Allagash Gargamel

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

Bottle courtesy of someone very generous. Pours copper/mahogany with a white head. Smells of citrus, spicey, peaches, some peppery splashes, light funk. Tastes tarte and dry with some oaky boozy weirdness on the finish.

Bottle shared by Miketd. Thanks!! Pours dark amber color with white head. Aroma was pretty nice. Tart apple, lemon, with some woody oak. Medium mouthfeel with some carbonation. Not over the top. Flavor consisted of tart lemon upfront, moving into wood and oak flavors, then finishing with buttered popcorn. I kept looking in the glass for the buttered flavored popcorn jelly beans! I just couldn’t find them. Oh well. Such a disappointment not to find the jelly bean flavored buttered popcorn in my glass. I could have justified the hype if they were there. No jellybeans = NOT WORTH THE HYPE. This was good. Not great.

Bottle from Cedromar. I appreciate the chance to try this! Pours a dark copper with a nice, fluffy head. Aroma is lemon, spice and a bit woody. Flavor is odd as it has some burnt popcorn and butter. It got better as it warmed with some sour fruit and spice. It is pretty dry and has a lasting buttery finish. Decent sour but nothing great.

Bottle. Careful first pour yields a clear pale brown/strawberry colored body with a small off-white head. Interesting lacto and dried strawberry nose - some acetic red apple skins and some semi-sweet peppery brown sugar. Body is surprisingly light, puffy, airy, and soft. Acidity is moderately peppery and spritzy - cola like even. Flavor is soft lactic apple skins and tart strawberries and bing cherries. Overall nicely soft and delicate body with a surprisingly high alcohol content. Quite good, reminds me of authentic Belgian framboise.

375ml. bottle. Pours a stunning brown-red-amber with a medium white head. Aromas of sour cherries, niagra grapes, sweaty socks, and a hint of oak. The flavor is truly fascinating: it starts out with sour cherries, grapes, and a touch of funk then transforms into yeasty, bready flavors that are rich and refreshing. Gargamel is a very clean, smooth, and refreshing creation that was very carefully constructed and is unlike anything I have tried before. This a an extraordinarily special beer.

Amazing brambly raspberry aroma. Not a super sour flavor; well balanced and drinkable with a rich yeastyness on the finish. Reminds me of a vanilla creme and raspberry dessert with a sour edge.

I lucked into getting to try a few half full large Allagash Chalice’s of this wonderful elixir. One even poured by Rob Tod and shared with a few other brewers who came to the release once the initial crowd thinned out. The glass had this awesome reddish brownish body brew covered with a short lasting head The aroma was a wonderful Fresh raspberries and Brett inspired goodness. The Oak ageing came into play as she warmed. It is hard to believe that this brew was a mistake. The flavors from the sourness and the funk, mixed well with the fresh raspberries. It is an incredibly well balanced sour and quite enjoyable. I saw a couple come in to the brewery not even knowing about the release. try it and really enjoy the brew, that just proved to me how well balanced the flavors are. It was crisp and light in your mouth adding another positive factor to the experience. The three glasses I had went down with out a problem, grant it was spread out for a few hours. To me the drinkability for this sour is off the charts I will say, yes I am from Maine and I am glad to see some attention being given this American Wild Ale from the west coat. So in that way I suppose I am biased, but give it a try and see if you agree

Bottle. Very nice aroma with tart raspberries the highlight and toasted oak with strong brett behind. Flavor has moments of all that raspberry goodness and the brett, but is dominated by harsh, splintery-feeling (high acidity? high carbonation?) oak. I’m not saying it’s not tasty, but to me it wasn’t the beer that it seems to be to everybody else so far.