Lost Abbey The Angels Share

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

Serve in Snifter

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2009 Brandy Barrel bottle. Unfortunately, this beer turned out as I thought it would in some areas and not in others. I expected low carbonation and sour as they had a few problems with the barrels and bottling in 2008/2009. This beer poured dark brown, nearly black with absolutely no head. I could barely get air bubbles due to it’s thickness. Syrup is thinner than this beer. The nose is extreme alcohol even after a few years. Big vanilla with dark fruits as well. Flavor was sweet, thank god not sour. However the insane malt in this is not balanced by any sort of hop prescence. That could be do to the aging I suppose. Mouthfeel is suprisingly creamy and smooth. I expected the lact of carbonation to be a real detractor but it’s was ok. I’ve had it with good carbonation and it’s a ton better. As for this bottle, not so much.

*(cuvée 2009): Tout d’abord, l’excitation s’est dissipé rapidement quand un silence ecclésiastique accompagna le retrait du liège...Aucun son. Le liquide a l’arôme et la texture d’un vin fortifié et en bouche c’est un liquoreux, visqueux liquide où règne la mélasse, la vanille, le chocolat et le brandy. Ma langue est complètement asséché par l’alcool mais les saveurs riches sauvent de justesse la maladresse de la présentation.

Draft at Beer Revolution. Dark brown color, small beige edge head. Aroma of prunes and plums. Taste is similar, and slightly sour. Very nice stuff.
Earlier Rating: 4/2/2010 Total Score: 3.9
12 ounce bottle at American Craft in Boston. Not really a beer, this is a tawny port. Almost black. Completely flat, no lacing. Aroma of sweet cherries, port. Taste is vinuous, dates, prunes, cherries. Interesting, but difficult to make it through the entire bottle.

Draft at Beer Revolution. Flat dark brown in color with maybe some purplish hues. Big complex aroma with raisin, prune, and dark fruit, vinous notes, brandy, and roast. The flavor is also great. Sweet malt, candied bourbon soaked fruits, plum, prune, raisin, boozy brandy and oak. Full-bodied and too low carbonated (surprise surprise) with some booziness. Solid-ass beer overall.
Earlier Rating: 2/9/2009 Total Score: 4.2
On tap at Toronado on Lost Abbey night. Tomme didn’t show up which was a bummer. Oh well. Wow this is good. Dark brown, almost black, with a light tan head. Aroma is sweet with vanilla, oak, dark fruit, roasted malt, and some alcohol. Flavor is more of the same - really complex and really, really, REALLY good. A lot like a fine port with roasted malts and all kinds of other great stuff. I couldn’t get enough of this beer. Smooth and full on the palate, but maybe a little low on carbonation.

Tap at Beer Revolution. Pours a very muddy brune to near black with perfect opacity. Looks like the bottom of a keg even though I know the key was just tapped. Small film of yellow bubbles. No lace. Nose is rich tawny Barleywine and bourbon such as FW13/14/15. Seems like a blend of BA imperial stout and BA Barleywine. Nose adds rich run raisin gelato and espresso ice cream. Thick coffee character. Oh wow. Taste is silky, salted caramel chews, muted smoked malt, heavy dark chocolate, caramel macchiato. Yummy yum yum. Actually tastes identical to Amarula, the South African version of Baileys Irish Cream. What the hell is this? A thicker Deliverance? Fine with me. :)
Earlier Rating: 7/25/2009 Total Score: 3.7
750mL 2008 ed into snifter. Wow- finally I get to try something that has become a fabled presence in the beerophile world. Pours a deep brown almost black (very cloudy and dark once the yeast is tossed in) with no head but a few white bubbles around the edge. Aroma is almost all whiskey with hints of vanilla extract, oak, brandy, sherry. Taste is lots of brandy, rum soaked cherries, oak, molasses, chocolate pound cake, amaretto, toffee, spicy alcohol. Just very boozy in general. Big warming alcohol in the finish. Not too intense and I can see this being very awesome if it was mellowed out a bit by carbonation. An excellent dessert beer- looks like a true barleyWINE. Not sure if being carbonated would really change this beer fundamentally but I’m glad I tried it and will be looking forward to the 2009 release. 7/25/2009 7/3/8/3/16=3.7

375mL 2009 ed courtesy of BrainLayer. The pour is a flat, muddy brune. Aroma is soy sauce, oxidized dark fruits, tawny port, spicy and sweet brandy, caramel, sweet red grapes. Taste is smooth, rich, no warming alcohol, full of brown sugar and caramel. Goes a little bit tart and ends cardboardy. Meh. 1/11/2011 7/3/7/3/14=3.4

Very sweet cotton candy taste that is almost overwhelming. Let it warm up a little bit and it develops great sour notes that really enhance the complexity of the beer.

on tap @ Wade’s Wine’s. Massive chocolate, black liquorice and toffee notes on the nose, accompanied by a light breadiness. Pours a very dark, reddish color with a moderate foamy top. Flavoring is dominated by chocolate malt and an enormous taste of alcohol. Thick texture on the palate and a heavy blast of malt on the finish. Overall, a spicy, alcohol-filled brew with lots of black liquorice and chocolate flavor. A little too much alcohol and malt presence for my taste. I’d give this a C rating.

Sample at Eurostash III tasting on 01/12/2012: 2009 bottle. The beer pours a dark mahogany color with a medium tan head that dissipates quickly to an outer ring. Small patches of lacing on the glass. Aroma of dark fruit, caramel malt and chocolate. Rich and smooth body with a nice raisin and date character and notes of chocolate malt, caramel and vanilla. Brandy lends a nice warming boozyness in the background. The finish is sweet caramel and molasses with a lingering oak and dark fruit aftertaste. Very good all around, guess I lucked out!

UPDATED: FEB 24, 2012 11’ total infected mess. Took 1 sip and poured the rest. 3.6 original rating for the 09’: While I’ve had more flat bottles than carbonated, this is still a very solid beer. I personally think of it more a an American Strong Ale as it has some Stout like tastes to me. Pours a dark murky brown with an off white head, when present. Great woody and sweet caramel/vanilla notes on the nose and taste. For the big price tag this beer is a risk in the bottle, but if you every run across it on tap its a must try!

2009 vintage 375 ml bottle. This pours a muddy, reddish chestnut brown color and barely topped by a few scant bubbles at the head that quickly rejoin the body below leaving a sudsy wash behind. Just no carbonation at all, which is a bit disappointing for sure. The aroma is very boozy, but deeper notes reveal caramel, toffee, chocolate, and dark fruits. The brandy barrel lends a distinct sweetness while offering loads of oak laden vanilla. The flavor follows suit with the caramel and toffee playing a huge part along with ample amounts of stewed dark fruits and vanilla from the oak. The brandy barrel lends its signature fruity sweetness well. There isn’t much in the way of hops to balance out all the malt sweetness though. Nearly full bodied, but the palate lacks some due to the lack of carbonation, which doesn’t help in covering up the sticky sugars. The finish is long, fruity, and boozy. This is certainly a very good beer, but one that is hindered due to no carbonation. I do enjoy the bourbon barrel version quite a bit more though. I’ll definitely rerate if I come across a carbonated bottle.