Allagash Four - Allagash Brewing Company

LuckySevens82

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Cork popped out so easily for as 750 that I nearly threw the bottle to the ground since I was expecting more of a fight.
Pours a hazy mahogany (could be from the yeast though). A nice tan head follows (while there is no need for a hard pour on this one, the lacing still is somewhat lacking, one of the few downpoints of this beer).
Smell is unique. Plums are a major character of the aroma, along with alcohol, and a small amount of hop spice (not a whole lot of citrus in this one). One weird thing I noticed is that I kept smelling bubblegum. Nevertheless, it was nice.
This is a great tasting brew. the 4 malts, 4 hops, and 4 fermentations created a very interesting combination of tastes. Plums, pears, dark malts (bready, caramel, a little biscuity), and alcohol (which is to be expected of a quad). This is very port like in flavor and very sweet.
I will definitely have this beer again. I tried one as soon as it came out and bought another to cellar for a while to see how the taste changes over time. A fine beer and one that I would highly recomment.

Note: the reason that drinkability is not a 5 is the abv. I have a hard time downing a lot of a 10% abv brew. One bottle is fine, more than that would be pushing it. Although, if it weren't for the alcohol content, I could easily drink this one all night.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2004 23:00:19 | More by LuckySevens82

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of a bottle, AOBF 2004...

Sedimented dark ginger brown appearance with dull orange highlights. Fast rising ochre head and very attractive thick ropey laces. Flesh fruit aromas, pear, raisin, and cinnamon. Thick texture, catches in the throat. An alcohol build-up helps counter the viscosity and the heavy fruit flavors and there's an interesting hot mace and cinnamon complexity that shines through at the end. Well-brewed and high octane, I loved it though it may not be as likeable as tamer Quads like La Trappe. Just shy of really drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2004 15:52:03 | More by ADR

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

yankeeheel

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a handsome candy apple red with a rather large assertive eggshell colore head. Massive retention and thick, fat lacing.

Smells slightly candi like in it's aroma. Not sickly sweet by any stretch.

Initially it's quite sweet with a bit of brown sugar up front and some plum character as well. Turns a little dry in the middle with an almost rye like quality to it. Finishes slightly astringent with a hint of alcohol and apple. Drying. Complex, yet not overdone.

Mouthfeel is moderate-strong in it's body. Has a very creamy feel when you get a big gulp of foam with it.

Drinkability? Well, it's smooth. Not sure it would gain a whole lot from cellaring. It's not as if it has huge sugars to break down or a lot of hop to burn off. It may actually lose something over time. Age can't put in what wasn't there to begin with. A solid belgian clone, but not any kind of american grail, IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2004 23:38:30 | More by yankeeheel

TinusTime

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a beautiful reddish chestnuty brown colour with a big rich head that seems so dense you wanna stand on it.. Head took a while to disipate. Taste is nice with rich bready malts, biscuit dough, spices with caramel apples, rock candy. Not much in the way of hops, just enough to keep this from getting too fruity sweet. Alcohol was noticable on the nose and in the glass. Nice carbonation keeps with beer from getting way to sweet. Drinkability is lower just because of the alcohol and the fact that when it warmed a bit it got a bit sweeter and more syrupy. However these are minor things.. I would definately like to have another one of these..

Thanks to Avylover for sharing his bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2004 17:01:44 | More by TinusTime

BierReise

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml Corked Batch #1 I believe Pours a beautiful amber which is cloudy and with a fiery orange hue and a thick dense and frothy head. Head settles down a bit but retains well. Fantastic aroma, sugary, malty with notes of cherries, yeast and spices like pepper and clove. Wonderful. The mouthfeel is creamy, full and smooth with a delicate feel and a lively carbonation. The flavor is also one to desire. A sugary, malty spicy treat that has a faint and enjoyable hop presence which lends a slight grassy note. Not as complex or deep a flavor as some Belgian Quads we all are familiar with but I wasn't expecting that either. This is an American brew. Maybe with time it will mature a bit but it's wonderful right now in my opinion. An incredibly enjoyable flavor. This one's a winner folks. The best Allagash has brewed in my humble opinion. Way to go guys!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2004 01:45:30 | More by BierReise

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Updated review - 29JUN05.
It's been over a year since I first tried this, so here goes again.

Dark mahogany, a touch hazy and opaque. Steady carbonation within, and a smooth, fine tan head tops things off. Sticks well in the glass, too.

Candy sugar whiffs, and a touch of dark fruit in the aroma. Somewhat enticing. Medium bodied all the way, with a light touch of carbonation-induced prickliness on the tongue. Still a good mouthfeel, though.

Dark fruit flavors abound, with a smidge of pleasing sweetness. A bit plummy and a hint of chocolate? Interesting. Lovely lingering fruitiness, with suggestions of brown sugar wandering around as well. Much better after a year!

Prosit!!

overall: 4.35
appearance: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4.5

*** ***

Ok...just got this yesterday (10APR04), fresh off the truck from Maine...

Four has a deep chestnut color, and it is clear yet dark enough that it seems opaque. Head is a layer of tight, compact bubbles, lightly-tan in color, and resting at about 1/4". Lacing in the goblet is top-shelf. Nose has some breadiness as well as a yeasty spice bite. Checks in with a medium body, and is fairly smooth on the tongue, with a light bit of roughness due to the carbonation. Bready, crackery, dry malt is present to start, with just a bit of residual sweetness. Has some nice fruitiness, with touches of pears, apples and light mango. Finishes quite dry, with lingering aftertastes of fruitiness mingling with some spiciness (coriander?).
Fairly good, though I was expecting the flavors to be more robust and up-front, and it's just a bit too dry to me. Less complex than expected as well.... (4.5/3.5/4.0/4.0/3.5 - 3.95)
Prosit!

703

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2004 19:08:53 | More by Bierman9

vladtheimpaler

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This is worthy of some extended aging. Nice Brownish orange color. Head is not huge, like you would expect from a belgian, but then again, it may still be fermenting in the bottle. Aroma is a menage of hops, bubble gum (which I would attribute to being young), and candi. Flavor is bold. Sticky sweetness blended with lots of hop flavor, and a tad bit of bitterness. Finishes long and sweet. Will be buying a couple more.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2004 18:45:55 | More by vladtheimpaler

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had this at Anam Cara during the launch, actually I started with this beer, and also made it my last beer of the evening. Allagash have themselves and very enjoyable and highly drinkable new beer. Pour was a cloudy cherry color. The aroma promised (me at least) raspberries. Served in an Allagash glass, the head above the beer is at least two inches of dense foam, which adds to the eye appeal. I was able to talk to the brewer, so I told him I thought the taste was reminiscent of the grand cru, but much more muted and blended (in a good way!). It had the spicey taste of the cru, but as he explained to me, there are no spices used in this one, the 'spiceness' in the taste comes from the brewing art/process itself. It was very smooth and drinkable (I did have two that evening), that I have to give it a 5 in that category, as the 10% is not apparent. Good stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2004 15:29:28 | More by PatandDavid

AllThingsNinja

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured at Anam Cara into an Alagash glass, this golden brown beer had and ample head. The aroma was of a mix of spices, primarily cloves, and a little sweet. The flavors were subtle, with a lot of clove spiciness, sugar notes. The fruit flavors, reminiscent of banana and pear, were rather understated. The brew was light, but well bodied. It was enjoyable, and I look forward to comparing the draft to the bottled Four.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2004 12:09:45 | More by AllThingsNinja