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

The Angel's Share - Brandy Barrel-AgedThe Angel's Share - Brandy Barrel-Aged
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From:
The Lost Abbey
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #115
ABV:
14.7%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,943
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 19.12%
Reviews:
427
Ratings:
716
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 23, 2023
Added:
Apr 23, 2008
Wants:
  181
Gots:
  172
Down in Kentucky and across the pond in Scotland, distillers who age their whiskeys for many years refer to the evaporation of the spirits from their barrels as “The Angel’s Share.” We couldn’t agree more. Each time a barrel is filled, a measure of liquid seeps into the oak and is lost for good.This striking Strong Ale is brewed with copious amounts of Caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon or brandy barrels. The beer spends a year in oak before it is packaged for release.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rab53:
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Rated by rab53 from Washington

5/5  rDev +29.2%

Dec 02, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of VashonGuy
Reviewed by VashonGuy from Washington

4.14/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The 2015 version of this beer was on tap at The Beer Junction, Seattle. I'm a longtime fan of The Angel's Share, but it was always the usual bourbon barrel version. This was my first time with the brandy barrel version. The body/mouthfeel on this version was lighter than I expected (or remembered). There's a strong brandy flavor. It's quite boozy. Overall, it's a solid Lost Abbey offering.
Apr 20, 2022
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.32/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Three Penny Taproom in Montpelier, VT. 2015 vintage.

This one pours a dark-ish brown color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like chocolate, dried fruit, tobacco, caramel, oak, and vanilla.

This has aged really well and is a real treat to find on draft. There’s no booziness, with great barrel character - vanilla, oak, tobacco, dried fruit, etc. There’s also spicy breadiness, caramel, and toffee. It’s very nimble for a barleywine - not too heavy tasting.

This is medium bodied, clean on the finish, no booze, with a nice creaminess and richness.

I really enjoyed this one - Lost Abbey is pretty underrated.
Jul 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by bigschoolrecords from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.57 by chrismattlin from Ohio

Apr 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by MTKATL from Georgia

Mar 28, 2018
Photo of OompaMentor
Rated by OompaMentor from Georgia

4.63/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Tinypalooza 3/24/2018
Mar 25, 2018
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
16 ounce prowler into snifter, filled on 11/4/2017. 2017 vintage, 14.5%. Pours slightly hazy very dark brown color with a thin light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a spotty lace cap that lingers. Slight spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, plum, fig, cherry, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, brandy, rum, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of coconut, smoke, molasses, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Touch of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and brandy barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, prune, plum, fig, cherry, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, brandy, rum, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of coconut, smoke, chocolate, molasses, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal hop and brandy/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, brandy, rum, toasted oak, brown bread, coconut, light chocolate/molasses, leather, tobacco, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and brandy barrel flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Very mild carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/rich, and lightly velvety/slick/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; a mildly increasing warmth with zero barrel barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic English barelywine! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, and brandy barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV and very mild carbonation. Amazingly balanced between all flavors. Awesome barrel integration and complexity; without being overly boozy, tannic, or drying. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Nov 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by loganburgh from Michigan

Oct 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Muss42 from Michigan

Oct 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.27 by sohearn from Alabama

Oct 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by AdamSteve from Michigan

Sep 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.97 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Sep 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.69 by midlifec from Michigan

Aug 27, 2017
Photo of Furlinator
Rated by Furlinator from California

4.37/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Provisions Market on 04/26/17.
Apr 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Nov 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by NickThePyro from Washington

Oct 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by CPAles from Illinois

Sep 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by t2grogan from Arizona

Aug 28, 2016
The Angel's Share - Brandy Barrel-Aged from The Lost Abbey
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 716 ratings