Review – The Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Bourbon) 2008

From the Lost Abbey – 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.

The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing – Angel’s Share Bourbon Barrel-aged, Vintage 2008. Poured into proper glassware. 12.5% abv. Purchased at the release at Lost Abbey in 2008.

Appearance: Midnight brown with an inch of sudsy head. Of note for the beer geeks out there, this bottle did not gush upon popping of the cork. After a while, the head subsided to about 1/4 inch of tan cream.

Aroma: Vanilla, bourbon, cookies and or graham crackers.

Taste: Cocoa powder, vanilla, bourbon, hops and oak.

Mouthfeel: Very silky.
Overall: Very impressive. I found this to be far more impressive then when I had it last year. It seemed just sweet, and not as complex as it was during this tasting. The bourbon came out and added that nice level of vanilla to it. As of this writing, I have yet to try the Brandy Barrel version of this beer.