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

Pahn

New York

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

11.5%ABV, "BRANDY" almost legibly printed on the neck of the (new style) bottle, indicating it's the 2010 vintage. Received as a birthday gift from BA morningthief.

Appearance: Flat. Free pour yields a small white froth ring around the surface of the glass that disappears immediately.

By the way, if you've read the Tomme Arthur interview about his flat beers, you may remember he pointed out that the beers his company unprofessionally sent to the market before they were carbonated were "lightly carbonated" and that the carbonation only "expressed" when served at room temperature. I did not refrigerate this beer, and it's simply flat.

Pours a dark brown / black. 1.0 for appearance because I can see that it's (unintentionally) flat, and I don't want it to be flat. The same principle whereby I'd give the beer a 1.0 if its color were green, even if it had a nice big head.

Smell: Amaretto, booze, some caramel, chocolate and yellow cake. Nice but not very strong. Really opens up with some time in the glass. Lots of different, beautiful, decadent aromas appear, disappear, reappear.

Taste: Follows nose; nutty, decadent, sweet. Reminiscent of various liqueurs. Lots of vanilla, molasses, yellow cake, chocolate cake, brown sugar. Hot finish.

Often, there's a rather gross apple-cidery-ness from the lack of carbonation that comes up in the middle and lasts through the finish. Reminds me of drinking pre-fermented homebrew. This brings the score way down, because it's not only an off note, but it masks a lot of really beautiful things that (especially barrel aged) beers like this do near the middle and end of the beer. Most of these scores would skyrocket if the brewery knew how to bottle beer correctly.

Mouthfeel: Flat. Unacceptable.

Drinkability: I am angry that a good friend of mine paid a premium price for this bottle when it shouldn't have left the brewery in the first place.

Lost Abbey should be ashamed of themselves. If a novice homebrewer like me can carbonate a big barleywine, they can make sure their overpriced beer gets carbonated. I don't expect to give any more money to these amateurs.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 03:22:10 | More by Pahn

Brew33

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.7%

06-12-2013 23:44:48 | More by Brew33

Massbmx

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%

06-02-2013 19:14:50 | More by Massbmx

tchipharveyslake

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

05-29-2013 14:29:00 | More by tchipharveyslake

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.74/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

375ml corked and caged 2008 bottle poured into tulip 28/5/13 thanks MasterSki and Sean9689 for sending me one of my longest standing wants

A dark cola liquid but there's just a slight poof when I pop the cork, even dumping it right down the center I get just a short lived film that leaves no lace, just a few pin prick bubbles but for the most part it looks pretty still. some sediment and legs on the side of the glass is something I don't see everyday

S lots of caramels and toffees, brown sugar both crystals and burnt, vanilla and brandy's strong, some sugar coated raisins with a hint of straight booze and oak, smells pretty solid

T a little more booze then the nose and loads of brandy, still woody and some candied dried fruits still there and less sugars and caramels, tastes good but the noes was much better

M silky but flat, some tannins but there's heat too, I like the aftertaste of brandy and caramel but its very still with just a couple bubbles and it may be just a couple as in two bubbles

O I want to love this beer as it smell great and tastes solid but it's pretty much dead in other areas, smell and flavor goes a long way but I'm not getting the whole package

This would be a world class beer if some issues were dealt with, I've only had a few beers from this brewery but I've noticed a trend

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 22:22:59 | More by wordemupg

moonknight31

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

05-16-2013 16:59:12 | More by moonknight31

saiconotto

Maine

4/5  rDev +4.7%

05-09-2013 21:36:42 | More by saiconotto

macrosmatic

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

05-05-2013 23:48:20 | More by macrosmatic

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-27-2013 08:56:46 | More by Kelp

chippo33

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

04-14-2013 23:11:35 | More by chippo33

TheRuss9585

Vermont

3/5  rDev -21.5%

04-14-2013 22:30:32 | More by TheRuss9585

Kagarran

Washington

2.01/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2

Serving Type: Bought 2 bottles after seeing good reviews. Paid $15 each. Drank from a wine glass.
A: A dark copper color with zero head.
S: Very fruity
T: I actually cringed the first couple of sips I took. You can definitely taste the brandy, but it was not a good thing. This beer played off the tongue as more of a hybrid wine than anything else.
M: The beer was very thin.

Overall: I had huge expectations for my first Lost Abbey beer. Unfortunately, I was hugely disappointed. I wanted to pour it down the drain, but ended up finishing the bottle. I just couldn't stand the thought of pouring 15 bucks down the drain. I even tried letting it warm a bit, in the hopes that it would get better, but it just didn't. I would not recommend this. After going back and reviewing the beer notes on the Lost Abbey website, I won't write off the brewery just yet. This is for those of you who crave the experimental beers!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 03:36:50 | More by Kagarran

heavenlyStash

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-03-2013 18:51:05 | More by heavenlyStash

Smurf2055

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed December 2011

2009 brandy barrel, into a snifter at Uber Tavern in Seattle.

Appeared almost pitch black with minimal head.

Smells very strongly of espresso and cream. Sort of weak up front, but it somehow gets stronger as you continue smelling. You can tell it’s very rich.

Taste was sweet and syrupy, with a big alcohol burn. Again, lots of coffee, vanilla, and caramel.

Palate was sticky with very little carbonation. It was a very powerful, full, full mouth beer. Big warming sensation.

Overall, a real treat. Age helps it for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 21:10:04 | More by Smurf2055

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%

04-01-2013 04:28:49 | More by RblWthACoz

Dbot

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

03-25-2013 20:50:09 | More by Dbot

Pecan

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

03-24-2013 23:42:14 | More by Pecan

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.7%

03-23-2013 23:22:33 | More by Sparky44

Em30

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%

03-20-2013 00:19:37 | More by Em30

flydudehsv

California

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is one seriously complex beer. I mean there are a ton of things going on in the nose and flavor. Huge aroma of chocolate and oak hit me like a ton of lead. After warming up a bit more sweeter notes came out like brown sugar and a vinous profile came out. An oil mouth feel that was slick, yet sublime at the same time. Flavors were, like the nose, incredibly complex with the same notes as above and a sweet character but balanced by a wine-line tannic kick. I want more!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 08:29:06 | More by flydudehsv

jeff1973

California

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

03-09-2013 03:00:19 | More by jeff1973

Rollzroyce21

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

02-22-2013 14:33:24 | More by Rollzroyce21

NotACommunist

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

02-18-2013 04:21:49 | More by NotACommunist

Azrael

4/5  rDev +4.7%

02-08-2013 04:29:26 | More by Azrael

iL0VEbeer

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +17.8%

02-05-2013 03:14:20 | More by iL0VEbeer