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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This review reflects a bottle of 2010 Brandy Angels Share that I opened on 5/21/11. It cost me $16.99 for the 375 ml bottle. Let me first say that I find this brewery to be a bunch of cowards. See the end of review for clarification.The cork came out with no sound. It poured black with no head and zero carbonation-not a hint. The aroma was nothing like brandy or any barrel. It was very tart with tons of dark fruits, cherries and lots of grapes but it also seems moldy or like a pile of poop The taste was unbelievably bad and exteremely undrinkable. Massive tart cherry and grape like taste with a moldy taste and I’m not making this up-poop. I tried to muster the strength to down it but it was THE WORST BEER I’VE EVER HAD. Complete drainpour. I decided to email the brewey and send them some feedback about it in a respectful way to see what they could do about it. Also to give them a chance to make it right. Now this was 2 weeks before the V009 release and I’m sure they are busy people. I heard nothing back just crickets and they totally ignored me. Fast forward to a few days after the V009 release and a user on another site complained about a missing V009 label. He said he emailed the brewery and they responded back within the same day and said they would fix that situation. This is a missing label mind you not the actual product inside. I was a little peeved that I had emailed them more than 2 weeks before about the actual product and they ignored me. But they were really quick to respond about a very minor issue. I sent another email to ask if they care about there customers(which they don’t) since they ignored me. After hounding them they offered me a T-shirt ( I wouldn’t want to sport your gear now)and told me they couldn’t refund my money because a lot of bad seeds had taken advantage of them. Let me tell Lost Abbey you are the ones taking advantage of people not the other way around. This brewery could learn a lot from stand up breweries like Deschutes and Cigar City who admit when they make mistakes. Intstead these Lost people are hiding behind a curtain and refuse to address a problem because they are cowards. I respect a brewery who when they find a QC problem make a formal announcement(blog post, BA or RB post, just something) and try to make it right. Instead these cowards would rather there customers buy a defective product and screw us consumers over just so they can move on to the next batch. That is horrid customer service and I do not know how I can not give this beer any points because 1) It was a terrible beer and 2) they refuse to acknowledge anything when given the chance to make it right. Clearly these people are Lost at the "Abbey"

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.