Allagash Odyssey

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

My favorite in some time,but haven’t had that many lately. Dark brown/mahogany. Nice thick,foam. Aromas,are well integrated with each other. Lots of oak,vanilla,yeast. Malt aromas are of dark fruits,and sweet aromatic malts. This just glides down the throat. Lightly acidic,dark fruit,sweet malty,flavors. Finish is dry,but soft with flavors of oak,wheat,and mild hops. Overall,absolutely,drinkable,and one I wish it was easier to keep around.

Deep burgundy. Lively carbonation. Intense, oaky-woody aromas throughout ... maybe even some overbearing matches. Rich sweetness (sugar water, vanilla, caramel, syrup). Kind of spicy in a curious way. Alcohol was on the lowdown, but it was warming. Different and interesting in some ways, but uneventful in others.

Dark burgundy color. Coconut and cork aromas, with hints of vanilla, bourbon and fruit. Not much aromas from the actual original brew, but the barrel contribution is vibrant. Flavor is very vinous, with hints of raisins and grapes, chocolate and perhaps a hint of amarone. Hints of bourbon and vanilla as well. Pretty rich, with a nice body to boot.

Head is initially small, mostly diminishing. Body is murky dark brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (chocolate, molasses), with a strong note of wood, notes of vanilla, grape, and sherry. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. This could’ve scored a little higher on another occasion, perhaps, but really, I kept looking at my numbers and kept studying the beer and kept coming up the same way. The aroma is interesting, but the wood tends to clobber almost everything else. And the flavor balance starts off well enough, and then just kinda dies without enough bitterness or tartness to tie things up nicely. Like I say, with just a little more finesse this could score in the mid to high 3’s. But as-is...ehhh, no.

Thin filmy head. Clear brown. Aroma is very oakey, with hints of floral hops. Flavor is dominated by oak, alcohol creeps in with some dark malts. Vinous feel to this beer. Finish has just a slight chemical flavor but not bad.

Dark brown color - thin tan head that quickly dissipates. Aroma of wood, coffee, warm bread and yeast. Flavor is deeply malty, with notes of coffee, smoke, whiskey, oak and a hint of apples. Nice chewy/earthy body. Finish is strong and clean.

Pours deep brown with ruby edges and a one-finger off-white head. Excellent lacing. Very vinous aroma, with plum, oak, and leathery/earthy Belgian yeast notes, as well. The earthiness becomes more apparent as it warms, turning the vinous aromas raisiny. At the bottom of the glass it becomes a little smoky. There’s a party in my nose. Intense flavor, reminiscent of a watered-down brandy. Spicy and fruity on the tip of the tongue, yeasty in the middle, dry and alcoholic on the finish. The oak permeates through the entire sip as a pleasant but subtle background flavor of vanilla and wood. Very good, but a little on the thin side for such a strong beer. Can’t wait for these guys’ next experiment.

Very deep dark red color with a thin white head. Aroma is big and heavy and hints of alcohol. Some dark fruit in the flavor with the alcohol in the finish.