Allagash Fluxus 2007

bottle. Honey, spice, and floral notes predominate. A very nice beer. Full of flavor yet drinkable.

Corked & caged bottle. Small fizzy cream head that mostly diminished, floaties, hazy, carbonation noted, and a golden hue. The aroma was sweet, spicy, hops, malt, fruity, hint of clove, and flowery. The flavor was sweet, spicy, fruity, malt, some tartness, and a dry finish. Tingly, dry mouthfeel and medium bodies. For me, this was a disappointing beer from Allagash as I just did not enjoy the flavor of this one and it was even more of a disappointment for me as this is one of my very, very favorite beer styles and it was a big disappointment.

Pours orangish/golden with thin white head. Aroma of spice, flowers, and sugar. Taste of candied sugar, and spices. Medium mouthfeel. Was not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. Another solid beer from a good brewery.

Hazy orange-hued golden. Creamy white froth clings nicely and exhibits stellar retention. Sweet and flowery nose consists of stewed peaches, chamomile, white pepper, green raisins, candy sugar and a touch of clove. Heavily yeasty (green banana, gummy candy) and alcoholic (some apparent fusels. Expressive carbonation pricks the palate. Snappy, airy phenols are swiftly pummeled by the tacky and dense honeyish sweetness. Peppery alcohol fuses with the high concentration of residual sugars to lend a medicinal effect while inundating the gullet with fiery warmth. Highly astringent at the swallow. Body suffers from being overly full due to the flabbiness and slight meatiness. Spicy esters only compound the heat from the alcohol, and struggle to impart any notable brightness as they fail to overcome the intense alcohol and rampant sweetness. Some slick melon, chamomile and banana notes emerge from the poorly attenuated, yeasty body. Spices are poorly integrated as they only contribute more heat and rigidness to the finish which overshadows the delicate hop character. While I certainly applaud Allagash for yet another ambitious experiment, merely a few sips of this are tough to muster. Among other things, alcohol and yarrow end up clashing rather than complementing one another. Actually comes across as a novice homebrewers’ attempt at a spiced beer. No finesse whatsoever.

Pour was hazy orangey amber in color, decent initial typical Allagash type head and good Belgian rings of lacing. Retention good. The aroma was spicey (ginger most prominent), floral, even perfumey diaper-like, yeasty. The flavor followed suite, grapes mixed in under all that, herbal notes too. I was a bit disappointed by this thing, the gingery notes taking a stronger turn with temps rising (I’m so sensitive to ginger elements in my beer, although I’m not positive this thing had ginger in it). Mouthfeel was typical, somewhat airy, but the alcohol was way hot, not hidden. Certainly a drinkable beer, but far from solid, should be put away for a bit and then opened.