Allagash Odyssey

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Appearance: pours with the appearance of dark old European woods rich in lore. Khaki tannish head. Bottle conditioned so a steady stream of bubbles greets the eyes. Swirls foamy with a khaki collar.
Nose: interesting and intriguing. Chocolate and plum, Hershey’s chocolate and ruby port. Smell of the seasons changing to Fall. Grape and plum pomace – stems, skins, and pits. Faint oak planks underneath, almost as an afterthought. Fresh black cherries resting in their own juices with no additives or preservatives. Touch of leather in the back along with more pomace – makes me imagine what the old leather Madera sacks of yore may have smelled like after years of use.
Palate: wow! Subtle and soft, sophisticated and aristocratic. Chocolate and leather, pomace, black cherries both in essence and fresh juice. The pomace lingers in the back of each swallow along with old wine soaked oak. More cherries and chocolate with the addition of red and black grapes. Bakers chocolate teases the top back middle of my tongue. More oak comes out to play as she warms up with campfire and fireplace designs.
Final Thoughts: wow and wow! Allagash Brewing never disappoints and the Odyssey was indeed an odyssey of all the senses. If one is so lucky as to stumble across a bottle or three, embrace greed and buy them all.

Pours a fluffy tan head with a deep brown body. Aromas of brown sugar, some oak and vanilla. Flavors of brown sugar, toasted malt, vanilla, anise, dark cocoa, hint of cherry. Finish is dry, sticky, slightly bitter, oaky.

750ml bottle (bottled Janauary 2008). Poured a deep mahogany color with a large whitish fluffy head and lots of rocky lacing. Smell consisted of big dark fruits, along with some vanilla, honey, and a touch of earth and oak wood in the background. Taste is smooth and bourbony, with plums and dates mixing with some caramel maltiness. Slight warming alcohol is not overdone and blends into the malts very well. Dark fruits are more pronounced as it warms, with lots of vanilla and woody oak from the barrel aging. This beer has a very creamy mouthfeel. The beer is full bodied and holds its booze well. Very easy drinker for its complexity and alcohol.

Tasted 7/8/11. 750ml cork and cage. Thanks to phaleslu for sharing! Pours hazy with a brown hue. Tan head. The alcohol is the most apparent aspect of the olfactory. Followed by graham crackers and fudgy chocolate. Full bodied with a sweet and sticky palate. Decently blended with a noticeable chocolate note. Big and hot!

The oak flavor while not overbearing is what really make this beer special to me. Faint notes hit you on the nose and there is a bit of a woody back taste that really left me looking forward to the next sip. At this point it will have some age on it, but at 10% I think if will have held up just fine and will only grow smoother with age.

2011 bottle @ home, courtesy of gooovikings. Deep brown/black appearance with a lively tan head. Nutty, caramel, toffee, light oak, toasty, brown malty nose. Toasty, toffee, caramel malty, espresso, mildly oaky, lightly charred, hazelnutty flavor. Hazelnut, espresso, toffee aftertaste. Solid.

2006 vintage bottle via and shared with oakbluff. Aromas are of Allbran cereal, yellow raisin, and burnt sugar. Flavours are of salty black licorice, brown sugar, raisin, and oak barrel. Medium bodied. Kinda reminds me of Pannapot, although not quite as good.

On tap at the Stags Head. Pours a deep brown color with nice beige fluffy head. tastes of coffee, molasses, figs, plums, dark cherries, and plenty of oak. Finishes with warming booze malt and smoke. fantastic.