Allagash Interlude

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

Vintage 2007. Hazy rusty orange pour. Fluffy khaki head and thick lace. Sour pear on the nose. Spicy flavor with notable hints of leather, sour cherries , and an oak finish

[Bottle] Pours slightly hazy gold with a large fluffy tan head. Tart aroma with apple cinnamon muffin batter. Aroma isn’t nearly as funky as I would have expected. The flavor, however, was very funky. The wine is evident and gives the beer a significant oakiness. A touch of tartness, alcohol, a little bit of hay, and a huge dry oak finish tops it off.

Brewed January 2007; Sampled October 22, 2008. Courtesy of MatSciGuy. Copper color with a thin head. Interesting aroma of apples, oak and a bit of cinnamon. Tart malt flavor up front. More apple and oak. Quite yeasty. An almost Bretty dry finish.

GABF 08: Slightly cloudy light bronze. Grapey sour nose, almost dimetab-like with a nice subtle but fun medicinal quality. Dry, medicinally sour flavors bring notes of grape, aspirine, and weirdness, not necessary in a good way..or bad for that matter. A little heat is noticeable too.

2006 vintage, gushed all over my kitchen countertop. Poured a cloudy effervescent deep gold with a small fizzy/frothy white head. Aroma of citrus rind, barnhouse funk, a dash of tannic red wine, some light piney hops. Flavor is slightly acidic and dry with notes of light toffee, some dry red wine, a bit of brett barn funk, with a tad bit of sweetness lingering in the back. Very good, with complexity that surpasses the wine that once aged in the same barrels as this beer. However, had it been more of a typical bold Belgian and not so much a wine/beer hybrid, I probably would have enjoyed it even more. I continue to lament the idea that a beer needs to adapt wine notes in order to be considered sophisticated.

Glass, 5 ounces, bottle, 750 ml, from Todd Bailey, at the future site of the Brasseurs du Temps brewery; eye: amber, no effervescence, clear, tiny ring of beige head; nose: "gueuze", acidity, green apple, oak; mouth: "gueuze", acidity, green apple, oak, finale in "gueuze" with a good presence of oak, full body, light astringency, average carbonation; overall: nice surprise FRANÇAIS Verre, 5 onces, bouteille, 750 ml, de Todd Bailey, bue dans le futur site de la brasserie des Brasseurs du Temps; oeil : ambrée, pas d’effervescence, claire, petit anneau de mousse beige; nez : « gueuze », acidité, pomme verte, chêne; bouche : « gueuze », acidité, pomme verte, chêne, finale en gueuze avec une bonne présence de chêne, corsée, légère astringence, carbonatation moyenne; en résumé : belle surprise

Bottle from 2006. Pours a hazed, rusty orange color with a billowing off white head. Nose was a bit funky with hints of red wine from the barrel. flavor was quite boozy with some wine barrel funk. I think this might be the best and most interesting Allagash I’ve had to date.

The body was dark amber with an off white head. The aroma was bretty with some leather and pears. The taste was a little bit of leather with some pear cores. There was also some black pepper spice. A decent brew, I liked the overall package, but woudl like a little more character. Better than many of Allagash’s special editions.