Allagash Hugh Malone

Gusher alert! Good thing I read some of the rating and headed the warning and opened over my sink. Pours a translucent amber with a medium bubbly off white head that left spottyg lacing all down the side of the glass. Aroma of tropical fruits, citrus notes, some American hops in there, malty sweetness, candi sugar, some grapefruit and pine, Belgian ale yeast esters. Flavor was a bit yeasty, the beer was very dry, some lingering sugary notes, but overall pretty dry. Getting some pine resin, touch of grapefruit, but really kind of covered up with all the tropical fruit/Belgian yeast esters. A little earthy and green apple. Also got a lot of peppery/spicy notes in both the flavor and aroma. Lots of tingly carbonation. I have been digging the whole Belgian ale hopped with a bunch of American flavor and aroma hops. But this one just didn’t quite showcase what I like about those beers.

750ml bottle: This one opened with a loud POP, but fortunately there was no spillage. It pours a cloudy, dark amber color with a bit of an off-white head to it. It leaves some lacing down the glass. There is a bready, spicy and yeasty nose to the beer, as well as some citrus (mainly grapefruit) and pine also. An interesting taste. Some breadiness and yeastiness to it, with a hint of apricots in there. There is a hint of sweetness despite the hop presence. Somewhere between medium and full bodied, yet there is still a perception of lightness to it. This definitely grows on you.

750ml bottle. Thankfully I had the foresight to open this one up over the bathtub. Mr. Malone gushed everywhere. Poured a medium amber color with a large sized off white head. Aromas of yeast, peppery spiciness, caramel, and lightly fruity. Tastes of yeast, fruity, and lightly spicy. OK, but not worth the $15 I paid.

750 ML corked bottle 11/18/07: Amberish body w/a lasting, huge, cream colored head... Lightly hazed. Floral/piney hops, toasty malt, lightly doughy yeast... Some plum and apricot notes. Mildly peppery yeast, and some woody aromas. Dry finish in the flavor, toasted malt. Lightly sweet up front w/ floral and piney hop flavor. Low yeasty esters. Fruity in the finish and aftertaste. Woody mid palate. Lighter body, well hidden alcohol, dry finish, but lightly astringent. I liked this better than Interlude, and it’s an okay beer, but it might stand a bit of aging.

Caramel color with thin head. Light citrus fruit aroma. Immediately way too carbonated. Very yeasty with deep malt taste. Finish is a sharp piney hop. This beer grew on me, but made me belch every other drink. Worth trying, but I wouldn’t buy again.

Nicely done IPA. I thought it was an Irish dry, and yet it wasn’t overly dry. Yeasty and a body to it. Some interesting IPA with a cloudy peachy colour and some white head. Fruity hoppy malty aroma. A bit dry finish, otherwise nicely done hoppy ale.

Bottle. Poured deep amber, with a moderate sized tan head. Piney hops dominate the aroma, along with caramel malt and bark. Flavor starts out with malty sweetness with yeast and some herbal notes; hops don’t show their presence until close to the finish. Long, resinous hop finish. Aroma is more appealing than the flavor. Not a bad strong ale, but from the commercial description, I expected more hops.

750ml bottle. Poured brownish, orangeish red (if thats a color). Small white quickly diminishing head. Aroma of rubbing alcohol. Taste of raisons, dark fruit, and candy sugar. Made with lots of simcoe hops? I don’t know where they are, because i didn’t find them. Disappointing, especially for the price.