Allagash Tenth (10th) Anniversary Ale

Formerly brewed at Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Last one in the store, so i had to pick this up while i still could. I have always had good luck with allagash, so i looked forward to this. And, this beer certainly came through. When i popped the cork, it spewed and then slowly spilled over for a few minutes. Definitly a very full flavored beer. Had a wonderful creamy smooth mouthfeel with a full flavor that filleed the palate. Sweet, spicy (mostly pepper), some yeast, some hops, and some finishing alcohol. A well rounded beer.

"Poured a golden yellow. Head was Huge the bottle exploded all over the place. Aroma was of oranges and apples. Flavor was too sweet, got better as it warmed. Mouthfeel was to sweet."

Poured a hazy yellow with a small off-white head. Aroma is yeasty and dirty wtih some citrus. Flavor is sweet with brown sugar and almost pruney. Semi-dry finish that bites the tongue. That flavor and the aroma didn’t really match much on this beer. Not that that is a problem. It just suprises you.

this was an extreme gusher as soon as the cap popped - foam raced out of the bottle all over the counter-top. lightly cloudy golden-yellow color, tall white foamy head. aroma is candi sugar, tangerine peel, and a little vanilla, sweet malt. flavor is signature Allagash BSA - sweet and strong candi sugar malt, a bit of banana, and a tad boozy. good carbonation, rummy finish. surprisingly a little watery in the finish.

Sampled February 2006
Pours a hazy, orangish-gold color, which is topped by a frothy, pale, tan colored head that is held up by an explosive carbonation. The bottle foamed up immediately and I lost a bit to the counter. The aroma smells characteristically like a wit; a mix of orange, citrus-like coriander, plus some earthy spice notes as well. As I delve deeper I get a strong note that reminds me of cinnamon, which really is quite strong if you spend some time intently smelling the aromatics.

The taste is much sweeter and thicker than I was expecting, which upon reflection makes sense given the strength of this beer. It finishes quite dry though, with an astringent spiciness and a yeasty bite, which definitely preps you for another sip of this brew. After my palate adjusts to the beer it does not seem nearly as sweet nor heavy as at the first sip. The spices found in the aroma are not nearly as evident in the taste; there are soft notes of citrus, some earthy coriander notes (especially towards the end), and perhaps a hint of that spicy cinnamon note. In the taste though the cinnamon note takes on more of the spicy flavor as opposed to the sweet flavor that is associated with cinnamon (makes me wonder if there is any cinnamon, perhaps it is just fermentation by-products). There are some definite yeasty, almost bread-like notes here as well. Plus there is also lots of fermentation derived spicy notes here.

As much as I like Wit beers, I am starting to get the impression that they really just don’t double very well. The flavors really work best when kept in the lower alcohol, refreshing type that is a regular Wit. Having said that this beer is quite enjoyable, an tasty to boot.

pours hazy golden orange with a nice sized off-white head, aroma of belgian style spices, sweet malts. good smooth sweet flavor, spicey, carbonated, good meaty body, great brew.

Sampled at the Friday night (Pre-Atlanta Cask Ale tasting) RB gathering at Twains 2006. Straw colored (orangish) with a light white head. A bit hazy. The aroma carries sweetness, spice (coriander?) and what I thought at the time to be maple syrup. Slightly heavy, though pleasant aroma. The flavor has sweet brown sugar, clove hints, molasses, and maybe banana bread. The mouth feel is thick and a unimpressive (seems a bit dopey if that makes sense). John really liked it and I thought it was good overall.

After the cork popped I had a volcanic explosion. Lost like 1/4 of the beer and there was nothing I could do about it. Once it poured, it was a cloudy golden body with a moderate (?!) sized head. Aroma is fruit, yeast, pepper, and spices. Flavor is the same, some alcohol in the finish but you wouldn’t guess 10. Overpiced.