Allagash Interlude

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

Bottle. 25.4 oz. (2008) Pours hazy amber with a moderate, tan head. Aroma of lemon, orange, hops, hay, wheat, scotch, and taffee. Fuller bodied with a very tangy, almost sticky mouthfeel. Super smooth and long finish. Very good Belgian strong.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured a medium golden amber. Sweet and wild nose. It’s got the sour Brett notes bit it’s not even close. Nice hops and a great yeast malt base make this delicious. A perfect beer for those that want to try sour but aren’t quite ready.

draft in an allagash tulip at the brick store. pours a thick, hazy, amber with a fluffy white head and great lacing. aroma is great with big red wine notes, tart notes of raspberry and blackberry, belgian spices, funky brett notes, and a touch of sour lemon zest. flavor was excellent as well with big, funky, wild, brett notes and tart cherry up front backed by notes of cedar wood, dry hay, tobacco, and nutmeg spice with a touch of sweet malt leaving a dry, crisp, tart finish. palate was bubbly and easy drinking with a touch of alcohol heat. overall, an very nice brew from allagash.

Rating #2000, 2006 bottle - Pours slightly hazy orange with a small white head. Fresh out of the fridge, the aroma is led by very wine like grape notes and a little underlying malt. As it warms the brett comes out more and more. The flavor includes dry red wine characteristics mixed with sweet malt and some farmhouse flavors. As it warms the oak becomes more apparent and, between a warmer temperature and more yeast from pours further down in the bottle, the brett really starts taking over and earthy notes emerge. It’s medium bodied with lively carbonation. There’s a lot of complexity here and considerable variance with temperature and quantity of yeast in the pour. It’s a very interesting and enjoyable brew.

#300. Great aroma but the ABV cuts in on the taste slightly. The barrel aging comes on strong on the aroma, but is well balanced in the taste. Nice cola-ish aftertaste and sourness. The brett is quite mild and does not offer any of the more wild flavors usually associated with it. Nice, balanced, and impressive. Very pleased with this.

2007 Bottle - Thanks JCB! - Pours a thick clear orange with a small white head...aroma is dusty brett, sweet malt and some dough, oak, peach...flavour is similar, the most brett influence that I’ve found in a beer, leather, earth, peach and apple, vanilla and wood, finish is tart green apple and some Head & Shoulders....very odd brew, much better after I let it sit for an hour...terrifically odd brew...needs to decant...

Tap at U Jacks Barrel fest. Pours a hazy orange amber with a small bubbly off white head. Aroma of tart cherries, sour funky notes, tropical fruits and some candy notes. Flavor of tart funky wild yeast notes. Tropical fruits and some malty sweetess.

At GBBF 2009. Hazy brown gold, interesting rih sweet brown sugar aroma. That’s awful. Cereal, vinegar and way too strong.. Badly constructed with none of the elements harmonising.