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

Beer Geek Stats
From:
The Lost Abbey
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
12%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 19.46%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
9
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 12, 2012
Added:
Nov 08, 2009
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 12, 2012
Photo of Natec1000
Reviewed by Natec1000 from Colorado

2.07/5  rDev -49%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
I don't get why this beer is rated so high? It pours with no carbonation thus no head. I heard its poured straight from a barrel but this is a beer and I really feel that carbonation is missing and definitely would have added to it. There's nothing on the label suggesting that this is what they were going for. The smell is OK. Alchol is present as well as a grape juice smell?? I'm really not getting a oak or "barrel" smell. Taste is astringent and almost oxidized but I'll look past that as its nearly impossible for a barrel aged beer not to suffer some oxidization. If I'm paying $16 for 12 oz I want an experience! In this case it was a bad one.
May 17, 2011
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

4.27/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin off-white/tan head that fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has an excellent barrel aged aroma; apparently a blend of bourbon and brandy barrels. There is a light to mild spicing and a mild yeast character as well. The taste is good. It has a very smooth crystal malt flavor with the same spicing and that awesome barrel character. The barrels really round out the flavor. It goes down easy with a nice bit of warmth in the finish. The mouthfeel is great! It's so smooth and full bodied with perfect carbonation. This is an exceptional beer. I smooth, easy drinking gem of a beer. Lot's of complexity and tons of barrel character.
Feb 22, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

4.29/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Straight from the barrel at the Lost Abbey Barrel Tasting. Rather similar to regular brandy barrel Angels Share, all the way down to the lack of carbonation (which in this case can be attributed to the fact that it came right from the barrel). Where's the "carafe" or "barrel" serving option? Come on!

Pours a murky dark reddish-brown with a small tan head.

Aroma is sweet with a small hint of tartness, with brandy, red grapes, caramel, and dark fruits.

Flavor is very complex and tasty with caramel and brown sugar, raisin and other brandy-soaked dark fruits, barrel notes, vanilla, and some booze. Mostly sweet with a slight tart bite.

Low carbonation but a very smooth palate with medium-full body.

Drinkability is pretty good. This was another excellent Angels Share incarnation. Tomme really brews some great stuff when he's on.
Nov 13, 2009
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

4.54/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Consumed at the 2009 Lost Abbey Barrel tasting on 11/07/2009. The beer was aged for 6 weeks on Cabernet Franc grapes. The beer is dark brown with a small light brown head.

The nose combines the majesty of regular Brandy Angel's Share with lovely grapes. Sounds like a winning combination to me. Brandy is evident, but the vinous grape quality transcends the sweetness. Oak is noticeable, as well as a slight musty character. The beer smells like a port wine.

The grapes add a splendid complexity to the Brandy Angel's Share, imparting a vinous and tannic quality. Caramel is evident and alcohol is well hidden. This tastes stunningly similar to a port wine. This is grandiose, powerful, and at times, glorious. I also get a touch of chocolate and a low level of barrel tannins. Delicious stuff. I highly recommend this beer if you can commission a time machine to spirit you to 11/07/2009.
Nov 13, 2009
Photo of waltonc
Reviewed by waltonc from California

4.47/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
One of the highlights of the Lost Abbey barrel night. Poured dark brown (at least in the dim light of the brewery) with little or no head. Smelled great. The predominant trait was definitely the cabernet franc grapes. The trademark brandy angels share smell definitely took a back seat to the more vinous qualities. The flavor was quite sweet, with those grapes again showing themselves. Also toffee or caramel, a little vanilla. Not hot in the least. I'm not sure I would have guessed the base beer is Angels Share if I wasn't told. Body was quite thick, with low carbonation. For whatever reason, I found this highly drinkable.
Nov 11, 2009
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.69/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
As largadeer noted, this was aged on Cabernet Franc for 6 weeks before serving.

The pour is pretty still, with the standard Angel's Share color (deep chestnut brown) with no head or lace. The nose is pretty outstanding. While the underlying Angel's Share complexity is evident, the beer is eclipsed by a pretty delectable red wine grape aroma aroma. Some brandy booziness, and a complex sweetness is present. The intensity of the grape character really makes this resemble a port.
The palate explodes with a ton of grape character. While sweet, this isn't like a fruited beer, the underlying barleywine is thoroughly noticeable. Rich and layered with caramel, brown sugar, toffee sweetness, all sandwiched by grape flavors and finishing with some vanilla, oak and tannins, this is truly a remarkable beer. Medium in body with a long lasting finish, this beer is quite excellent. As for carbonation - the sweetness added by the grapes make the still pour thoroughly appropriate, and I'm glad I managed to sneak in about 10oz of this, I'd love to try this again
Nov 10, 2009
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

4.69/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
This one was served straight from the barrel at Lost Abbey's barrel tasting. Cabernet franc grapes were added to year plus old barrels of Angel's Share 6 weeks prior to being tapped at the tasting. I had several pours of this, probably my favorite beer of the night. Dark brown, still in the glass, and quite murky. The nose has an intense red grape aroma, which married beautifully with the brandy barrel sweetness. The base beer is almost overwhelmed by the barrel and the fruit; you could easily mistake this for an aged port. The taste is fruity and rich, sweet red grape, vanilla and caramel at the forefront with undertones of leather and mineral. The still texture bring this a step closer to tasting like a dessert wine rather than a beer. Finishes sweet and lightly woody. Unique and delicious stuff, I hope the barrels continue to age gracefully.
Nov 10, 2009
Photo of Overlord
Reviewed by Overlord from California

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Quite a few of the beers at the Lost Abbey Barrel tasting were misfires. While the Cable Car and Veritas 006 (before they ran out abruptly) were delicious, a lot of them seemed like fairly awful offerings of prior versions. The Red Poppy taster: watery, seemed to have lost tartness, and was bad. I almost poured out my Amazing Grace taster. This was one of the two "new" offerings they had available for the Barrel Aging. I hope the port-aged Serpents Stout was better than this.

Pours brown with maybe a hint of ruddy highlights. No head. This was apparently aged with a red grape of some sort, I believe cabernet franc (thanks hophead84 for the info). Well, the grapes obliterate the aroma. It's supposed to be brandy barrel aged, but at this point, what I smell is alcohol and grape juice.

The taste brings a bit more nuance, with the familiar dark fruit background of the Angel's Share, but the grapes are just so intrusive. Man, I don't know how much they added (or if they didn't add much, perhaps grapes just weren't the best ingredient to add), but it was distracting. A decent beer, I suppose, but I didn't find it drinkable or particularly enjoyable.
Nov 08, 2009
The Angel's Share - Brandy Barrel-Aged - Grapes from The Lost Abbey
Beer rating: 4.06 out of 5 with 9 ratings