Allagash Odyssey

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

Cask Stillage at the GBBF, Earl’s Court 06/08/2009 Fruity slight roast aroma. Dark coloured very strong in alcohol and fruity with a little bitterness in a crisp and warming malt finish.

750 ml. bottle from Greens on Ponce De Leon. Black in color. Looks like an imperial stout! Aroma is rather odd. A little nut or toast in the aroma?! Strong malt presence with some burnt wood. The nut is starting to go away and I am picking up a rather strong fruit/sweet candy aroma. Slightly nuanced, but the aroma just isn’t that impressive. Flavor is a bit weak as well. WTF? Hmmm...98 I don’t know about that. Malt and fruit flavor. The wood is playing such a small role, I wouldn’t have guessed that this was wood-aged at all. Alcohol is noticeable in the flavor. Just a rather weak Belgian Strong, not making any type of statement. A rather boring beer. I don’t even think Homer would have enjoyed this Odyssey.

FOBAB 2009- pours a dark brown with a small beige head. notes of dirt, must, cobwebs, bread. not too great. some plastic and feces notes as well. underwealming. Booze was well hidden though, didn’t seem like 10.4% abv.

draft: pours black, malty, oak aroma, malt and vanilla taste with a fairly fully mouthfeel

Tap at Blind tiger. Poured a medium brown with a thin white head. Nice malts and candied sugars make this a very tasty Belgian strong. Maybe a less sweet and thinner version of rochefort 8, but almost as delicious, almost. Nice depth of flavor which keeps this brewer at the top of American Belgian style ales. 08 bottle. Found this quite different from the tap version I had a few weeks ago. Nose was much more oaky. This was much more carbonated also. Similar rich flavors but much more of the wooden and slightly smoked flavors. Similar depth of flavors but not as sweet as the younger version. I liked them both but prefer the aged version.

Reviewed 8/19/2009 (Bottled January 2008): Pours a very dark brown colored body, with a big creamy tannish color head. Lasting. Fruity aroma, some dark fruit, and some lightish fruit too. Some fig, and some alcohol too. Some roasted notes, and maybe some chocolate. Very strong aroma, kind of funky. Roasty, woody taste. Some wood taste, probably the oak barrel. Some smoke too. This could age in taste very well. Very carbonated. Not sure I really like the taste. A little harsh now, maybe in a few months or years it would taste better.

Pours a very dark chestnut brown color with a huge frothy, pillowy tan head with excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves chunks of soapy lacing in it’s wake. Chocolate malty aroma that is slightly earthy with hints of oaky wood. Dark fruit notes and peppery spice also present. Creamy malty body with lots of estery dark fruit notes, especially raisin, prune, plum, and dark berries with lots of peppery zest, chocolate malts and earthy oak. Very smooth and quaffable with hints of grape and cherry dark fruit. Very nice balance of dark fruit and chocolate malt. The ABV is excellently balanced without a trace of alcohol warmth making this beer extremely quaffable. Sweet dry finish. Excellent!

Bottle. 25.4 oz. Split with Braden. Pours deep amber, with a thick, lasting beige head. Aroma of figs, raisins, roasted malts, and hints of chocolate, soil, and chesnuts. Full bodied with a heavy, creamy mouthfeel. Excellent Belgian strong. Highly recommended.