Allagash Odyssey

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

Suited for adventure: husky brown, crimson highlights, cocoa head, a classic countenance, sets the mind in anticipation and the imagination loose. whiskey screams from the nose, escaped from the bottle and ready to let fly with it’s fury...rich malt and alcohol at the helm, steering us into the situation...prune, oak, raisin, plum are at guard on the side. what first stung now seems mellow, even sweet. Glorious. Bold entrance on the palate, the rich, roasty, lush and fruity flavor floods the gates, and breaks down the door. Bourbon-y feel dominates the mouthfeel. Other associations beckon forth...dark rum, molasses, slick, yet leathery...berries and grapes, the darker kind, come to match the onslaught of the whiskey. Medium bodied,yet full with flavor, an relenting river of taste washes up and out with every swallow. Finish is rather dry, just a touch sweet. Like any good drama. The rush has been resolved, the quarrel abated, and the goals have been met: satisfaction sits in the glass, and a happy smile on the face of the drinker. We’ve gone to a wonderful place, throught the vessel that is this bottle, and it’s noble contents, and come back better, stronger, wiser, even. Can beer do that? It already did.

pours brown with a garnet hue. a nice grey head. smells of grapes, alcohol and plums with a yeasty note. fruity taste of strawberries, plums, a bit of clove. strong alcohol presence that blends well/ some bubblegum in the finish. this is good, damn good.

Bottle. Nose is grapey and reminds me of cola. Taste-nicely balanced sweetness, cola, grape, CO2, with just the right amount of alcohol. Roasty/toasty comes through very nicely. Some smoke and port like flavors come out on the finish. Overall, this is very nice. As it warms, the alcohol comes out and it sweetens up considerably. In the end, the smoke, wood, grape, and sweetness really come together well.

Verre de dégustation (provenant d’une bouteille de 750 ml) au Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 2005 (Cooperstown, NY). Arôme: Odeur de moût de raisins et de fromage. Apparence: Couleur ambrée foncée opaque. Mince col beige mousseux. Moyenne densité des bulles. Fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel et d’alcool. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture huileuse. Arrière goût de fumée. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. (Rating #238)

07.16.05 750ml bottle, BCTC evening. Hazy brown, little head fades quickly. Light banana and cherry juice, nuts, cocoa. Syrupy sweet and a bit overdone on the booziness. Dry, hot finish. Some medicinal thing happening throughout. Hell, despite it’s faults, I really dig this stuff. Thanks Dave.

(Bottle) Sampled at the RateBeer post-party at the Belgium Comes To Cooperstown 2005 in Cooperstown, NY. Nose of iodine, red wine, malt and oak casks. Almond head with a deep brown body. Yeasty start and finish with a sweet porto malt mid-section. Yummy. Many thanks to MaiBockAddict for sharing this and other fine beers.

BCTC. Thanks for sharing this with me! Fruity plum nose - some brown sugar. A bit of wheaty fruit, plums, strawberry, raspberry. Alcoholic finish. Very nice.

Bottle thanks to Girlybeer. Dark red brown, seems almost black. There is a small foam head that dissapears quickly. The aroma is mostly of smoke, pete, fresh soil, cherry, tomato...lets just say it has a wide range of aromas. Flavor really brings out the wheat, a light sugary taste, and belgian yeast. Palate is extremely refined. It has a small bit of bitterness at the end of the mouthfeel, but it is very smokey and covers the alcohol and just makes this come off feeling like an old style of ale. Quite the tastey brew.