Allagash Grand Cru

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

Bottle - Pours a dark orangish amber in color with a creamy white head that disappeared too quickly. Aroma is fruity, malty and very Belgian yeasty. Flavor is a complex blend of distinctive fruity Belgian yeast, malt with medium bitter hops. Malt and hops are delicately balanced, but the hops seem to win out too often. Quite thick body. Very good... I like it.

This was a little sweeter and fruitier tasting than I had expected. Still, this is very drinkable.

Bottle. Hmmm, this is too bad. I usually like what Allagash does, but I don’t like this. It looks pretty, but that’s about it. Golden mead-like color, but with absolutely no head. And it smells too sweet: honey, yes, but overdone. And the taste follows suit. Overly sweet, cloying, and the spice combination (or ratio?) just doesn’t work. Hard to see how this and the Tripel (which is just about perfect) come from under the same roof... (Looking at a few ratings from 3, or even 2, years ago, I wonder if something significant has changed in the recipe...)

This bottle was from batch #10. It poured a deep, cloudy, golden/orange colour. It has a fruity aroma and tastes of a blend of fruits (apple) and spices. It seems to be quite sugary as well. A very plesant, sweet beer overall.

Murky, oily looking pour of an orange/amber body that produces a nice head of creamy off white which sheets the sides of the glass in Brussels lace.. Deep fruity yeasty aroma. Bread dough and spices. Complex malt and spice flavors are well blended and balanced. The sweetness is not overdone and in the middle is a nice acidic interlude. Re sampled 5/06 at Noogfest This sample left an impression of being a bit thinner and would score a point lower in palate and a point overall, but I will leave the rating unchanged.

Not quite what I was looking for. I’ve had much better beers from Allagash; this doesn’t hold a candle to their tripel. It’s fine, very drinkable, but no true Grand Cru.

#1000-12 oz bottle: pours cloudy orange with a medium tan head. Light banana and coriander aroma. Yeasty flavor, full bodied. Hints of orange. Very subtle Belgian but very nice. :

Tasted in San Jose while on a business trip. Obtained from Fred’s Market in Berkeley. Appearance is deep orange/copper. Clear, with a wispy white sustained head. Aroma is of apricot, plum, fig, bread like yeast and vanilla. A slight hint of alcohol also exists in the aroma. Flavour is incredibly subtle and smooth and balanced. Not too sweet, but hints of vanilla and caramel. Some spice in the background and finishes quite nicely with a yeasty mouthfeel.