The Lost Abbey The Angel's Share

20171207:
This beer had a deeper smell compared to the smell of the Stout of Body Experience; and less fruity. The smell was closer to that of the aged bottle of Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA I once had. 6:32PM PT

The Lost Abbey The Angel's Share - full glass

This beer, though strong, was drinkable. Furthermore, I absolutely enjoyed it. I would, however, recommend that it be enjoyed in small sips. 6:59PM PT

Menu Description: (at The Dark Horse Inn)
Lost Abbey Angel's Share (14.5%) Bourbon barrel aged barleywine; incredibly smooth and sweet with a long lasting finish, luscious texture layered between fruit and malts $6/6oz*

*While the menu read 6 oz., the glass was filled to the 25 cL line (8.45 fl oz.). All other evidence, however, suggests that I have correctly identified the proper beer: 1) The Lost Abbey, 2) The only "The Lost Abbey" beer on Untappd at Dark Horse Inn after September 17 was Angel's Share Bourbon Barrel-Aged (11/12, 11/14, 11/26, and 12/7), 3) my picture of the menu consists of Angel's Share.

The Lost Abbey The Angel's Share - empty glass

[20180202 Edit]

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The Lost Abbey The Angel's Share

Relevant Links:
The Angel's Share (The Lost Abbey Website)
Lost Abbey The Angels Share - Bourbon Barrel (RateBeer.com)
The Angel's Share - Bourbon Barrel-Aged | The Lost Abbey (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Angel's Share

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.

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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. The beer is 12.5% ABV and is available in 375ml bottles and on draft at inspired locations.

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The Angel’s Share story
It’s warehouse #5 built in 1886 that gets the most attention. The other four weren’t built so well and succumbed over the years. On the outside, to most #5 is a rather unremarkable white washed building. That is until they pass through the weathered doors and are easily consumed. Here in the hallowed halls it just oozes history. Inside this three story building, they find row after row of whiskey slumbering away the days until the distiller calls their name and they are called into action.

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It’s a weathered building with a timeline of over one hundred and twenty years of continuous service. Looking around, there is a warm orange glow from all the wood inside. On both sides of the room for as far as your eyes can see, there are wood racks with carvings, nicks and dings. It smells sweet in here. Could that be the Whiskey breathing? Perhaps it’s the angels doing their work? Or is there just something sweet about 200 year old wood that intoxicates your sense of smell.

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Imagine the history that belongs to the wood in this “shed.” It comes from seeds that were planted when the idea for the Revolutionary War was just fermenting. And it’s still here, every single day telling the story of this distillery. This warehouse has seen it all. It survived the harsh winter of 1913. There was the Tornado in 1956 and who can forget the flood of 1973? But, it’s still here. Still working, living and breathing whiskey as great grandpa designed it to do.

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Sure, there are more cobwebs and spiders than there used to be. It’s an old building after all. One of the family members proclaimed it to be a grand old warehouse of monumental importance, so now it’s on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Yet, the premise has always been the same. We need a place to age those spirits. And #5 has always been there.

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Ask the family members to describe #5 and they all tell you the same thing.”The Angel’s get more than their fair share from #5 but we don’t care. To us, there is nothing finer than the whiskey that comes from old #5. We wish they drank less. But then again, we really don’t need an excuse to drink more?”

ABV:
14%

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TASTING NOTES:
AROMA: There are so many aspects at work in this beer. We have an inital impression from the oak aging of fortified wine and Port. There is a pleasing vanilla backdrop supported by some great sweet malt notes.

TASTE: An incredibly smooth and sweet beer with a long lasting finish. The Bourbon barrel aging of the beer results in a full bodied and luscious texture layered between fruit and malts.

STYLE REFERENCE:
Barrel-Aged English Style Barleywine