicely. Smoother and less complex than I would have expected, but a very nice treat nonetheless.

A: A deep russet brown hue with ruby highlights, small tan head and good lace. S: The nose starts out nice and fruity with hints of plum, raisin, and starfruit. Touches of spice with notes of cardamom, clove and anise. Hints of nutty toffee, roasted malt, and vanilla before the barrel kicks in. T: Wonerful malt caramelization starts this one off with a bang. Some semi-sweet chocolate comes next with hints of pure vanilla beans. Vinous qualities come thru and then boom, the barrel. Light toasted oak and hints of booze finish this one off in a light but perfect way. M: Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Just a touch of booze from the barrel. D: Wonderful! Give me a cigar, and a 750 of this gem and I am set for the evening

2008 Sinner’s Club 375 ml - released late Feb/early March, 2009. Nice aroma, very rich, vanilla to the extreme. Everything else about this beer is a dead, alcoholic, burning, oxidized mess. Lifeless, hotter than hell, ugly, syrupy and thick. Like drinking "double-brewed" vanilla extract. I know, I know - give it longer - it will carbonate, it will get better. I am not seeing that.

Sampled at the 2009 AZ Strong Beer Fest on February 28th. One of the top brews of the day. Deep reddish brown pour with a small creamy tan head. Aroma of brandy, wood, dark fruit and vanilla. Flavor is about the same. Very nice. I had a few of them!