Allagash Black

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Foreign Stout
Portland, Maine USA

Kind of odd to see something so dark coming out of an Allagash bottle! Very nice substantial pour; you can tell it’s got a robust body just looking at it, obviously thick in consistency and with a nice tan head. Pretty complex aroma, roasted malts apparent initially but then some mildly yeasty notes in there, like dried apricots or dates along with molasses. The taste isn’t quite as complex as the nose, somehow, and it comes across as a big, creamy foreign stout rather than a hybrid Belgian stout. Still, though it’s too pricy for the payoff, it’s enjoyable for sure.

Pours dark brown, almost black. Foamy, cascading brown head. Pleasant aroma of vanilla, anise, chocolate malt, oak, and a kind of yeasty funkiness. Watery mouthfeel in terms of a stout. Some roasted malt and chocolate, but no coffee, bittersweet chocolate, or smokiness. Instead, there is the fruity-yeasty tastes one would expect from a dubbel. Anise, molasses, and some prune flavors come out when it warms. I hate saying this, but an overall disappointment.

Very dark brown with a moderate light tan head that settles to a lid and a full sheet of lace. Mildly sweet aroma, with sweet grapefruit, zest, dark candi, dark chocolate, mild roasted malt. Very dark chocolate flavors with hints of vanilla and licorice. Body is quite light, but seems right for this brew. Fairly acidic. Rather dry finish and the linger is offers some dark charred malt. Some coffee grounds come in and out of the flavors. An interesting brew. To me this is on the lighter/thinner side of a foreign stout.

On tap at Ebenezer’s. I’ll start off by saying that this is sort of an odd beer, especially to be produced in America. Roasty and toasty throughout, but I really didn’t get too much in the way of chocolatey stoutiness nor Belgiany fruitiness. It’s not necessarily a problem that this beer doesn’t seem to fall into any category, but I didn’t find it to really create a nice niche for itself either. Mouthfeel also not strong in either the way of stout-solid or Belgian-silky. Again, overall I found it to be odd. (Not that I didn’t enjoy it...) Further commentary posted 7/28/08...from bottle, rather heavy mouthfeel, nothing particularly interesting in the flavor, odd mesh of the bitterness and sweetness, no need to return.

not so impressed here. nose lacks much, some coffee. notes of roasted barley, cocoa, malt. palate is biting at the end and relatively flat. on tap @ the map room

Dark black body with a medium creamy tan had. Sweet chocolate, light roast, hints of molassas, and a touch of caramel in the aroma. Sweet light cocoa flavor, more roast, a touch of belgian sugar. Medium full mouthfeel and moderate carbonation and a very smooth sweet finish.

750ml bottle from BevMo Mission Valley. Lots of chocolate, toffee, caramel and dark fruit on the nose. The flavor is lightly sweet with roast, milk chocolate, molasses, prunes and ash. Medium/full body is soft with light carbonation.

750, corked and baled. Pours more like "Allagash Dark Mahogany": clear dark brown with ruby highlights and a super-lacy beige head. Aroma of coffee, molasses, nuts, smoke and fruit. Creamy medium body and moderate carbonation. Lots going on in the taste, which starts moderately sweet with chocolate, coffee, bread, toast, licorice, smoke, raisins, pine and leather all contributing their parts to the whole. A little ash on the exit that I could do without, but this is pretty darn tasty!