Dedollewaitor (3625), Odense, Denmark Nov 4, 2007 wauw! This is indeed speciel & great! Unclear amber with a red hew and fantastic head & lacings. Sweet & vinous aroma and taste with clearly notes from the bourban casks. So smooth & soft/filling! Oak, dried fruits & light alcohol warmth! bhensonb (4187), Woodland, California, USA Oct 28, 2007 Bottle from the wine frig. Aroma of something more like fortified wine or whiskey. Caramel, dark fruit, spice, and arguably wood, aromas. Dark amber color with a beige head that softly collapsed. Almost medium body with substantial, smooth, carbonation. The flavor is toffeeish, with some dark fruits, alcohol coming forth, a touch of vanilla, and definitely wood. After a bit it goes a little earthy, and some spice notes are detectable.The finish is quite dry, leaving the mouth puckered. The alcohol leaves, and oak is noticeable - apparently causing the puckering. It seems reasonably complex, and it’s a great tasting ale. jpm30 (1588), East Central, Georgia, USA Oct 27, 2007 Caged corked 750 ml. bottle, bottling date of August 20, 2006, 10% ABV, sampled in a snifter.
Poured a cloudy deep amber with reddish orange hues, billowing pale tan head that slowly receded into a soft sudsy lacing, only a little ringed lace at the top of the glass.
Exceptional nose, malts of a scotch ale melded with a flavorful Belgian yeastiness. Rich aromas of caramelized bananas, raisins and licorice, earthy spice, sweet toffee, oaky vanilla, a wisp of smoke at the edges. The alcohol is light, spicy and estery.
The mouthfeel is more like a Belgian ale, the plentiful carbonation lends an airy creaminess to the light body. Dry and smooth, a sipper you need to be careful with. Its easy to tell that a strain of Belgian yeast was used, earthy spices and clove, traces of ripen mushy bananas. As this warms more fruit tastes come out, plump raisins and figs. Mild backing from the caramelized sugary and toffee tasting malts. The alcohol is quite tame, just a low temperature warmth in the mouth with a soft spicy sting at the end. The oak bourbon barrel flavors are semi-hidden, a little vanilla and bare traces of smoky whisky in the aftertaste.
I thought this was immensely enjoyable on a cold misty evening, warms the soul, another top notch ale from Allagash.
Beerlando (2284), Orlando, Florida, USA Oct 20, 2007 Cloudy, dark reddish-brown pour. Large, foamy, off-white head with excellent retention. At least 1cm of foam stuck around until the very end, leaving thick sheets of lacing in its wake. The aroma is about as complex as I’ve ever encountered. There are so many layers to dissect. I picked up sour, vinous red fruits, apples, cherries, red grape juice, sweet caramel, figs, hazelnuts and honey. Boozy French oak adds both a calming vanilla scent and a slightly smoky overtone to he aroma. The flavor shows red fruits of every variety, accompanied by caramel, ripe figs, raisons, and a healthy dose of vanilla and oak. Medium body with a slightly fizzy mouthfeel that calms down a bit as it settles. This is an incredibly complex, vinous brew that is alot to analyze. I recommend devoting an evening to this one in order to obtain complete comprehension. PhillyBeer2112 (2084), Orange Park, Florida, USA Oct 19, 2007 I really like this. Strong aroma that hinted at a dark fruit, with alot of dark sugar and some brandyish alcohol, and a final woody touch. Flavor is moderately sweet, with warm caramel, light raisiny fruitiness and a woodsy finish, along with warming alcohol. Pretty smooth, full bodied. LIght carbonation (brown color, lightly cloudy, full tan head). sersdf (1000), chicago, Illinois, USA Oct 6, 2007 draft at map room. pretty awesome. coffeeish and burnt-sugar syrupy, kinda alcoholic too. some chocolate, but i guess coffee was the most important thing. probably one of my favorite scotch ales. jstraw (750), Chicago, Illinois, USA Oct 5, 2007 Dark amber with big, foamy head / Sweet nose of wine, toffee, leather and raisins / Full, creamy, winey body with alcohol in balance and long finish / Flavors of smoke, leather, toffee, dates, apricots and coconut with burnt sugar finish / An absolutely perfect Scotch ale. ante (2904), Stockholm, Sweden Sep 30, 2007 Pours out in a hazy brown colour with a rich tan-coloured foam. Yeasty aroma of coconut, wood, dried fruit and spices. Full creamy flavour of nuts, toffee, yeast, coconut and figs. Full-bodied. Spicy finish with touches of wood and toffee
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