Allagash Grand Cru

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

BATCH NUMBER 8:first off the cork was a bitch to get out.when i finally pulled it from the bottle,it shot out at about 70 m.p.h........anyway.this grand cru pours a nice murky orange with little black "floaties" in it.very flat looking 3/4 inch head.the aroma contains orange soda,spice,chocolate,and malts.the flavor is very well balanced and the mouthfeel is a tad on the light side.i taste yeast,corriander,malts,and a bit of hops.this is very nice,but the mouthfeel could have been a bit thicker.

On draft at The Great Lost Bear Golden brown with a thin lacy head. Smells spicy and sweet, yeasty. Tastes of sour apple and spice. Sweet and smooth body. Finish is a bit bitter. Really really outstanding beer. Right up there with (if not surpassing) their Tripel reserve.

Bottle - Pours a dark orangish amber in color with a creamy white head that disappeared too quickly. Aroma is fruity, malty and very Belgian yeasty. Flavor is a complex blend of distinctive fruity Belgian yeast, malt with medium bitter hops. Malt and hops are delicately balanced, but the hops seem to win out too often. Quite thick body. Very good... I like it.

This was a little sweeter and fruitier tasting than I had expected. Still, this is very drinkable.

Bottle. Hmmm, this is too bad. I usually like what Allagash does, but I don’t like this. It looks pretty, but that’s about it. Golden mead-like color, but with absolutely no head. And it smells too sweet: honey, yes, but overdone. And the taste follows suit. Overly sweet, cloying, and the spice combination (or ratio?) just doesn’t work. Hard to see how this and the Tripel (which is just about perfect) come from under the same roof... (Looking at a few ratings from 3, or even 2, years ago, I wonder if something significant has changed in the recipe...)

This bottle was from batch #10. It poured a deep, cloudy, golden/orange colour. It has a fruity aroma and tastes of a blend of fruits (apple) and spices. It seems to be quite sugary as well. A very plesant, sweet beer overall.

Murky, oily looking pour of an orange/amber body that produces a nice head of creamy off white which sheets the sides of the glass in Brussels lace.. Deep fruity yeasty aroma. Bread dough and spices. Complex malt and spice flavors are well blended and balanced. The sweetness is not overdone and in the middle is a nice acidic interlude. Re sampled 5/06 at Noogfest This sample left an impression of being a bit thinner and would score a point lower in palate and a point overall, but I will leave the rating unchanged.

Not quite what I was looking for. I’ve had much better beers from Allagash; this doesn’t hold a candle to their tripel. It’s fine, very drinkable, but no true Grand Cru.