Allagash Grand Cru

Cloudy copper pour with a very thin white head. Fruity aroma, banana, coriander and yeast. Lightly carbonated, creamy mouthfeel. A bit sour on the front end and the middle reveals a bit more spicey, peppery character. Finishes dry, lingering spice, hint of the advertised smokiness, but none of the licorice.

Very nice for a sweeter beer. Allagash rarely dissapoints and the Grand Cru is no exception. Moderately high abv makes it all the better.

12oz bottle. Dark orange, opaque pour with almost no head. Aroma of sweet fruity malt, bubblegum, biscuity malt, some caramel and clove/spice. Sweet and fruity flavor up front with the bready malt, clove, and smoke in the finish. Pretty good flavor range, but there’s a little too much carbonation. Maybe it would be better with some age.

12oz bottle. Pours a very cloudy, glowing, pinkish orange with a medium-sized, short-lived, off-white head. The head consists of variously sized bubbles and leaves a little bit of lace on the glass. The aroma is big and fruity - fig, banana, malts, alcohol, bready yeast, anise, and a hint of tart pear. The flavor starts fruity and bready with a touch of spice - like cinnamon coffee cake and soft fruit. The middle of the tongue picks up a firm bitterness - peppery and grassy. The bitterness is almost cloying and leaves an earthiness on the back of the tongue for a long time. The middle and back of the tongue also detect yeast and funky, Belgian esters: fruitcake with peaches, apples, figs, and allspice. After a few sips, the back of the tongue begins to taste the anise that is so noticeable in the aroma. The finish is long and strong with fruit and spice. The mouthfeel is medium to medium-full in body and quite creamy. Despite the heavy level of carbonation, the fine bubbles lighten the body without stinging the tongue, providing a luxurious texture. Overall, a very good and interesting ale. (I’m glad that Allagash is finally distributed to Georgia!)

Pours an opaque strawberry orange with 1/2 inch, very dense and luxurious cream head. Very earthy, dusty nose, strong hints of peach and rock candy; magnificent mouthfeel, like drinking fresh cream (like all the allagash beers I’ve tried) with tastes of chardonnay grapes, lemongrass, peppery hops, astringent bitterness, and long lasting buttery diacetyl. The best of the Allagash belgian beers.

cloudy amber/caramel colored with a small filmy white head. aroma has lots of fruit(peach, banana), yeast, butter, and spices. flavor malty with peanuts, butter, yeast, and fruity(peach) and earthy herbal hops(mint, grass). light peppery finish. medium bodied.

750 ml in Westmalle glass. Slightly hazy reddish-orange with lasting pale orange head and lace. Orange-lemon-spicy-doughy aroma. Sweet and spicy with honey, candy sugar, peach, and spicy coriander and mild bitter finish. Medium-full body and medium carbonation. Has the soft mouthfeel of the best Belgian beers. Excellent.

Pours a cloudy peach color with little head, but sticky spotty lacing. Aroma is strongly sweet with some dried/candied and some citrusy fruits, including orange, as well as plenty of banana as it warms and moderate spiciness reminiscent of coriander, nutmeg and clove. Flavor dominated by sour fruits (mostly orange) upfront along with some sweet bready notes, followed by peppery spices in the relatively dry finish. Palate is surprisingly clean and a bit thin/watery. Prickly carbonation. Pretty drinkable. This is a pleasant seasonal strong ale, leaning more toward a spiced tripel style.