Allagash Grand Cru

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

A thick tan head is almost half of the initial pour. Color is golden with a bit of amber. Moderate carbonation. Fruity aroma with a hint of must and vanilla. Flavor has a lot going on and most of it is subtle. Multiple fruits such as banana, plums, peaches, apricots, and raisin, sugar, soft spices, yeast, caramel. Subtlety is the key word here. A very well done and understated beer.

Batch 20 - 750ml bottle
Appearance: Slightly hazy golden with a nice off white head that lasts and some lacing
Aroma: Belgian yeast and spices
Taste: Spices at first then fruits, finishes with a light grapefruit flavor
Well balanced and easy drinkability. Clean and crisp, very tasty.

Batch 20-750 bottle. Hazy orange color. Nose is yeasty, spicy, citrusy-interesting for a grand cru. Taste is citrusy, spicy, alcohol is evident but not overwhelming, yeasty. Lively carbonated, light body. Unlike the description, I would find this to be a good summer beer. Very drinkable.

750 ml. from Mac’s on West Peachtree. Poured well. Brown in color with some hints of orange. A nice small fluffy head accompanies the the upper (top) portion of the beer. Doesn’t have that dark cola appearance, but still aesthetically pleasing. Some dark fruits are coming through and hitting my nostrils. Some raisin, dough, yeast, fig, and grapes. That doughy characteristic is certainly dominating, in my opinion. Slight sugar and date aroma as well. Nothing really POPS out, but surely it is there. Some lovely nuances in the aroma, but again it isn’t really popping out at me. Wow, not astringent at all. Very smooth Belgian ale. I must say this is how I like the texture to be. Although, now that I am sipping it more and more, I find it to be a bit incisive. Wow, a wood/smoke characteristic is there. Some roast as well. The above description does not mislead in that regard. Fruits are there i.e. raisins and dark grapes, but that subtle roast is very cutting. Yeast and dough are evident, but not as pungent as they were in the aroma. I find this added wood/roast/smoke flavor to add a tremendous complexity to the brew, and for that I enjoy it a lot more.

A: "Batch 19". Poured with a large, off-white, frothy, rocky head that was lasting... and I mean LASTING. Nice, sticky lacing. Body is a dark copper color, and hazy. S: Nice aroma that is yeasty and bready, with clove and pepper coming through. Some fruitiness is present as well. T: The yeast and fruitiness is what hits you first, then the spices attack. Luckily, they’re not overwhelming at all, but provide a nice balance to the other flavors. M: Medium-bodied, very creamy, with average-to-lively carbonation. D: This is a very nice beer, which is no surprise coming from Maine’s best brewery. A fantastic sipping beer.

750ml bottle batch #7 (cellared 7yrs). Poured a cloudy amber brown color with a big head of beige foam that leaves lots of lace. The smell is full of spices and orangey citrus with some grassiness in the background. Great flavor with a good amount of malt sweetness, spicy cloves and some orange fruitiness with a little yeast. A slight alcohol taste shows as the beer warms. A crisp medium body with nice carbonation. This is a very solid Belgian ale.

Appearance: Pours a light aubrun with a lasting fluffy tan head. Aroma: Fruity spicy yeast, candi sugar, brown sugar and cloves. Taste: Candi sugar, clove, spicy hop, spicy malt. Came off a bit boozy as well. Mouthfeel: Fizzy and thick. Overall: Reminded me of many Unibroue beers. There are many other Allagash beers I enjoy more, and don’t mind paying $5.00 more for their fancier stuff

29th June 2008. Brewed with honey and spcies. Batch #16. A frothy light crisp beer. Gentle fruit and mild spice dominate a very mild malt base. Very drinkable.