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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UPDATED: APR 20, 2012 750 mL Bottle. Aroma is running away and just out of reach initially. There are some insanely, entirely rich bourbon brandy emaciated currants with toasted almost, with bright estery yeast notes. Very warming alcohol, with barrel drawing a bite in the nose. Luxious matuer fruit. The aroma wakes up and glows a little stronger with a little more warmth and swirling. Flavor is so completely delicious, with amazing bourbon touches and a heavy head of canded fruit, sugared mango and crystallized ginger. The beer complexity is lightly muddled and condensed into a sweet, creamy dense flavor. The flavor starts with a real tangy, bright sweet pear, then ascends to a rich malt creaminess over brandy flavor, with piquant yeast richness following. Then a rising phoenix of flaming alcohols appear from the dust. The alchol is enlightening and scorches the nostrils, but it’s not disconcerting. This beer is young and will only get better with time and the alcohols that are perceptible are actually astonishingly characterfull, so they are well appreciated. Even notes of earth and woody mingle in, with a genuflection on the altar of a competely seductive malt character. Figs in honey, maple syrup candy next to hazlenut-chocolate wafers all in one. It reminds me of living in Amsterdam and going down to the market street in the morning and getting large, fresh hot sticky syrupy stroopwafels right off of the griddle and eating them right there at the stall, fresh of crusty caramel and wafer. Finish continues amazing complexity, with bright Chinese cassia, blended aromatic pink and white pepper and redolent in tawn fruit. Oh wow, it’s getting hard to explain all the permutations of this beer. Barrel character is only helpful, and that’s what makes this beer so astonishing. It doesn’t get out of hand or overwhleming, a true team player, adding yet another exciting delicious level. Finally, a closing curtain of grassy mentholness, with some sou spice and a few more bright yeasty esters in juniper. This beer has complete complexity and is an all around winner. Subtleness and exacting execuation make this beer tops, with astounding dry clarity and total excellence. I appreciate the ability to clearly distinguish all the nuanced characters individually and culture appreciate for the niches of this beer. An amazing opportunity.

Bottle to snifter (thanks Bob). Looks good; dark with thin lacing. Smells PUNGENT! Bourbon and vanilla. Tastes pretty good too; much like it smells. Mouthfeel is decent, but will likely improve with age (along with the taste). Solid, but I’d like to let it sit for a year or two and revisit it.

2011 bottle (neck says 2010 brandy) Pours brown with no head...bubbles around the edge of the glass. Aroma has candied fruits and red wine, fig...tart...boozy. flavor is very winey and tart atop oaky fig. Mouthfeel is medium and the finish is winey and dry...warming. woulc try again...not sure this held up well at all.

With tremendous thanks to Blankboy. Appearance: Red wine, teeny tiny small brown head. Aroma: Stewed fruits, plums, raisins, brandy, I can anticipate a sticky mouthfeel by the aroma, red wine, oak, a little nutty chocolate. Flavour: Tart!!! Brandy and oak, big red wine flavour, malty, sloes, peppery, a little nutty, very sour, just a whirlwind of flavours, crab apples and cranberry. Fantastic. Thanks Paul.

My 3000th rating. 375ml bottle from Crossroads Beer & Wine, Burlington, MA. Marked "Vintage 2011" on the neck, and stated ABV 12.5%.

A flat black pour, like a strong coffee, with no head and an oily texture; the aroma hits as soon as the cork is popped - rich fruit cake and vintage port wine; the taste is equally impressive - soused raisins, burnt toffee, oaky red wine, and sweet vanilla; the finish is dry and moreish and masks the alcohol very well. More a super-strong English Strong Ale than a Barley Wine in my opinion - but very nice indeed, regardless of the category.

2010 on bottle: Pours a dark cola brown with a thin tan head that diminishes quickly. Sweet aroma is brandy with hints of oak, vanilla, and fruity apple. Flavor is oaky with a mild brandy presence and vanilla in the finish. Has a creamy texture and well balanced hiding the alcohol very well. Easy drinking and delicious!

straight apple brandy aroma. Pours a very dark plum color with no head. Tons of apple flavor up front with some finishing malt. Also a sweetness of sorts and a little alcohol burn. But other than that no hint of the almost 12%

Bottle 375ml @ Patricks Pub og Restaurant, Kristiansand
Pours deep brown with a small off-white head. Aroma has notes of malt, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, oak and caramel. Taste is medium to heavy sweet and light bitter. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat to soft.

Sampled at an esbls tasting. After much discussion it was determined that this was the version. Such an interesting beer. This combines a sour, woody effects, fruot, wine, vanilla, and big malts. Tasty and beyond.

Great barley wine from tap. Beautiful brown color with light brown around the edges. Aroma of brandy, raisins/plums, and malt. The taste had a pleasant sourness to complement to dark fruit sweetness and alcohol. Maybe just a slight burnt oak taste too. No carbonation to me, very crisp tasting.

Bottle. Prunes, plums, and wine in the nose. Dark, wine or thick cola color. Sourish, off-putting flavors. This is not in the proper condition. Thin body, right for an aged sour beer, but not a barley wine. Something is disappointingly off with this one.