Allagash Four - Allagash Brewing Company

Gehrig

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I grabbed this big beauty at the sterling Sun Singer. A dense, durable finger of slightly tan froth tops a dense opaque mahogany with orange trim--an excellent presentation. Rich smell filled with brown sugar, dates, toffee, and hints of berry. The date is all over the taste, blending well with the brown sugar in a very malty palate. This is a very good quad. It's unlike many Belgians in that the mouthfeel lacks the inexorable effervescence of so many representatives. Yet the four malts certainly make up for moderate carbonation.

Four is excellent, another terrific offering from Allagash. This is a quad not to be missed. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2008 02:01:35 | More by Gehrig

rfabian

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a large wine glass it forms a large and persistent head that leaves plenty of lacing. The appearance is amber and slightly cloudy. The aroma is malty and yeasty with a hint of spicy hops. The taste is surprisingly smooth, sweet, malty and fruity with hardly a hint of the high ABV. The feel is full to medium bodied with a clean finish.

This is a very delicious and enjoyable ale, but at $18.50 for 750 ml I won't be knocking one down every night.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 21:29:15 | More by rfabian

tomfneph

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle purchased at the Charleston Beer Exchange. The appearance of this beer is outstanding. Poured into a tulip glass the beer has a thick creamy persistent head. The color of the beer is a gorgeous reddish orange. The nose is cherries, apples, and a hint of clove. The taste is predominantly a pleasantly sour fruit mostly cherry and apple. The hops are subtle. These are definitely not west coast hops! The 10% ABV is very well hidden, almost no burn. This is a very smooth and mild quad. It is much lighter and not as vinous as a Westvleteren. This beer really tastes like a saison ale to me. The only negative is a slightly thin body and mouthfeel. However, at 750 ml, you better share this one! I highly recommend this complex beer. I will drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 18:10:29 | More by tomfneph

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large bottle, that I put away in my beer celler (a brown paper bag in the back of a closet) for about 6-8 months ago. Corked and caged. Opened with a burst of carbonation. pours a rich, murky, cloudy shade of dark amber. hoists a light tan head, which slowly recedes to a tiny bubble film. This fine elixir leaves stringy soft lacing behind. Nose is full of spice and alcohol notes. Tangy, spicy, fruity Belgian yeast notes. lots of fresh fruit, doughy malt offerings and some chaotic chemistry and wonder going on in this complex dandy. Finishes with notes of rum soaked apricots. Very drinkable and a hefty 10%! This one really benefitted with the extra time in the bottle. I imagine it would continue to improve for quite some time. Seek out, stow away, wait and enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2004 04:57:23 | More by Billolick

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

*750ml Bottle served into a Duvel tulip glass chilled.

bronze in color with ruby tones w/ a 1/2" of billowy tan dense fluffy head. Head dissipates to a nice tan surface layer with some decent lace on my glass.

Caramel maltiness on the nose along with some definite fruit and floral tones. Green grapes or raisons along with plums are there, along with some light floral hoppiness. A bit of alcohol too, but not bad for 10%...I thought my nose hairs would quiver.

Sweet creamy body. Plum fruit along with some brown caramel malts. The alcohol tingles the tip of my tongue a little, while the hops come in with a slight bitterness to keep this balanced nicely. A bit of drying on the finish as well with a fruity but clean aftertaste.

Chewy & creamy body. Alcohol is not too big and it doesn't dry up too much. Carbonation is balanced very nicely as well.

I'd definitely recommend it! I am a big beer guy, and this one will make my belly warm and enjoy the cold evening. However, it'd even make a nice sharing brew in the summer if chilled. Interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 01:19:24 | More by Fish113d

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The cork pops from the bottle with a nice pop. Pours into my glass a nice deep red/orange brown color with a healthy half inch of creamy white head. Looks nice in the glass. Aromas of sweet malts and dark candy sugar upfront melding into ripe dark fruits, raisins and caramel. Yeasty Belgian spiciness is in there as well. Just a wonderful aroma coming off this one that draws me in.

First sip brings a nice flow of maltiness with burnt sugars, dark fruits, caramel, raisins, wood and a slight dark bread character. A nice spicy yeasty flavor flows in midway through each sip. There's a hint of hops on the way down but overall it's not too noticeable. Finishes with a brown sugar aftertaste, slightly sweet but never becomes too much. Overall this is quite a tasty brew!

Mouthfeel is silky smooth with a wonderful body and plenty of carbonation. This beer is quite a treat and works well on Thanksgiving. Even at 10% I could see myself working down a bottle of this to myself no problem, however in the spirit of good brew I'm sharing this one with family today. Overall, another fine brew from Allagash that has aged quite nicely!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2006 20:54:20 | More by orbitalr0x

Boto

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle: This one pours a hazy, coppery co;or. There was a small off-white head that doesn’t last too long. The aroma is quite nice: a myriad of different scents. Bready, caramel, coriander, pears, apples, and possibly a few others. The taste is quite good, although it a tad lighter in body than I would have expected. Light carbonation on the tongue. Tastes of caramel (but not very sweet at all), spices, fruits. It is complex to say the least. Very nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2007 21:06:35 | More by Boto

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pristine reddish orange after the initial pour, moderately murky tawny after the second pour and muddy caramel after the final pour. While it isn't worthy of being compared to the heads on the world's best Belgians, the orange-tinted ecru crown qualifies as eye candy. No more than a smattering of lace decorates the glass; not surprising given the ABV.

The nose is classically quadrupel-like. Thanks to the four Belgian yeast strains, I would have said that Four hailed from that country if I didn't know better. The nose calls to mind English toffee, brown sugar, dates and dried fruit. Amazingly enough, almost no alcohol is evident.

Four contains four malts, four hops, four sugars, four Belgian yeast strains and is fermented four times. Whether because of that or in spite of that, this is a wonderfully complex ale that is one of the most gentle, drinkable quads you'll ever run across. I'm sure that an estimated two years in the bottle has contributed to its easygoing nature.

The four sugars include date sugar, light candi sugar, dark candi sugar and light golden molasses. Dates are a prominent member of the flavor profile, but then I taste dates in all sorts of styles, from quads to old ales to BSDAs. The rest of the flavor profile mirrors the nose, with the addition of buttered dark rum, cherry pipe tobacco and sweetened orange peel. This is dee-licious beer!

I poured two glasses at once because I had a feeling that the first glass would get shorted on all of the good stuff that always falls to the bottom in a beer stored upright. In addition to being murkier, the second glass is also bolder and more complex. It's also being drained much faster than the first glass.

The mouthfeel is the only minor disappointment... that ceases to be a disappointment as this fine ale approaches room temperature. To be perfect, it would either have to be full-bodied and heavily silky smooth or as lush and as perfectly carbonated as Belgium's finest. It's neither, but it's still a pleasure to roll around the mouth.

Four may not be the stunningly beautiful beer that most of Allagash's lineup is, but it's damn close. It's also a wonderful version of a style that I love more each time I drink it. Even though these Allagash 750s can be expensive, I won't hesitate to grab another bottle the next time I see it. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2007 22:03:21 | More by BuckeyeNation

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy burnt orange with ruby brown highlights. Decent initial head that fades quickly to a very thin ring that leaves some spotty lacing. Smells of macerated fruit, bubblegum, lightly of bananas, and there is a whiff of oak at the end. Tastes even better with the same fruity start of bright fruity esters, banana, a slight touch of clove, some oak, and a tannice bitterness at the finish and more clove as well. Mouthfeel is substantial, creamy and a bit tannic at the end. The alcohol is hidden very well and it is delicious. I've had the barrel aged version of this and that was sublime. This is merely very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2008 22:55:36 | More by Georgiabeer

AltBock

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I got Allagash Four on-tap at High Street Bar & Grill on 2/15/2008. The served it to me in an official Allagash tulip glass.

Poured a light crimson red that was blended in with some orange coloring. It had a tall head of white foam that had really good retention that left behind a small white film and few spots of white lace. It had a great lightly sour aroma of ripe juicy fruits (way too many to list), yeast, and a small spatter of bitter hops in the background. Toward the bottom of the glass, the aroma will get very oaky and sour. These fruits in the aroma were so good, I couldn't stop smelling this beer! The taste was very fruity with toasted malts, a pinch of yeast, and a slight touch of oak and citrus hops at the end. The oak was a nice touch. The mouthfeel was slick as hell! I had no idea from the mouthfeel that this beer had a high ABV%. I had to find out from the bartender that this beer had a high ABV%. Besides that, this beer had an aftertaste of juicy fruits, yeast, and a pinch of citrus hops. This was one to nice beer to try on-tap! It is expensive to try on-tap, but it's worth it. Just a reminder, this beer will sneak up on you like it did me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2008 17:18:46 | More by AltBock

MisterClean

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

At Manderes' Allagash tasting

A - Opaque orange color, with a light head, which dissipates quick.

S - Oaky, honey, with slight alcohol.

T - Coriander, oak, pear, and honey.

M - Excellent mouth feel. Very light, very satisfying.

D - Somebody get me a light cigar. Excellent, yet different from many of the quads I've had, which tend to have a much richer character, yet this one was more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 00:55:30 | More by MisterClean

pinotboy007

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased as a single at Total Wine, Chantilly, VA; had never seen it before.

A - Root beer/rosewood-like appearance with a beige, frothy cap and minimal lacing. I see tiny bubbles but no yeast.

S - Fruit cake, bourbon, caramel and hops.

T - Complex and fascinating. It has a soft caramel swing to it but then moves towards dried figs, cinnamon and dark bread. Delicious. Reminds me of the German Aventinus.

M - Softly carbonated which in my view adds to the complexity it offers with each creamy sip.

D - I'm struggling to get by the 10% ABV, but confess this is one of the best ales I've had to date. World class drinkable stuff that I suppose could age beautifully, but I haven't the patience. Enjoy this one on its own in the best glass you own. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 22:13:13 | More by pinotboy007

roblowther

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged, batch #19 and a heck of a way to start the weekend. Poured into a chalice glass, dark caramel and an active light tan head. Steady stream of bubbles up the center to reinforce the troop losses up top. Settles down to a creamy texture. Smells of orange sherbet, raisins, and cinnamon. Tastes like heaven. With boobs. Slightly burnt caramel up front, then tastes like those orange creme candies your grandmother always had in a cut-glass dish. Finishes with a sharp, woody note that makes me thirsty for more. Wow! Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, assertively bubbly up front and then a touch oily and almost sticky. Its got a body to stand up to the carbonation. Very drinkable. It has an alcohol warmth but it only hints at the 10% the label promises. Very sippable and sip I shall. I'm going to do less typing and more drinking now.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2009 00:32:44 | More by roblowther

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Unibroue tulip. Batch 16. Aroma is of raisins, figs, dates and sweet malts. Taste follows pretty closely the aromas and is also moderately sweet, warming and slightly sour on the back of the tongue. Tremendously smooth to drink at 10%, the alcohol is very well hidden by the lovely flavors and sweetness of the malts and the belgian yeast. A stellar beer and a very special treat. A great "transitional beer" for people that don't normally drink good beer, also.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 00:22:34 | More by KickbacksSteve

BeerNemesis

New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Allagash FOUR | 750 ml. | 10.0% ABV | vintage

Brewer: Allagash Brewing Company (Maine)
Style: Quadrupel (Quad)
Glass: Chalice (Chimay)

Presentation:
Attractive matte black label with gold and white lettering.

Appearance:
Pristine reddish-amber with a big fluffy pillow of a head that never quite subsides fully. Fantastic lacing.

Aroma:
Dark fruits, raisins, caramel, belgian yeast.

Taste:
Four contains four malts, four hops, four sugars, four Belgian yeast strains and is fermented four times. Coincidence? I think not. It is a wonderfully complex ale.

The four sugars include date sugar, light candi sugar, dark candi sugar and light golden molasses. Dates stand out, giving it an almost sweaty heft. The rest of the flavor profile mirrors the nose, with the addition of buttered dark rum, cherry pipe tobacco and sweetened orange peel. Alcohol feels like it's evaporating into my palate on the finish.

Mouthfeel:
Soft and buttery, almost foamy. For such a complex beer, I wish it felt a bit heftier, but it's a minor point.

Harmony:
Complex, sweet, tempered and delightful.

Would I get it again?:
Yes. There are plenty of quads still to try, but it's earned it's place towards the top of my go-to list.

Batch 21
Bottled on: ?
Served on: July 18, 2010

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 23:13:52 | More by BeerNemesis

magine

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice.

Pours a cloudy (with some sediment) reddish amber color. Has a fluffy off white head. The head settles to a chunky lace island and leaves a lot of creamy lace along the rim. Lace is really sticky and looks great. For a quad this one is tremendous looking.

Brew smells of dark fruits and yeasts, spicy and malty, oily resiny hops. Complex good smell.

The brew is smooth and creamy, dark fruits and spices are in the for front. The hops are for sure the difference maker here. The oily, resiny hops are in the middle and do a fantastic job of tying this brew together, and at the same time takes this quad in a direction that I haven't experienced yet in any other quad. The brew finishes dry and smooth, almost no alcohol for such a big brew. A sessionable big quad - wow thats scary. Has a fantastic mouthfeel and taste, this is a true winner.

Wow - Allagash has some world class brews. This may be the best quad I have had. It is different than any other quad I have had, and this is what makes it stand out. Tremendous stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 04:06:28 | More by magine

Neffbeer

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle
batch #16 bottled on 7-15-2008 (info from the brewery)
Poured into an Allagash glass

A: Amber color with ruby highlights in the light, fantastic clarity. Decent size two finger head with a bit of lacing as the head fades.

S: It has a sweet nose, but not sugary, more of a muted caramel brown sugar thing. Belgian yeast steps in and plums and apples linger on. There is a nutty bread aspect going on melding with everything, complex and delicious.

T: Slow the bus down, this is rich and dank beyond my expectations. Two plus years on this bottle has brought out some serious sherry/port notes. The caramel/bread flavors blend together magnificently with the fruit. I taste cherries, apples and plums then some subtle spice notes. All of the flavors are working in harmony.

M: Low carbonation which really suits the style. The beer is still quite full bodied and supple.

D: This is an exquisite take on the Quad from stateside. I have another batch 16 in the cellar which I look forward to opening in another year or two.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 03:20:52 | More by Neffbeer

ColForbin

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle with a gold painted label - cork came off with an audible pop. Pours a deep red color with a thick, creamy white head. Aroma is spicey, with some cloves, coriander, and a little malt maybe even some citrus hops - a lot going on there. This beer tastes like a meal. Full of spices with a heavy body and a great warming feeling from the alcohol down the throat. Slightly tart, bitter finish with coriander that lingers on the palatte. An amazing brew, but at 10% I would advise sharing the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2004 00:45:26 | More by ColForbin

86MonteSS

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"Four" definitely tastes like a Belgian quadrupel, but it doens't have the quite same impact as its foreign brethren. A medium sized off-white head caps off an orange-ruby body. Floral and heavily-sugared coffee elements in the nose. Starts out with a sweet, slightly watery malt presence, but as it warms the alcohol comes through and the malt base thickens. Very appropriate carbonation. A bold offering from one of New England's greatest breweries.


But nine bucks could also buy you a St. Bernardus....

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2004 05:58:28 | More by 86MonteSS

Gusler

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer disembogues from the corked 750ml brown bottle a nebulous mahogany color, the head is spumescent and behemothic in size, the color a winsome tan, as it ever so slowly fades, the lace forms a glutinous sheet to obscure the glass. The nose has a nice aroma of yeast, backed by some fusel alcohol, hints of fruit, over ripe plums comes to mind, with the start sweet and nicely malted, the top is moderate in its feel to the palate. Finish has is stern in its acidity, somewhat tart, the hops delectable in their spicy bite, and the aftertaste maintains the dry tartness to the very end, a nice bit of warming in the tummy also noticed from the 10 percent ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2004 20:56:57 | More by Gusler

JohnnyDuvel

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another great beer from a great brewery. The distinctive Allagash flavor remains, but this one is full and spicy, as you would expect for a quadruple. Sweet, but in a good way. My wife shared it with me and enjoyed it very much also. If you're into Belgians, definitely seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2004 02:24:02 | More by JohnnyDuvel

Crosling

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tangerine.

Deep dark cherries, ripe plums, toasted and caramel malt in the nose.

I am amazed at how simply drinkable and deceiving this beer really is. The 10% tastes like 6. Banana, clove, spiced out yeast, dried dark fruits, ripe fruits, pear and just a hint of coriander. This is very similar to another world classic, Bush beer, with it's hefty huge mouthfeel and its dangerous drinkability.

A winner.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2004 03:54:40 | More by Crosling

faernt

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I regret having only one of this beer. I open it to find a more coppery color than I expect. A fine bubbled head appears and stays until I ask it to leave. I do so with ham and wasabi mustard. This is well made. I always expect to enjoy American (or Canadian ...Unibroue is the serious good) Belgians. I know that some say they're not as good as the "real" Belgians. But...hey....these are freshies and most real Belgians are not...
This pours as a very well made beer. It drinks as a very well made beer. I will drink North American "belgian" Beer as long as it's made...This is in a very respectful 750. I had an Allagash #2 Grand Cru within the last year and I wish you could have been here it was so well done.

Smell is fruit and nuts. Taste is sweet and spice. Mouthfeel is prickly and smooth. I will search out more tomorrow. I hope I find more.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2004 04:11:49 | More by faernt

1fastz28

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful ruby red color wit hardly any head whatsoever, the smell is very fruity and yeasty, i can smell the alcohol aswell. taste is full of flavor, lots of fruity flavors, from apples to citrus to yeast. the alcohol is present but not overpowering. it has hardly any carbonation. another good quad.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 01:06:37 | More by 1fastz28

hoppymeal

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark copper to amber, quite hazy, almost no head, just a faint covering of cream bubbles. Aroma is a nice sweet appleyness, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Dehydrated sweet apples and a hint of pruniness as well. Taste is a nice apple flavor, mixing with some dry oakiness, not quite tart but not sweet. There are hints of raisiny sweetness up front and in the finish. Mouthfeel is on light to medium, very low carbonation keeps it thinner which is quite nice. Drying in the finish with a little spicy dance of hops and alcohol. Overall, a great beer for me, the alcohol was very well masked and shoed itself in the right amounts. Mouthfeel was dead on and I loved the hints of pruney, raisiny maltiness that would pop up every now and again.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 03:15:28 | More by hoppymeal