Allagash Hugh Malone

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of Bierkönig. Slightly hazy amber golden with a dense, yellowish head. Lightly fruity aroma. Quite fullbodied with notes of fruit, caramel and yeast. Dry and fairly bitter finish. 280907

Bottle. A amber beer with a off-white head. The aroma is fruity, peach/grape, the taste is sweet fruity, Peach/grape. Medium to full body with a light sweet finish.

The aroma was fruity, earthy and contained a peppery phenolic character. The earthy and piney hop character was lightly catty (think pee) and had a notable citrus. Caramel shined through as well. The beer was hugely effervescent but had hardly any head retention at all on the very slightly hazy amber beer. The flavor was peppery with a citrus character and caramel malt presence. The caramel also had a toasty nature. The hop bittering was high, yet restrained, the hop flavor was earthy, catty and grassy with citrus to boot. The body was medium full and while well carbonated, the body was a bit thick on the palate. The finish was caramel and hops lasting long into the aftertaste. A nice beer, but not really worth the price of admission. The beer lacked complexity and seemed to be more of a Belgian Pale Ale which was boosted to the next level in alcohol and in the use of American hops. 750 ml corked and bailed bottle. $19.99

(750ml Bottle) Pours a hazy amber body with a medium white head. Aroma of herbs, orange, toasted bread, caramel, and earthiness. Flavor of herbs, caramel, oak, rotten peaches, and funkiness. Completely out of whack…

From the description, I was expecting a real hopbomb. But now, just very complex hop characteristics. I don’t know what the going rate is in other parts of the country, but they wanted $19.99 for this and that is WAY out of line for what you get.

Bottle. So I’ve spent $15 on Dark Lord, $16 on BA Numbskull, and $22 on this one. How does it stack up based purely upon cost? Not even close. This is an average farmhouse/saison. Weak, but even weaker based upon the cost.

A nice ruby color with a distinct aroma with yeast, apples, carmalized malts and a piney hop background. This brew has a good, robust quality and a balanced hop/malts combination, leaving a layered and complex palate and aftertaste.

Corked bottle and served in my Duval snifter: Pour a amber hue with a mostly fading fizzy head and minimal lace. The aroma has notes of walnut, caramel, biscuit, mango, apricot, ginger, onion (WTF?), resiny hop, and some peat. Very strange to say he least, not sure of I am digging this or not...

A tart hop fruitiness dominates the beginning and overpowers the malt. There is caramel and rye-bread like layers here but they seem lost in the discombulation that is this beer. The finish is a tad peaty and very astringent aka metallic. I actually like the mouth feel for it is not sticky or cloy and the tight carbonation is about the only thing that kept this beer afloat.

This maybe an attempt to make a hoppy Belgian but the flavor combinations just seemed to miss the mark completely. While not a drain pour, I am finding the finishing the bottle is a chore and not a pleasure. I will age my other bottle a year to see if any improvement is found.