Allagash Four

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Portland, Maine USA

Serve in Trappist glass

Another good Maine Beer. Allagash does something with their beer: Love it to death.

Style and Glass: ABT/Quadrupel; Trappist ABV, Volume & Calories:10 % in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400C Purchased at: Canal’s Burlington, NJ Aroma: Very nice, alcohol, rose, wine, grapes, spinach, cheese, wood. 10 out of 10. Visuals: Slight gush, great bottle design, haunting, ruby, increasingly hazy, no head, no lace. 5 out of 5. Taste: well balanced, high malt, candy, high hops, dry, high strength, high craft. 10 out of 10. Palate: high quality, smooth texture, long fruity finish. 5 out of 5. Overall: A religious experience, definitely a repeat, a favorite, medium value, high craft. 20 out of 20.

One of the best Allagash beers I’ve ever tried. Nice and dark, warm and comforting. Has a spectacular aroma and appearance. You can tell they really put time into making this one.

Decanted into a wide-mouthed, stemmed glass from a corked 750ml bottle. The Four pours a hazy reddish orange that glows like the sun against the light. A huge vanilla colored head easily erects into a cloud-like froth. It hangs around for several minutes and leaves thick lacing behind. The aroma starts mild, you really have to dip your nose into the glass to pick up it’s nuances. It smells of sweet malts, light hops, and tons of fruity esters that remind me of bananas and tropical fruits. There is the slightest hing of alcohol, too. Once the head dissipates, though, the aromas really come alive. Palate is clean and full, with layers of flavors that arrange themselves perfectly. I can feel it all over my tongue, mouth, lips, everywhere. There’s a good amount of carbonation to keep things lively. Malty flavors throughout, with medium hop bitterness, a little biscuit, toasted malt, dark fruits, and maybe some red currants. Hints of butterscotch, too. The beer finishes with a heavy malt presence, similar to a scotch ale or wee heavy. The experience never shows the beer’s 10% ABV. This another great offering from Allagash. A very flavorful, unique, drinkable beer. Not a session beer, but it can go with or without food. It’s so heady in it’s appearance, aroma, palate, and taste. I’ll definitely buy a couple of bottles for the cellar.

I was very excited to drink this since I had very high expectations, especially considering the $11 price tag. But, it was most certainly worth it. All the work that went into brewing this beer paid off tremendously. Absolutly smooth and delicious... everything blends together perfectly. There is a bit of warming, but the 10% alcohol suprised me since it is hidden so well. Yes, it is expensive as hell, but give it a shot. It is well worth it.

UPDATED: FEB 18, 2009 Dark deep red or copper color. The head remained the same throughout the pour. Definite fruit aroma. Very complex smells. Good mouth feel with equally complex flavors. Fruit, yeast, and I would agree with a buttery aftertaste. Quite tasty. If only I was patient enough to age a bottle. 9/5/9/5/19.

2005 750ml bottle aged at least 3 years and consumed in 2008. Pours a muddy brown with a patchy head of tight white bubbles. Aroma is fruity and yeasty but muddied. Flavors are better; yeast is there and alcohol. But the spices, raisins, and fig flavors round out the flavor profile. Age has not been kind; everything is muted and dull. 6/3/6/3/15

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2010 Hazy amber-raisin color with good, creamy beige head / Winey, oakey, nose of banana and dark fruit / Full, malty body, with some hop balance on this monster, and with good, long, finish / Flavors of sour malt, banana, caramel, raisins, and cloves / A well-balanced strong ale. High score may reflect ~2 years of aging.

Pours a semi-translucent honey golden with a thick, fine-bubbled, pale yellow-cream head. Aroma is fruity, yeasty and slightly sweet. Richly fruity flavor has hints of yeast, malt and honey - quite tasty. Lively, tingly, fizzy, sassy texture leaves a nice honey-sweet but not cloying finish.