Allagash Four

Brown with a thick tan head. Short retention. Aroma of port, cherry, caramel, courant, dark fruits and brown sugar. Taste is very pleasant but had a bit of a cherry medicinal taste. Not too bothersome. Good port palate similar to the Dubbel Reserve. Overall a nice effort but lacking in dimensions.

Pours a dark ruby brown hue that is not clearly visible through because of how murky it is. Small layer of head stretches across the glass momentarily until its given enough time to break apart into patches of foam. The aroma is a welcome greeting of spiced yeast and malt that is of true Belgian authenticity. The drink is strong with flavor of mostly sugar and yeast that’s of spice and fig background, but i also find sweet vanilla extract and a very faint trace of spearmint. Texture is creamy and well rounded allowing this to finish smooth. Some alcohol heat is produced.

Bottle. Pours a hazy light brown color with a moderate light brown head that diminished slowly and produced good lacing. Good complex malt and yeast aroma. Medium body. Full yeasty malt sweet flavor with a balanced finish with a small alcohol bite. Very good brew.

Pours amber with a good size off-white head. Aroma is malty and a bit musty. Taste is extremely malty. Signs of all kinds of sugars. Honey, molasses brown sguar, its all inthere. Hints of dark fruits. Very complex taste.

Update:2/07 - Recently had a bottle that had been cellared for almost two years. I was very dissapointed. I thought this beer would really get better with age. Another outstanding beer from Allagash. Rapidly becoming one of my fav brewers. I’ve been holding onto a bunch of these for months. I just couldn’t bring my self to open open (if I drink one I’ll only have 5 left). Finally broke down and drank one for Thanksgiving Eve; had to rationalize it). Anyway, aroma was great. Even though there are four malts in this, I really didn’t notice it or the hops. What I really noticed was the cherry and ruby port. Head was creamy, light-brown, excellent lacing, that mostly diminished. Color was dark amber. Heavy sweet initial flavor that lessens. Definitely can taste the malt now. Finish was very long. The body was not as full as some quads. Texture was syrupy and flat with incredibly little if any alcohol finish. One of my favorite quads. It was very smooth without too much cherry, like Three Phils. Very interested to see how this matures. Now only if Allagash would distribute to Georgia.

IMO...whatever Allagash was shooting for they missed. Big alcohol kick but flavorless. I think I paid about $11 for a bottle of this this, definitely not worth it.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & blankboy -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Dark brown. Allagash yeast aroma (I’ve had enough to recognize it!). Strong alcohol and spicy malt in aroma as well. Taste of strong alcohol, yeast, spices, and red wine. Thick mouthfeel, yet somehow thing and lively tasting. Formidable! Fruity tasting as it warms. Cinnamon / caramel lingering aftertaste. Not complex, but really really solid. And I had the biggest sample which knocked my socks off for a bit! Thanks Harry for sharing this!

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & tupalev -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a dark hazy copper with a spare white head. Aroma of caramel malt, brown sugar, hops and alcohol. Flavour follows the aroma. Alcohol is present but doesn’t taste like 10%. Good but there are better beers in this style.