Allagash Grand Cru

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

Bouteille de 330 ml. Nos yeux observent une bière de couleur ambrée-orangée qui possède un col de mousse modeste. Au nez on respire des arômes de raisins, de fleur, de lilas, de citron, de pain, de pruneaux et de cassis. En bouche le corps est moyen avec une effervescence moyenne. On goûte des saveurs de cassis, de raisins, d’épices, de pain, de fleurs et de grain torréfiés. La finale présente une légère pointe d’alcool et d’amertume. Excellent

22oz bottle. Pours a burnished copper with a beige head. Leaves nice lacing down the glass and the head has decent retention. Nose is pretty spicy, not what I was expecting. Coriander, cinnamon, and a little bit of raisin. Taste is a good match to the aroma. Alot of yeast spiciness but the there is no typical belgian banana esters, a very clean floral hoppiness on the backend, very light bitterness. Not as sweet and complex as others similar in style (we had this back to back with the St. Somewhere Lectio Divinia and found it to be superior) Very solid well crafted American Belgian.

On tap at The Big Hunt, Washington, DC. Dark coopery pour, tan head, decent lace. Nose is spice, citrus, yeast. Flavor is citrusy, alcohol, sweet, and yeasty. Candy sugar, cork, and cask wood come out in the finish. Very nice.

Bottle... Poured hazy, pinkish gold with a fizzy head... Beautiful lacing. Fresh, floral aroma with fruity notes with a nice tartness. Foamy palate but was also a little dry. Tart, sugary, fruit flavors like orange and plums. Lots of malt to balance those sweet, spicy notes. A little bit of alcohol in the finish which balanced the other bitter and sweet flavors.

Bottle. Pour a cloudy, deep honey-gold, hints of orange, with a fairly fizzy off-white head. Nose is yeasty, with some apricot and maybe a bit of honey, coriander comes through clearly, some fruity esters. Taste is really nice - pears, apples, apricots, honey sweetness, dry, cinnamon and nutmeg and some orange zest, a bit metallic. Finish is yeasty, a bit peppery, dry. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, with a light, spritzy carbonation. Really nice beer, though the odd metallic taste does drop a point or two.

330 mL into Orval trappist. Pours a bright, cloudy orange with a thin white head that thins out to almost nothing leaving modest lacing. Aromas of yeast, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, orange peel- very musty. Taste is dry and tart with a metallic tinge. Very herbal. Aftertaste is dry and metallic. Sort of a disappointment.

On tap. Hazy gold body with a creamy white head. Aroma was fruity esters, notably apple, spicy, and alcohol. Flavor is fruity apple, lemon, citric esters, yeasty, and pleasant sweet dry finish. Found it to be much like a sparkling white wine. Good but Allagash has better.

Pours a hazy amber with a rapidly dissipating beige head. Sweet candiy nose. Drier in the mouth than I expected. Hints of dark fruit and candy are complimented well by a nice bitterness. Long slightly sweet finish.