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: JAN 20, 2007 1/19/07. Poured out of 750 mL bottle, purchased at Port Brewing in San Marcos, CA 12/1/06. Dark cola brown with some opacity and deep orange-burgundy highlights. Small but uniform and compact pale tan head. Fades to a thin whisp of some fortune-telling bullshit. If you stir up the head enough (and it looks beautiful, if given a vigorous pour), lacing is similarly dense (again, where it forms, which is not always so prominent if it’s poured very gently) and has irregular-but-decent stickiness. Aroma is boldly woody (even with hints of acidity), with all of the sweet alcoholic indulgences-- brandy or bourbon, who cares? It’s that densely cakey, refined vanilla essence (or should I say "refinedly refined?"-- this is processed vanilla extract of the utmost quality), as well as impossibly rich caramel, dark bread, and brown sugar notes. This aroma is actually almost quadruppelly (Westy 12 or Rochefort, not Monky Brew or Allagash Four), if it weren’t for the strong wood character. Some subtler notes of fruit that seem to fade in and out as the beer opens up (or as I get more drunk, I can’t tell). Flavor is certainly in the Midnight Sun Arctic Devil and Drake’s Brandy Barrel realm of Barley Wines-- English in inspiration-- with dark, nougaty, richness and suggestions of dark toffee, huge deep caramel notes and alcohol enough to age at least a decade or so. The finish is one of those lovely things about this beer, leaving chocolate tobacco notes quite a long while-- another beautiful cigar beer. Surprisingly drinkable for its gravity. Carbonation is fairly light but consistent throughout, perfectly conditioned for this kind of a beer (although I still can’t help noticing that it comes off quite boozy at times both in the aroma and in the flavor). It’s so subtle but creamy while it’s there, and so slight that you can stir it up in your mouth to excite the same if it fades-- terrifically matching the barrel character and caramel richness tit for tat. Expert extraction of malt flavors and integration of barrel character with the base beer; it’s hard to define at times where one thing ends and the other begins. Also, it’s almost crazy to think about, but this totally overwhelmed the 71% cocoa bar of Valrhona chocolate that I tried to pair it with in the last few ounces. If I could find a chocolate that could stand up to the vanilla and caramel of this beer, I think I would die of sensory overload right there on the spot.

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.