Allagash Interlude

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

2006 bottle, with a big thanks to boboski! Gusher! Pours a hazy golden honey with a fizzy bright white head that retains a thin but complete cap, moderate lacing. Aroma is a bit tame, but notes of funk, wood, and light floral and citrus are present. The flavor is also on the lighter side, but there’s a lot of complexity in there, with more funk, citrus, oak, grass, and some sour tartness as well. Wow, VERY drinkable! What was initially perceived as "mild" aroma and flavor are in reality a very well balanced, complex and delicate blend. Well put together, highly drinkable and very enjoyable. As my first Allagash, it looks like I’ll need to hunt down some others of theirs to try. Thanks again Jason!

2005. Aroma is rich in apple and sour coconut, coming through in a real bright, fresh Brett. Delightful. Pours a clear honey gold, with orange hue and a rim of head in white. Flavor is explosive. Rich, lightly sweet and creamy. Wow. Intense flavor. Crisp mellow caramel mingles with banana. Fruity. Very deep and well balanced. Clear flavors. Draws out on a light hop-like pepper. Palate is light, airy, and explosive. Complex. Fresh. Residual sweetness holds really well with the Brett tartness. Finishes on a bit of higher alcohols. Thanks to whomever brought this!

Thanks to Mike for this one. Light borwn body. Sour bretty aroma. Caramel, toffee, flavors up front followed closely by a sour funky brett character.

The beer fizzed straight out of the bottle and all over my kitchen floor. It made my whole kitchen smell like. . . sour bananas? I was able to steer some of the beer into my glass, however. Nice sour flavor but not a whole lot going on other than sour grapey kind of notes. Decent beer, but not my favorite.

This is an excellent beer, and yet I was a little disappointed, because I had HUGE expectations based on my love of the other Allagash oak-aged beers and the price -- $19 (compared to $14 for Curieaux). It pours a golden ruddy color with a good head, nice lacing, and a continuous stream of fine bubbles. Big aroma dominated by oak and Belgian-y floral notes. More of the same flavor-wise, with some late fruity notes (cherry? peach?) and maybe a little anise. A pleasantly bracing sharpness hits the back of the palate late. Not as complex as expected, but still very very good. Truly, I do heartily recommend this, but I enjoyed the Curieaux and the Musette more.

On tap at maproom. Hazy yellow pour with white head and little lacing. Nice muscat and vinegar nose, some grain, funky brett and yeast. Flavors of muscat, horseblanket, bandaid (very mild though), grass. mild lemony tartness. Creamy moutfeel really brings this one home for me. A very pleasant surprise... would love to sit a bottle of this down for a year or so.

750ml from Immy. January 2007. Excellent tart, bretty aroma. Wood tannin, a touch of funk and some grape and tart apple skin as well. Wonderful nose. Pours a bright copper with lively carbonation and a nice sized white head. Mild tartness with a touch of lacto funk on the tongue. More wood and grape tannin with a nice malt base. Really reminiscent of something Jolly Pumpkin would kick out. Floral, earthy, malty and tart. Very nice. Creamy, medium bodied, excellent and not overbearing carbonation. A very nice surprise indeed! Thanks Tim!

Jan 07 bottle. Pour is orange/gold with nice (slightly fizzy) white head. A bit of fruit such as apple and sweet berry. Oak, sweet malt, caramel, and the alcohol did come through. Hints of funkiness. Good beer and complex, just not anything incredible.