Allagash Interlude

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

750ml via trade. (Thanks to whoever sent this!) Pours a hazy amber with a huge fluffy off-white head. Nose is all about the sour. Boy, i just don’t have the palette for these sour beers, as honestly i have trouble detecting much of anything under the sour. There are flavors there, but to me, these sour beers just have such overwhelming....well..sourness, that anything else is difficult to detect. So...i get sour cherries..sour apples..sour oak....even sour strawberries...no malts or hops whatsoever. Body is medium, carbonation is high. As far as enjoyment....it is ok, but i think the oak and the sour flavors sort of work against each other on this one. Maybe aging would help? I have no idea. This isn’t bad, but is nowhere near the enjoyment i have gotten from most of the RR sour beers i have sampled.

Deep golden. Sharp carbonation, nice sticky head. Big bretty nose, with orange rind and citrus. Some sweetness, light red wine (syrah) notes. Flavor starts as a tug of war between sweet malts, red wine notes and brett, which totally takes the prize and leaves a long bretty finish. Very nice.

34 US dollar bottle (75cl), Odense/Denmark. Amazing unclear orange with a red hew & fine lasting white head that drags handsome lacings. The aroma itself was teriffic. Oak, wood, yeast, alcohol, sugar, hops, vinous wine. Wonderful fruityness. Very smooth & soft body. The finish lasted like forever & gave a light warmth. So nice...

750 ml bottle. 2007 vintage. Poured a slightly hazy orange color. Head was white and bubbly with decent retention. A bit of lace was left behind on the glass at the end. Funky brett aroma accented by light apple. Tasted of clove, white wine, and again, funky brett. There was also a pleasant cereal grain flavor. Excellent beer.

(750 ml bottle (2005) from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/freeport/ target=blank>Derosier’s, cellared for 1 year after purchase) Nice, interesting but not great ...Pours hazy lightly crimson amber with a small off-white head. Aroma surprisingly "flat" - I got just lilies and some sweet candyish malt, but kind of had to dig. Mouthfeel lightly fizzy, medium-full, nothing really remarkable. Flavor is initially quite heavy on the Merlot and Sirah, eventually giving way to more sourness. I found the sourness sort of acidic and biting. It is somewhat countered by light grapeiness and some light malt sweetness but not quite enough. For all they went through to make this I think it ultimately wasn’t quite worth it.

hazy golden with a low white foam. Fruity and tart aroma of bretts, citrus, white grapes and wood. Full and lively flavour of citric fruit, wild yeast, wood and white wine. Full bodied with a prickly carbonation. Long fresh finish of lemon and green grapes. Nice one

Bottle enjoyed with blackbread and aged camembert. Clear amber red with small cream colored head with good retention. Aroma of marzipan, decomposing apples and some balsamic vinegar balanced by sweet fruitiness. Very full flavoured and tart with remarkable bitterness. Almonds and alcohol leading to a dry and warming finish. Full mouth feel and soft delightful carbonation. Very interesting and tasty ale that could use more complexity in the flavor at first, but grows on you aas you get down the bottle. Good introduction to sour ales IMO.

2007. Acquired in trade with mj. Copper color with a slight haze. Moderately thick uneven off-white head. Aroma gives off a lot of fruity yeast aromas and a bit of a mild earthy funk. Thick palate and the carbonation springs nicely from under the thickness. Good fruity mix of Belgain malts and light funk to start the taste. The finish is a little spicy and funky, and the alcohol is a bit detectable. Overall, a well-made Belgain, but not my favorite Allagash.