Allagash Interlude

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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This beer was enough to bring me out of hibernation, for the time being, at least. I enjoy wine, though I’m not a connoisseur, so this beer was wonderful to me. The appearance is innocent looking -- innocuous -- with a quickly dispersing head and a bright, inviting ruby-tan color. It’s kind of the color of tanned leather. The aroma has a lambic quality, with some cherry sourness and hints of the Syrah from the barrels used to age the beer. Very winey. The flavor is bright, but rich. It’s a little like a cross between a sauvingon blanc (bright, crisp, peary) or champagne and a merlot (oaky, rich, serious). There are still beer qualities, though, especially with the yeastiness that you don’t find as much in wine. The palate is crisp. The beer dances across the tongue like a bright white wine or champagne. There’s a little bit of pear and sauvingnon blanc in the palate, as well. It’s nicely balanced and lovely. Mmmmm.

Okay, if you are a brettanomyces fan this is a very excellent beer, I some what and I found it very interesting. Mine is orange and pretty cloudy. It had a moderate white head when it was pour, but that is a distance memory now. Tart fruity aroma, grapes are apparent as is the barn yard leathery flavors found in many Brett beers. Well carbonated, bubbly. Dry finish almost like a dry champange. Save a bottle or two of this one, I think its going to be interesting.

After opening with a nice "thud," aromas of citrus, bananas and beautiful tarte sugar immediately permiated the air. The head, which was a creamy white, is generously fed by the carbonation below generated by the Duvel tupil this one was poured into. The color was a crystal clear amber with no trace of haze to be seen. Smells of citrus, peaches, tarte malt, grapes, and some spices. Tastes lightly sour with some peppery splashes. Somewhat nutty, but lacking the fruity qualities with the exception of some bananas and tarte cherries. Mouthfeel is splashy with some tingliness to it. Finish is lightly sour, but not as much so as I was hoping. The alcohol is well masked in this one, making it yet another excellent limited offering from Allagash.

hazy, pinkish, fizzy with a small white head. sweet, fruity aroma. very complex taste, a bit tart with some cherry overtones, a bit sweet and citrusy, a wide variety of fruit tastes. some really great stuff. i can’t wait to age some.

2005 bottle. 750 mL. As soon as I popped the cork on this bad boy I noticed a distinct wine like smell wafting my way. Hazy medium orange color with hints of pink and a short lasting fizzy white head. Gorgeous color really. Aroma has notes of peaches, cherries, and oak with just a hint of farmhouse saison smells and obvious wine. I really don’t know a damn thing about wine. I wouldn’t know the difference between a merlot and a syrah if my life depended on it. What I do know is that there is a definite wine flavor and aroma contributing to this beer. In this particular beer, you can faintly detect what is probably a fairly generic Saison and a fairly generic wine. When the slightly peppery and lemony saison flavors mix with cherry and oak flavors from the barrels you are left with an incredibly complex and challenging beer. The challenge is detecting every single slight flavor note. I get cherry, peach, black pepper, bread, lemon, and red grapes out of this. I’m sure a different person with a different palate could get a myriad of different flavors. One thing I’m sure of is that you can’t get a full idea of what this beer has to offer from a small sample at a beer festival. Highly recommended. I truly hope that Allagash continues to make this gem..

UPDATED: JUL 15, 2007 Bottle. Beer is clear light/medium with a large, frothy, white, slowly diminishing, mostly lasting head. Light lacing.<P>First impression looks like a lot like a wild FSA. The aroma is malty with light notes of toasted grain, traces of caramel biscuit; Hoppy with light floral lemon, orange zest; Yeast with moderately weighty barnyard and basement notes; Miscellany include a moderate note of vinous tart, fruit-forward red wine, wood, light vanilla and candy sugar, slightly spicy alcohol.<P>The flavor is moderately sweet, light/moderately acidic, lightly bitter with a long, warm, moderately sweet, lightly acidic, light/moderately bitter finish.<P>The body is medium, the texture is watery/velvety and the carbonation is lively.<P>Wonderfully fruity and juicy. Thin for the ABV.

UPDATED: JUL 15, 2007 2007 750mL Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy/fizzy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy medium amber. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), moderately yeasty (barnyard, horseblanket), with notes of sour/green apple, lime/lemon zest, wood, clove, alcohol. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, soft carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Seems a bit different (and better) than what I had at the Jan ’06 Vail fest; darker and more alcoholic. Still very nice, though, and I must admit it doesn’t seem as strong as 9.5...more like 8.0. A very fun blend of funk and elegance.

NEBF ’05 Deep golden in color with a large white head. Sweet,malty,fruity and spicy. Wild yeast charcater,Brett? gives some funkiness.

Sour, yeasty golden delicious apple aroma. Doughy and full body, slight tang from the wine. Incredible malty presence throughout. Wine, tea and wonderful effervescence leaves you wanting more.

on tap at the blind tiger, nyc, the night after the VSK party. cloudy yellow golden and a little orangish color, creamy yellowish off-white head. spicy cereal/grain aroma like applejacks, but also tart. tingly carbonation. very malty, spicy, grainy flavor. some herbal flavors almost like sage. a little bitter and a touch of alcohol in the finish.