The Angel's Share - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - The Lost Abbey

DrDoitchbig

Michigan

4/5  rDev -5.9%

11-15-2011 14:50:52 | More by DrDoitchbig

bbadger

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-20-2013 04:17:19 | More by bbadger

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-19-2013 23:18:27 | More by drgonzo2k2

safaricook

Netherlands

3.44/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Palm snifter.

body is dark brown but clear and looks oily when poured into the glass. No head at all or carbonation visible.

smell is of oxidized (tawny) port, oak and bourbon

taste is port, oak, vanilla, dominating sourness in the aftertaste

no carbonation sensed, body is thick and oily, warming alcohol

Boy, I do not know what to make of this. On the nose it is very much like drinking an aged portwine and also in the mouthfeel as there is no carbonation. I do like that, but what I don't like the sour aftertaste. It makes the whole experience unbalanced. I guess I am a bit disappointed.

Just read the other reviews and saw that they do have some carbonation. Therefore I guess mine has somehow gone bad. Sad.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 19:37:12 | More by safaricook

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-17-2013 15:36:42 | More by twenty5

Dactrius

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-17-2013 01:42:53 | More by Dactrius

moonknight31

California

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-16-2013 16:59:01 | More by moonknight31

acc88

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-16-2013 07:06:12 | More by acc88

deekyn

California

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-16-2013 04:16:49 | More by deekyn

Absolut

California

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-13-2013 17:55:26 | More by Absolut

Matagal

Brazil

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-13-2013 16:12:05 | More by Matagal

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%

05-13-2013 06:17:03 | More by Bonko_the_sane

weaksauce

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-11-2013 18:42:32 | More by weaksauce

2bet

Norway

2.75/5  rDev -35.3%

05-11-2013 16:13:34 | More by 2bet

JOrtt

California

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-11-2013 02:35:18 | More by JOrtt

IHyphySF

California

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-11-2013 01:11:22 | More by IHyphySF

SHerninko

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-09-2013 17:47:01 | More by SHerninko

beernads

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-09-2013 06:07:37 | More by beernads

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle 12,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
2012 Bourbon version.

I am the 1000th person to review Angel's Share :D

Appearance: Angel's Share appears a very deep brown (verging on black) in the glass, however a strong back light transforms the body into the deepest of reds, with beautiful golden amber edges. A rough pour yields a good sized tan coloured head that lasts well for the style/abv. and even leaves a little lacing as it recedes. A light swirl coats the glass in heavy alcohol legs.

Smell: Ah man, this smells phenomenal! The barrel character obliterates much of the base beer in the initial nose, but it is so good that it becomes a non issue! Buttery vanilla, sweet caramel, butterscotch, oak, toasted coconut and a little booze are all noted. As the beer begins to warm, some more of the base beer begins to emerge, with notes of brown sugar, earthy toasted malt and some dark fruits.

Taste: As with the nose, the initial flavour offers a ton of barrel character as well as a fair amount of alcohol. Warming does yield an increase in notes from the base beer, but at times the overall flavour comes across as a tad thin (of course I am really nit picking here, because this stuff is delicious!).
Notes include: buttery vanilla, rich caramel, butterscotch, a fair amount of oak, brown sugar, some dark fruits (cherry, raisin and maybe a touch of date) and toasted malt.

Mouthfeel: I am probably the only person in the world to say this, but I think Angel's Share is a tad overcarbonated (medium or just over level). That said, it is velvety smooth and settles down pretty quickly. The body is just shy of full (fuller would have been better) and lightly sticky.

Overall: Angel's Share is a superb barrel aged beer and one I would love to have again. That said, I do think a year or two in the bottle would likely yield an improvement - seems I will have to get another bottle or two to test my theory!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 06:48:27 | More by Thehuntmaster

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%

05-05-2013 04:33:46 | More by rfbenavi80

CoolEthan

California

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-04-2013 19:41:34 | More by CoolEthan

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

We crack the cage and cork on a bottle stamped “BOURBON 2012”, pour an oily brew of burnt caramel coloring, letting up hues of the deepest cider around the edges with light. It held a very brief one finger head of eggnog colored bubbles. With a swirl of the glass these jump up to leave spots of lacing here and there. A thick haze cuts clarity, with little grains of black and brown sediment suspended throughout. Carbonation appears to be moderate. The aroma is huge, with mossed oak, smooth buttery diacetyls, and hearty bourbon character right off the bat, even though it is still colder. With warmth the depth of caramel malts blossoms, with rich and syrupy toffees, Vermont maple syrup, crisp and cooling vanilla bean, dead lawn, soy sauce, light rye and powdered oat, and fusel gasoline bite. Our first impression is that the flavoring is hot with big booziness like the nose, but is insanely complex, smooth, and sippable. As we sip, the flavoring opens with burnt butter, literal caramel syrups, spicy and warming bourbon, chalked oakiness, juicy ale yeastiness, palpably stinging booze, bittered fig stem, and smoothing vanilla cleanliness.
The peak comes with rich dark chocolate nibs, massively roasted caramel, light peanutiness, fusel bite of alcohol, raisin and browned apple sweetness, and straight bourbon flavoring minus any additional booziness. Sweetness washes through the finish as caramel and bourbon-soaked dates, with biting dryness of the oak coming through strongly. The mix otherwise finishes with contrasting dryness of cooked caramels, oatmeal, and barley, black pepper spice, and a revival of those beautifully creamy buttery diacetyls. The aftertaste breathes of candied apple sweetness, caramel syrups, bourbon heat, starkly drying oak, faint muskiness, cocoa nibs, fermented strawberry mash, and black pepper bite. The body is full and the carbonation is light to medium. There is oily and sticky slurp, smack, and sip, with lesser cream or froth to the lip. The mouth is thickly coated, with eventual dryness from the oak and the booze streaking the palate with astringency, puckering, and prickling the tongue. The abv is big but decently well hidden, and the beer is a slow, but glorious, sipper.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its aroma. This guy will take you an hour to drink, even if you do the right thing and share with some friends. If you’re trying to take notes and rate it will be even longer. This is one of the deepest most complex beers we’ve had the pleasure of tackling. It’s actually funny because the aging has blended each component so well that it almost comes across as simple, as everything is so hard to dissect. The nose gives wonderfully authentic wood and bourbon warmth, cleanly complementing the darkness of the grain and fruit. The flavor delivers as you would expect, with just as much punch. The booze is certainly present, but nicely contributes to the final blend, with just the right amount of sting through the end. This is a fantastic beer, and a great introduction for us into the winding world of The Lost Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:56:55 | More by TheBrewo

KevinmusPrime

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-03-2013 18:16:30 | More by KevinmusPrime

BMMillsy

Florida

4/5  rDev -5.9%

05-03-2013 00:58:19 | More by BMMillsy

TimoP

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev 0%

05-02-2013 20:53:01 | More by TimoP