Allagash Grand Cru

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

Pours a cloudy grapefruit colored body. Has a small head that leaves a rather thin lacing. Really strong fruity aroma... ironically in conjunction with the appearance: grapefruit. Strong fruity taste. Heavy on the malts. Kind of burnt taste in a way. Medium bodied. And it has a bitter dry finish with a mild aftertaste.

This beer was sampled at the 12 Hour Belgian Beer Fest 2004 in San Diego. This beer had the privelege of being beer #400...woo hoo beer fests! This poured a clear red color, with a thin, off-white slightly pearlish head which basically just clung to the side of the glass and died. The aroma was heavy on the peaches and other fruits with a big ole hint of yeasts and something lemony..perhaps ginger. The taste had a big helping of spices and wood with a syrupy necatarine finish. Sweet malts also dominate the finish..and did I mention fruits...wood...fruits...wood...and more fruits and wood. Dry malty finish, but a fine Grand Cru!

a thick brew the color of copper gutters carrying a deep molten haze like the blazing moats of perdition. head is composed of a tan legion of very small but individualistic bubbles--in other words, they can’t quite collectively manage a creamy froth, but merely pile up like so much salmon roe. gently spiced aroma with tangerine zest and dried fruits, perfumy caramel bread pudding, with supporting notes of almond and graham cracker crust. flavor is sweet with a smooth to flat carbonation, a rusty note amid peachy marmalade and raw tea leaves, all backing up to accommodate a cheeky hop bitterness that carries some delicate evergreen pollen. alcohol? what alcohol? (hic). very elegant gustatory performance.

330 mL into Orval trappist. Pours a bright, cloudy orange with a thin white head that thins out to almost nothing leaving modest lacing. Aromas of yeast, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, orange peel- very musty. Taste is dry and tart with a metallic tinge. Very herbal. Aftertaste is dry and metallic. Sort of a disappointment.

Batch #9. Courtesy of mikemac at the oak cafe. Pours a goldish amber color with a thin head. Aroma was a little spicy with some belgian and clovey aroma. Flavor was a little sweet easy on the tongue. I got a slight medicinal taste in this but it didnt hurt the taste that much. Bubbly on the tongue.

Hazy peach pour with relatively small white head. Aroma of spice, walnut and malt- very smooth and mellow but defined despite. Flavor of sweet citrus with beliagn yeast and nice dry finish. Full mouthfeel with nice spicy aspect. Superb.

Poured from bottle. Cloudy dark gold color. Slight creamy head. Smelled of spiced apples. Taste was apple cider, grapefruit, cinnamon, sweet malts, and some raisin. This was an absolutely delightful brew!

Quite a lovely color but not much in terms of head start off this one. Note is somewhat yeasty, but nice. Flavor is also quite yeasty, with a burst of spiciness in the finish. Pretty nice, but a little too meek, other than that spicy burst!