 kepano (239), Meudon, France
Mar 12, 2008
High expectations always precede the Port brewers, and Angel’s Share was perhaps at the highest level. The pour is a great surprise, almost stoutish in hue, its black depth is set ablaze by maroon contours and a creamy dark foam that recedes rapidly. The nose shows an obvious maturity, a complex amalgam minutely arranged. Darkness imbues the essence of this brew, from the dried figs, prunes, raisins and cranberries to the deep caramel and molasses. Oak and its vanillin are notable influences of the barrel aging, as are the hints of whiskey. Dusty cocoa powder is apparent, added to cherry, hazelnut and grape bubblegum. Unfortunately whiskey becomes almost obtrusive on the palate, particularly as it melds with an alcoholic heat present throughout the experience. The sweet, somewhat sticky mouthfeel reminds of toffee, cubeb pepper, anise and mint. It is a powerful brew yet the complexity is delicate and the texture surprisingly creamy and soft. A rich Carambar-like caramel flavor lends a strong malt backbone supplemented by Nutella and highlighted by tonalities of plum, vanilla, licorice and even banana. The Angel’s Share is a vigorous effort that nonetheless retains thoughtfulness and balance. The long complex aftertaste is a testament to the impressive technique of the brewers, but when all is said and done, I wish the barrel aging had not been so overpowering as I always like to see a beer speak for itself. (31/03/2007)
Rotorhead87 (116), Temple, Texas, USA
Jul 4, 2009 This is a fantastic beer, period. It has zero head and little carbonation and you know what? It doesn’t matter.
It pours a dark, murky brown with zero head. The aroma is a complex blend of chocolate, vanilla and some fruit. The taste is similar, too complex for me to describe adequately. There is a bit of alcohol in th finish, but in my opinion it adds to the flavors.
milljam (500), Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Jul 3, 2009 500!!!! Well, everyone has been partially right on the flatness. It does detract somewhat from the beer, although considering how potent/complex this one is, all is not lost. Most complex barley wine aroma I’ve ever had....dark chocolate, whiskey, oak, anise, fig, plum, vanilla...in a sense very port-like. The aroma is better as the beer warms...indeed it seems at its best when the beer is room temperature. Flavor is just as complex, with everything mentioned in the aroma coming out on the palate. Again, gets better as it warms. In the end, there are only two issues with the beer: one is the alcoholic bite, which can be taken care of with some cellaring; the other is the carbonation, which results in a thin, watery mouthfeel. I think with better carbonation this would be a great barley wine, instead of just a pretty good one.
Hudspart (360), Hudsonville, Michigan, USA
Jul 2, 2009 I don’t get this beer at all (or maybe barley wines in general). 2008 vintage. Flat as water. Strong aroma and flavor of alcohol. Just awful.
joeneugs (160), Livermore, California, USA
Jun 29, 2009 I’ve been looking forward to popping the cork on this one for a while. I was a little nervous about the buzz over the flatness of it, since I usually don’t like flat beers, but in my mind, it totally overcame that. It pours a dark muddy brown with loads of sediment. Of course no head to speak of. The aroma was special. Chocolate covered cherries, wood, vanilla, anise, kalua. The taste had a little carbonation, but not much. Very thick with a strong bourbon like flavor of oak and vanilla. What I liked was that every sip yielded a different flavor. Thats the sign of a top notch beer. Caramel, toffee, licorice, maple syrup, molasses... I could go on and on. Big alcoholic burn with a slight bitterness in the finish. Overall- a great beer, but only in smallish samples due to its massiveness. More carbonation would have been nice too.
blipp (1407), Grand Island, New York, USA
Jun 25, 2009 Bottle. 2008 vintage. Rating #1400. Is this the vintage people have been complaining about? God damn, if you don’t like it send it my way, I loved it. Pours dark brown with almost no head. Loads of bourbon and dark fruits in the aroma. Plum, molasses, and vanilla. Smooth body. Yes the relative lack of carbonation is a bit unusual, but really it’s not that bad, and it does have some carbonation. The flavor starts with sweet notes of bourbon, whiskey and oak. Loads of dark fruits carry on the sweetness throughout. Raisins, plums, toffee and caramel feature. A long finish recalls more notes of sweet bourbon and whiskey. I thought this would be a bit rough to get through the whole bottle, but it was surprisingly balanced and drinkable. Very good.
dchmela (1185), Orlando, Florida, USA
Jun 23, 2009 08 375ml bottle, the "flat" vintage. Pours flat and syrupy dark brown. Nice aroma of brandy barrel, brown sugar, maple syrup and hints of vanilla. Taste has big flavors of chocolate, vanilla, brandy and toffee. Little hints of alcohol burn and some chocolate. Obvious world class brew that had some problems, otherwise the interplay of flavors is outstanding and very complimentary.
kappldav123 (1567), Markkleeberg, Germany
Jun 22, 2009 The bottle looks incredibly good. The beer in the glass deep black, almost oily, no head. Wonderful malty-old aroma. Starts fiery-malty, very complex, very woody notes, very strong, modest alcoholic. Very nice finish, warming, well balanced, prickly, very long. Wonderful beer!
Big thanks to scrizz for sending that beer to my house!
TheEpeeist (1279), Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA
Jun 20, 2009 25.4 oz bottle, 2007. Dark brown with a tan haze. Nose is caramel, raisin and brandy with unfortunate notes of moldy wood and butter. Kind of milky with high acidity and a sharp tang. Taste is sour plums, crabapples, bitter greens and earth. Dry, cardboardy finish. Needless to say a major disappointment.
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