Allagash Odyssey

Corked and caged. January 2008 bottle from Marcus (Thanks once more). Vinous, dark fruit and dark malt aromas. Near opaque brown color with garnet glints. Tan head that went up and stayed for awhile. Medium bodied with creamy/fizzy carbonation. All kinds of flavor. Coffee, maybe dark plum fruit, molasses?, chocolate, some heat, some spice. Takes awhile, but some oak comes forth. Very good in the mouth. Reminds me a bit of Glazen Toren Canaster, in a very stepped-down way - certainly no light fruits here. Maybe it resembles cola a trifle? Seems pretty complicated. A great pleasure to drink.

Caged and corked, October 2006, bottle #460. Pours dark and opaque, without any murkiness, with a boiling cauldron of foam that quickly submits. The aroma is wicked ... obviously oaky, apparently alcohol-laded. The first sip is a biggie ... full of rich molasses, dark fruit and a hint of cooked sugar. The heavy flavor component is an interesting pairing with a relatively medium bodied liquid. This is some good stuff. I would love a bit of bread pudding for dessert with this. (#3350, 3/18/2008)

750ml bottle February 2005 Vintage. Shared with my girlfriend Cyn. I was searching for this beer for a long time and finally got it I think from jjmp74 or I don’t know an east coast trader. Porus dark dark brown with a thin tan head. Nose is malty and sweet with a bit of a sour tart fruity nose. Taste is sweet and tart and vinious. Very rich and redwine like. Unlike interlude which made me think of White wine this makes me think of red. Its bold and big and has a lot of complexity. There is a lot going on here and yet it still feels a little hot on the alc. Which is strange since this has been in bottle for 3 years. Unique is what I’ve come to expect from a oak aged allagash.

Pours a deep, cloudy brown color with ruby red highltghts. A nice inch of bubbly head and some clingy spider web lacing. A rich, malty scent with notes of raisins, plums, figs, yeast and brown sugar. A nice, complex flavor with some dried fruits up front, chocolate and malt in the middle with a slgiht alcohol burn in the finish. This is a wonderful beer that improved as it warmed. Outstanding.

In bottle at Jerry’s. Dark red-amber with big, foamy tan head / Wine, oak, molasses, and dark fruit nose / Medium to full body, with spritzy carbonation and big, roast malts, and some creamy hops on the slightly hot finish / Winey flavors of oak, smoke, dates, tobacco, toffee, and nuts / Elegant, should age well.

This dark brown ale poured with a nice beige head. The flavor is soft and fruity with a bitter chocolate finish. It leaves one with a warming feeling without tasting like alcohol. This is a very nice brew.

Feb. 2007 - Wowsers, this was tasty. Beer poured dark as night brown, with nice whitish head and lacing. Aroma was dark fruits and oak. This was an odd belgian...dark fruits, spices and chocolate (?) to go along with a strong bourbon/wine-like presence to go with the oakiness. Rich, sweet, thick, full, it’s got it all. Delicious!

(750 ml (bottled 10/06) from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/portland/downeast-beverage-co/974.htm target=blank>Downeast Beverage Co., cellared for 10 mos. after purchase) Sweet, chocolatey and lightly boozy...Pours dark brown with a half finger of tan head that recedes to a thin but lasting layer. Aroma of brown sugar and red wine. Mouthfeel medium-full, smooth, fairly soft with a lightly dryish finish. Very light sheets and rings of lacing that melt away quickly. Flavor is initially chocolate with a sort of lightly boozy red wine presence - may not sound elegant but it is. Then as it warms there is emergence of sweet oak and sweet bourbon maltiness. All flavor elements come together in a nice tight symphony in the end. Nice warming alcohol presence ie., slightly hot but perhaps the cellaring toned it down. I was glad at how good this was as I really didn’t know what to expect.