Allagash Grand Cru

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

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.

Beautiful beige head, lovely lace that lasts & lasts, gorgeous dark gold color. In a tulip glass, the peaches aroma is promisng. But the rest of the beer doesn’t live up to its nice start. Too much carbonation for its supposed style, rough alcohol that overwhelms any flavors. It’s just not complex - all alcohol and malt. It looks plausibly Belgian, but lacks all the real Belgian characteristics. The best you can say is that lace is very nice. I won’t repurchase - it’s only $2 less than a really beautiful real Belgian ale anyway.

Pretty sweet (too sweet? - if so, just barely), nice hoppiness, tastes like peaches and raisins, some sourness, really good

Source: 12 oz bottle.
Glass: Magic Chouffe tulip.
Appearance: Clear orange pour with a thin off white head.
Aroma: Fruity, with peaches dominating.
Flavor: Caramel malt with some peaches and dark fruit.
Palate: Medium body wtih mild carbonation.
Overall: I didn’t care for this very much. Somewhat disjointed.