Allagash Barrel Aged Four

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Portland, Maine USA

EBF V NOTB. This was basically the regular Allagash Four being smothered by bourbon. Everything in my rating on the regular Four still applies, except there’s bourbon in the way. I didn’t really think it was a pleasing addition and came away thinking that the Four just wasn’t hearty enough to stand up to the liquor.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Deep brown hazy brew with a thick creamy off-white head. The aroma is pretty subtle, soft rich malts and a fairly assertive bourbony oaky aroma. A touch of plums and a bit of bourbony sweetness. Light caramel and a bit of berryish character. Rich and sweet with loads of oaky bourbony character. Lingering vineousness.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Poured reddish-brown with slight off-white head. Surprisingly, I got less oak aroma here as compared with Avance. Also there was a weird spoiled milk aroma at first, which fortunately dissipated rather quickly. Taste was somewhat sweet, with traces of bourbon, but not as much as i would’ve liked. Some dark fruits and malt as well. Average mouthfeel and finish. I can’t say I’m a big fan of quads, though I haven’t had very many. I hope that changes soon.

Draft at the Blind Tiger. Brown pour with a slightly red hint, beige head. Lots of bourbon in the aroma, woody, with some dark fruit and sugar. The flavor is slightly sour / bitter from the oak. I feel like the barrel flavors provide a nice balance to the sweetness of the malt and sugars in this beer. Bourbon lingers in the finish. Good palate.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Very different than the Four w/ Strawberries. Lightly floral, slight berry and floral hop nose. Fresh from the tap it smells of spoiled milk, but I’ll give it a break because that goes away. A bit of gasoline in the aroma too, though. Odd. Very buttery, lightly sweet flavor, balanced but not very close to the style. Oak is big but bourbon is not, and I miss the smooth, bready trappist yeast I’d expect in a quad.

It’s weird how one beer could taste so differently when slightly changes. This is pretty far from the regular Four and miles away from the BA Four with strawberries. Time in the barrel has made it less sweet for sure, and the body has become a bit thinner. The beer has some vanilla and dark fruits but if you told me this was supposed to be a bourbon barrel I would not have guessed it. Does not come off boozy, which is always good in my opinion. I got to say though there is some wet wood heading in the direction of light sour in there but its not evident. I like it and this one actually poured with a large white head.
Tap at Blind Tiger, tulip glass.

On tap at Map Room, Chicago. I was looking forward to trying this beer but was a little disappointed. Had a very tart grapefruit juice flavor. A little winey/vinegary also. I’d like to try the non BA version-- might hold up a little better as a Belgian Quad. Flossmoor Station has a barrel aged Belgian quad called Ellas Reserve that I think is a little better.

on tap at the maproom. this version was aged for 2 years in bourbon barrel. pours dense light brown with white creamy head. nose has a good bourbon kick, vanilla, oak, some very sweet plums, and caramel. a real nice nose. flavor is initially tannic and slightly citrusy, bready, bourbon, and plums. finishes with a charred bourbon and tasty turkey and gravy notes. the flavor actually comes off pretty winey. body is medium and mouth feel is sticky. in the end, the beer seems lost somehow perhaps the barrel over powers the nice dark fruits of four a tad too much, but the soul of four left the barrel in the process. i’d like to see it in a pinot noir barrel.