Allagash 11th Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Pours with a brilliantly clear, pretty red color when held up to the light, otherwise it is a dark amber to brown color. The head is a frothy, initially two-finger thick, dirty, tan color. The aroma has a dry-leaning fruitiness to it up front, where a touch of tartness is noticeable. There is a touch of sweet aromatics, just enough to bring out notes of plums, a touch of figs and some notes of raisins. A touch of clove leads some light spice aromatics, which really play a background role here. When rooting around in the aroma, I find that the depth that the fruit notes lead here is quite interesting. The dark fruit notes are certainly a characteristic from both the malt and yeast character. The malt character is heavily caramelized, with a touch of chewier bread like notes.

The taste is sweet and chewy up front. This beer certainly has a heft to it that just sits on the palate and even coats the tongue a bit as it slides down my throat. An up front fruitiness leads to a slightly chalky almost chocolate note that adds a touch of dryness to this beer. This also finishes with a spicy bite. This spicy bite seems to be made up of a carbonation zing, higher alcohols (and even just a warming character from regular old ethanol) as well as notes reminiscent of pepper, ginger, clove, and something akin to cardamom. The finish even has a slightly astringent woodiness to it, as well as a solid bitterness that is substantial enough to be evident underneath this powerful beer.

This beer has a definite warming character to it, as it slides down the throat I can feel a light warming that marks its travel to my belly. Lingering on in the palate afterwards is something that is almost oak-like, perhaps it is a certain toasted grain astringency. In fact I think that a large part of it is derived from some toasty malt character; it is sort of like concentrated bread crust. This is one of those beers that I could see aging quite well for at least a good five years, if not ten or more.

Nose-wheaty, clove, light solvent, light bubble gum, alcohol. Hazy ruddy amber body with a thin film of bubbles. Taste-medium dry, spice, light woody tannins, tobacco, light bubble gum, plum, watered down apple juice, very spicy yeast, grape, good use of spices. dusty. Tad nailed this one-it tastes like a dubbel with some Belgian Strong Ale inspirations.

750 ml bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy orange amber color with a creamy beige frosty head. Aroma is sweet and spicy with brown sugar and nutmeg overtones. Flavor is spicy with hints of banana, nutmeg,apple,dates and figs. Very good overall.

Pour out a nice cloudy brown color with a fat white head. Aroma is very yeasty and sweet. Flavor was a bit odd. It was fruity, dry, and seemed a bit hoppy for a belgian. I liked this brew. But it just seem a bit odd to me.

I tghink this was from Ty. Nose is very nice with lots of complexity here. Lots of exotic fruits with dates,figs and very ripe bananas. I did not like it at first until I let it warm and man did the flavors take off. A good BSA.

750ml bottle. A different beer than I was expecting. Decent aroma and look with a thin head. Good flavor that grows on you, a hint of bubblegum and a taste of a dubbel. Good palate and goes greta with food.

Bottle. Pours chestnut with reddish hues. Clear with a very light head. Spicy-sweet aroma with clove and cinnamon. Sweet banana flavor with tropical fruit. This is laden with spices including nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. Some straight forward sweetness right at first and notes of bubblegum. Sticky creamy body. This was good, but not may favorite Allagash by any stretch.

Pours dark amber with a nice white head. Aroma of banana, cloves, and apples. Tastes much the same, alcohol is not hidden. Finish is spicy. Very nice, but cost me $15.