Allagash Gargamel

[My 1400 rating and also puts me as having the 400th most ratings on rateBeer... w00t!] Wow the description makes this beer sound absolutely amazing!!! Sample #18 at 1st CST, thanks davinci!!! Pours a glowing brown with a sudsy white froth. Strong brett aroma, sweet caramel, some lacto, yogurt, very woody, cheesy. Light raspberry flavor upfront, sweet, buttered popcorn... yea... tons of caramel popcorn, lightly acidic. Thinner body with fizzy carbonation. Definitely not what I was expecting.

Copper pour. White head. Raspberries, brett, lemony tartness on the nose. Flavor is sour and fruity without being overly acidic. I get a bit of raspberries but more sour grapes. Good beer. Very good. Thanks stowehop!

pours copper with thin white head that lasts to the end. aroma is tart and fruity with the brett very present. flavor is bursting with tart fruits and i got a lot of white grape. raspberries didnt play as much a part in this as i was expecting but came across in the finish as just a kiss of sweetness. aftertaste lasts with tons of fresh sour apples and tart grapes. really a fantastic brew from the amount of carbonation to the slight grittyness at the end where all the yeast laid.

coppery pour with medium white head. Aroma starts with rasberries and mild acetone, some woody notes, yogurt. Nice tartness up front, warming alcohol, a little bit of solvent quality is a detractor. Finish shows some buttered popcorn, which again is a detractor.

Bottle: Hazy copper/blush hue with a dense off white head. Soft buttery oak aroma with vinous notes, raspberry tartness, leather and some lactic acidity (mild), as well as a touch acetic. Fairly creamy body. Tart and oaky flavor- the raspberry tartness is very subtle underneath a sharp white oak note as well as cheese rind, leathery funk, and lactic tartness. Some tannins are apparent with vinous qualities. A solid sour.

A generous pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass produces a three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The beer is a richly red tinged, dark amber color that shows a lightly hazed, red stained gold color when held up to the light. The aroma smells floral and fragrantly of raspberries, but there is a lactic note that was noticeable as I was pouring this and if you dig for it there is a fair amount of funky Brettanomyces character in the finish. This last contributes a musty, phenolic soaked blanket note, as well as a touch of musky barnyard character. I like that the raspberry doesn’t completely dominate the nose, but it is still quite strong and most definitely easily the loudest aroma here by a long way.

The beer is quite dry, with a lightly bracing tartness. The beer has a certain lightness to it that I wasn’t quite expecting from a beer of this strength; it almost seems a touch too thin. The raspberry notes in the flavor are held well in check by the overall dryness of this beer; there is still a fleshy raspberry pulp flavor here as well as a bit of tannic raspberry skin character that mixes with tannic oak notes that lightly coat the teeth. The oak also contributes a spiciness to the finish that mixes with a touch of warming alcohol. The raspberry notes are quite floral in some ways and the fruitiness provides a perceived fruitiness to the middle of each sip. The tartness seems to be derived largely from the lactic fermentation, but also from the raspberries used. The tannic notes and spiciness from the oak balance, quite well, with the light lactic acidity. The body seems to pick up a bit more heft to it as time wears on, perhaps it is just my palate getting used to the beer; this doesn’t become heavy, but does pick up a touch of slickness that works a bit more than the almost watery character that I noticed at first. The oak and the alcohol in the finish contribute a touch of peppery piquancy to the finish. Up front some vanillin mixes in seamlessly with the floral raspberry character; how can you go wrong with raspberry and vanilla flavors.

This is not bad; it is nothing like what I was expecting, even though I don’t really know what I was expecting here. It isn’t all I had hoped it would be though either. It could use a touch more sourness (which might actually help balance this beer somehow) and the body seems a bit thin at times. It could use a bit more complexity; perhaps more funkiness whether acidity, Brett or yeasty spiciness; even a hint of sweetness might be welcome. The beer started out a bit on the weak side but finishes with a much stronger showing that ultimately pushes this into the enjoyable category for me. This ends up being a solid first entry to this limited series by Allagash and I can only hope to try the future releases in this series.

Bottled. The aroma is acetic, drain cleaner, honey, and mild fruit. Funky, doughy. Flavor has a nice funkiness, with chewy dough, and some nice, light raspberry. Balanced, not especially sour, with a good body. A broad range of sour flavors, not dominant in any. Slightly effervescent. Lots of oak, wine. Not my favorite ever but a well brewed beer; this took perhaps a bit too much from the wine barrels — subsequent batches should be a bit toned down and better.

Bottle (dregs)… WTF OMG!… Murky, caramel-colored ale with little to no head. The aroma is a nice blend of caramel, bready yeast and acidic funk. Full-bodied and creamy with moderate carbonation. The flavor is sour, with heaps of acidity, but bready, caramel undertones throw a little balance into the mix. Tart, buttery, caramel finish.