Allagash Gargamel

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale
Portland, Maine USA

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.

Sample @ EBF ’09 (from notes). Pours a cloudy deep orange with very little to no head. Aroma is brett, a little light fruit, and wood. Taste is sour cherry and other light fruit up front, with a woody/brett finish. Beer is pretty smooth and drinkable - and I like it a lot.

Bottle. Cloudy brownish orange color with no head. Aroma of wood, sour fruit and acid. Taste has lots of wood on top of sour cherry and grape skin with other fruit as well. Mixed berries. Light body and very sharp on the tongue. Very faint brett character and has a lingering woody sourness.

bottle @ WTF OMG! Poured a hazy deep orange. Nose is lactic sourness, some grape and definite funk. Flavor is mild. Lactic acid, mild funk, sour grapes, young fruit. Good, but super hyped.

Body is hazy red-hue gold with a tall white head that fades to a misty covering. Some soapy lacing. Tart raspberry aroma right up front with a twangy funkiness coming through. The sourness gives way to a sweet red fruit. Some acidity is also noticeable. The flavor is light on tartness but the sweet fruit shows through nicely without being cloying. It’s a very natural fruitiness and I almost expect to feel raspberry seeds in my mouth. Palate is ok but I would like to have more tartness and acidity.

Hazy orange amber color with a small, white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of wild yeast, vanilla oak barrel, toast, and light fruit. Taste of citrus fruits, vanilla, wild yeast, funky, dark fruits, and a sour finish.

Bottle thanks to Beejay at the First Annual Chicago Sour Tasting. Pours a clear amber orange with a thin beige head. Nose of oak, citrus, and fruit. Citrus, dark cherries, oak, and some alcohol flavors that are rich complex and blend together really well. The earthiness and oakiness develop more as this warms up putting off that beautiful balance, but still a really tasty beer.

Bottle acquired in trade with VikingHammer (thanks!). Poured a medium and lightly hazy amberish color with a very small sized off white head. Aromas of a bunch of different berries, woodiness, vanilla, and some funkiness. Tastes of the same berries, fruity, funky, vinous, woody, and vanilla. Nice sour finish with a lively body.