Allagash Odyssey - Allagash Brewing Company

ToasterChef

Maine

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from my tasting notes. The beer is colored dark plum with some brown. There is a tiny ring of off-white bubbles. It's an opaque beer; I can't see inside of it to detect any rising carbonation. There isn't much aroma that I could detect. It's a little musty and a little fruity. There may be some lime or cranberry notes; whatever it is, it reminds me of juice. It's a very dry beer with lots of yeast and wheat but not too much malt or hop flavor. There is a slight touch of sour and a hint of chocolate. It feels super crisp and dry. There are lots of tiny bubbles to be felt as well. It leaves a neat coat behind--I can only describe it as crumbly, like how your mouth feels after eating a dry cracker. It's a very different sensation for a beer to provide. I find it to be pretty drinkable. This single glass drinks well, but I think I would want to split a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2010 18:07:21 | More by ToasterChef

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My 2nd time having this on-tap. Served in an Allagash tulip (I love this glass, I gotta get one). Dark brown with a great off-white head, sticks around and leaves thick lacing down the glass. Smell is faint with yeast, clove, dark fruit. Taste is great, clove, raisins, plum, booze, spice. Love the spicy taste here. Mouthfeel is excellent, very smooth and covers your taste buds with Belgian velvet. Booze is noticeable but mixes well here. Dry finish. Allagash greatness.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2010 20:52:16 | More by Chico1985

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Sheffield's last night for Phil's going away party. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Pours with a nice one-plus fingers of tan foam. Excellent retention that eventually gives way to a thick cap and ring and leaves plenty of attractive lacing. Body is a dark, dark brown color with slight transparency at the fringes of the glass.

S - This is reminiscent of a dark wheat/dunkelweizen, but on 'roids. Malted wheat, cloves, cocoa, candi sugar, as well as spicy, fruity, and rummy esters. Not picking up much of the barrel character - either it's very well integrated or very light. Very subtle and nuanced, and takes a while to warm up

T - Sweet caramel malts, a bit of sharp wheat, cocoa, light nuttiness, and a touch of toasted oak. Less clove and spice than in the nose. Again, it's very much like an imperial dunkelweizen with a touch of barrel. Booze is more mellow in the flavor than in the aroma.

M - Viscous, chewy, smooth, medium-full body. Nice soft, but still present, carbonation. Not overly hot in the finish. A little bit sticky, but not excessively so.

D - This is a slow sipper, and a brew where I'd be happy with only one glass. It's very rich and nuanced, and as such demands a lot of engagement from the drinker. Also, while well-crafted, this particular collection of flavors doesn't personally speak to me - I like a little more roast and dark fruits in my BSDAs (a la The Viking or Rochefort 8).

I'm guessing the keg at the party was an earlier vintage, as there wasn't much of the barrel flavor noted by many other reviewers. It took about half a glass before I started to perceive appreciable oakiness. I'd be curious about comparing my experience to that from a fresh bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2010 23:49:41 | More by MasterSki

GJ40

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Tyler's in Apex, NC.

A - Brown with a reddish tinge and very little head. Some light comes through and it appears to have good clarity.

S - Oak, cherries and brown sugar.

T - Leads with rich malts, raisins, toffee and caramel. The oak blends in well and isn't overpowering. It's somewhat on the dry side.

M - A little thin for a rich, dark beer. A nice low carbonation.

D - I'm not big on oak aged beers but this one works. It's interesting and complex.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2010 15:18:25 | More by GJ40

david18

New York

3.7/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is part of a rotating allagash tap at Amsterdam Ale House on new york city's upper west side. This is not my favorite style of beer but it is as good as any belgian strong dark i've had.

Great malty and dark fruit aroma. Great color and decent flavor. I will get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2009 21:27:09 | More by david18

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the Brick House Pub. The beer is dark brown colored with a light tan head that laces in transient wet streams. The aroma is really complex, it seems they crammed everything possible into this beer. The strongest note is chocolate, with lots of berries and fruit, some sweet malty aspects too. The beer tastes way strong, sweet and estery, maybe some real fruit was steeped in here, plums or figs or something similar, a little roasted malt, and some burning alcohol holds it all together. This is too big to be anything but a sipper, but it's a really good one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2009 04:26:10 | More by TurdFurgison

glid02

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours one shade from black with dark maroon highlights and a 1.5-finger tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of dark fruits - plums, dried figs, and raisins - with good amounts of dark malts. Traces of tobacco waft out and increase a bit as the beer warms.

Tastes very good. Muted yet robust dark fruit flavors up front are backed by dark malt flavors. As with the smell peat and tobacco flavors come out midway through the sip and become larger as the beer warms. The ending is crisp and mildly bitter.

Mouthfeel is great. It's got a very smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass and could easily have a few more.

Overall this is a very good BSDA that is even better thanks to the barrel-aging. Another nicely done BA beer by Allagash and one that's well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2009 00:12:06 | More by glid02

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap into an Allagash 25cl goblet - pity it was such a small pour!

A: Clear dark ruby body topped with a finger of off-white foam; almost no lace.

S: Sweet dark fruits and a little alcohol - pleasant and inviting, but not overly complex.

T: Blows the nose out of the water with amazing complexity: figs and dates up front, followed by a pronounced vinous flavor of tannic red wine and toasty oak barrels. Almost a smoky aftertaste, with just a faint (and pleasant) warmth from the substantial alcohol; amazing beer, rivaling many top-flight Belgian quads.

M: Rich and full-bodied with ample carbonation. Nice.

D: Huge complexity of flavor more than outweighs the noticeable alcohol - I really wish I'd gotten a full pint (or 750, for that matter) of this outstanding beer.

Notes: By far my favorite Allagash offering to date; I'd been underwhelmed (not to say disappointed) with some of their other beers, and tried not to get my hopes up about this one - turns out my hopes wouldn't have mattered, as this was simply a delicious beer. Major props to the Prime 16 happy hour for making this one available!

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2009 23:30:57 | More by woosterbill

Halcyondays

California

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours brown with a light off-white head, good lace.

S: Definite medicinal alcohol, phenol, dark fruit.

T: Prune and date syrup are evident with a bit of molasses and oak. Some phenol is still there, but not as big as in the smell which makes the drink more satisfying in the end.

M: Rather full-bodied, creamy, some ethanol notes.

D: Good, but not as good as I expected, but another solid brew from Allagash and one I's certainly have again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2009 20:29:06 | More by Halcyondays

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this beer on tap at Great Lost Bear. This beer was absolutely stunning upon first taste. It is a deep mahogany color and very rich in taste. It is deep, complex, and malty sweet. Its flavor is best savored alone, as other beers at the same time seemed to overwhelm it surprisingly easy. This said, there is a lot of sugar in this beer, it was almost surpy in consistency. Definetly a great beer, one of Allagash's finest. I would love to see how this one ages, almost port-like.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2009 19:53:25 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off the tap at American Flatbread this fine spirit was a nearly opaque black with a head of mocha-like foam. The retention as a skim that became a collar was so-so and the lacing spotty. The aroma was a soft but inviting mix of oak, toasted malt and spices. The flavors were bold and complex, however. I tasted the alcohol heat and some esters, oak, tart hops, citrus rind and bitter coffee all punctuated by a spiciness. Similar to a cognac. The alcohol was fairly well hidden but the flavors seemed to compete with rather than compliment each other. Though it started semi-sweet the finish on the coffee note was bitter. The mouthfeel was good, the carbonation soft and the body medium.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2009 18:45:12 | More by thekevlarkid

ewright

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Tyler's in Durham about a month ago. I just found my notes tonight.

A: Poured dark brown, with just a slight amount of light showing through. As with most Tyler's pours, there is minimal head in the glass.

S: There's a slight oak aroma evident from the barrel aging process. Other than that, there's not much there other than a bit of wheat sourness.

T: The oak aging shows up in the flavor as well and is sadly the most prominent flavor. The wheat provides a sour twang as well, but I'm not picking out too many other flavors. That's not to say I don't like it, but it's a bit of a muddled mess of flavors.

M: Medium body and carbonation with a bit of alcoholic bite late. There's a slight astringency in the aftertaste as well.

D: This one goes down easy for 10%, but I've had it once and don't think it's worth the exorbitant price Allagash wants for it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2008 23:34:57 | More by ewright

cvstrickland

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tyler's in Durham:

The draught arrives in a goblet sporting a mahogany/ebony body impervious to light with a gob of mocha foam atop that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass.

The smell is nutty and a bit oily with toasted wheat bread and dark fruit.

The taste is dark and fruity with plums, ripe figs, banana and bitter, dry, dark cocoa powder. A bit of oak and smoky vanilla complement the fruit. No, repeat no, hint of the copious abv!

Fullish in body and silky with drinkability to spare.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2008 22:58:55 | More by cvstrickland

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap the other night at the Allagash event at Max's.

This beer is just luscious looking. It pours a dark brown color with a creamy looking, persisting head. There is very good head retention and very good lacing. The beer looks viscuous. On the nose I get lots of chocolate and vanilla, and the beer just smells decadent and rich. The beer is very rich and long lasting on the palate, with the flavor profile replicating the nose. The beer is moderately sweet, with a soft, plush, satin-like mouthfeel. The beer has almost a creamy consistency to it. There is not a sharp edge anywhere with this beer, and it has a long finish with barely noticeable alcohol.

Outstanding. An excellent beer from Allagash.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2008 15:11:39 | More by johnmichaelsen

blackkristos

Maine

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A real treat of a beer. Served on-tap in an 8oz glass.

It's a very dark, thick looking brew with little to no head. First smells of honey, chocolate and coffee. A little alcohol. Tastes pretty sweet, roasted coffee and honey. The alcohol is certainly noticable, but not over-bearing. Very full and thick body and the sweetness takes away that initial alcohol taste.

A perfect sipping/dessert beer. Ended up having another later in the evening and was still in love with it, although more than that may have been pushing it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2008 18:32:28 | More by blackkristos

Damian

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank on-tap at the Publick House, Brookline, MA

Poured a near-opaque, deep brown/black with ruby highlights when held to the light. A light tan, wispy head quickly dissipated to a clingy ring of froth.

The aroma was dark and sweet. Oaky and bourbony with notes of vanilla, brown sugar, black licorice and sweet cream. Dark fruits were noticeable as well.

The taste was quite similar to the aroma. Malty rich and creamy up front. Slightly acrid. Dark and oaky with raisins, prunes and figs coming through in the center. Some coffee as well. The finish was bourbony and quite warm (alcohol-wise) with a lingering, sweet, alcohol-rich aftertaste that intensified as the beer warmed.

Mouthfeel was medium bodied (a touch lighter than I was hoping for) and somewhat creamy with a lively, spritzy carbonation.

At 10% ABV I definitely expected the alcohol to be a noticeable component of this beer. However, I felt it was a bit overpowering.

Considering that this is an oak aged beer, I was disappointed by its lack of overall smoothness. Oddly, this beer seemed to contain more of the roasty maltiness associated with a porter or a stout than the phenolic fruitiness found in most Belgian strong ales. This is definitely a unique beer yet I do not feel it is one of the better examples of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2008 04:49:16 | More by Damian

amiles

Oregon

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Chicago's Long Room...

A: Poured into a stock goblet, dark brown with nice white head. Attractive lacing throughout the beverage.

S: Interesting... but intriguing. Not like anything else, much like the... >>

T: At first it tasted a bit like a carbonated red wine for some reason. After sippin' for a bit more interesting flavors revealed themselves. Oak and sweetness, complex indeed. Couldn't quite nail it.

M: Alright?

D: Perhaps could have had one more, but that'd probably be it. It was my night cap for the evening before a few Aprihops, and Benders.

Nice brew that pushes the boundaries. Allagash is good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2008 03:58:30 | More by amiles

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown/ruby near black with a nice head of white foam as well. Belgian lace, up and down the glass. Aromas of wheat, belgian sugar, roasty malts, and vanilla, oak, and bourbon hints amongst others. Taste was big and bold with tons of boozy vanilla, rum, oak, and raisins. Nice. This picks up where the Curieux left off and than takes it to the moon. Mouthfeel is creamny, smooth, and cask-like. Let this one warm up though it was served way too cold off of the taps at Anam Cara. Drinkability was damn good for such a complex, big-ass beer. Wow another masterpiece of Belgian meanderings from our fine friends in Maine.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2005 14:30:37 | More by francisweizen

twelvsies

Maine

4.75/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

First review for this beer, score. I was told at the Moan and Dove by Allagash brewer/owner Rob Todd, that this was the first keg ever unleashed to the public. The second keg went to the Extreme Beer Fest yesterday in Boston. In my opinion it was the best beer there, which is a high compliment because there was an amazing selection of yummy beers. Anyway, on to the review...
Pours a very dark brown, not quite opaque with bits of red shining through around the edges. Not much head to speak of on this beer. Smell is super copmlex. Sweet fig scents accent a very stout-ish ale. It also has a distinctive Belgian spice aroma and yeasty bread characteristics. Taste is all of the above and more. Huge even for the style. You can taste the candied sugar that was used to brew it but it isn't oppressive at all. Hints of alcohol are just barely noticable. Big malt attitude with a spicy hop kick backing it up. Wow. Mouthfeel is velvet smooth. So easy to drink this beer. I can't wait til they bottle this next month but I guess I'm going to have to wait for now. Amazing brew, seek it out at all costs.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2005 22:55:46 | More by twelvsies

vfgccp

New York

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Dec 2011 bottle opened May 2013.

A - Beautiful looking brew. Dark walnut body with ice tea and cranberry highlights. Fluffy off-white head with poor lace and ok retention.

S - Dark grains, toasted Eggo waffles, maple syrup, toasted marshmallows, booze.

T - Oak, honey, toasted coconut, rye bread crust, caramel, toasted whole wheat, vanilla, almond, tiramisu. Complex with great integration, and not overly sweet.

M - Medium frame. Nice smoothness.

O - The beer really opens up close to room temperature. Great balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 02:24:36 | More by vfgccp

beertunes

Washington

3.96/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from January 2010, shared on 5/5/13. Poured into tulip. Poured a nice deep reddish-brown color with under 1/2 inch of light brown head that had good retention and moderate lacing.

The aroma was a lot of deep malts and a bit of fruitiness from the yeast. There was a bit of wood aroma as well, an overall very pleasant scent. On the tongue, all the above features were present, just bolder. The fruitiness (plum and cherries) was prominent, with the wood providing a good bass note underneath.

The body was nicely full, yet wasn't heavy. The beer was smooth and even across the palate. For a beer with a nice bit of sweetness, this had a surprisingly dry finish. Drinkability was dangerously easy, I would have happily killed the 750 by myself. Overall, a very nice beer. A must try if you see it, and probably worth trading for.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 19:14:47 | More by beertunes

clayrock81

Virginia

4.19/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured a brownish, almost black hue with two finger head and lace ring that leaves patches. A roasted malt aroma first hits me, like coffee and toffee with a touch of bready toast and there's this sense of caramel and dark cholocate and syrupiness in the aroma as well, but not much in the fruit or hops department. Real smooth, creamy, thicker medium-bodied beer that has sweet notes abound like vanilla java, chocolate, caramel, some toffee, I swear some sweet fruit notes are evident. Great balance with roasted malts so it's not too sweet and has an edge, especially in the finish but not an ABV bite. Some woody or oakiness help smooth it out as well and make you want to keep drinking this beer. Not much else in terms of fruit flavors or hops, so I found this (and in no way is this a detriment) sweeter than your average belgian ale with less of that citric orange peel flavor you can expect. Overall, a must try for beer lover.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 13:38:52 | More by clayrock81

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled in Feb 2013. Poured in a nonic, the beer is a vibrant, dark, amber-brown coloring with a thin, light, off-white head that remains low and tight to the surface. A steady flow of small, tight carbonation throughout the body of the brew. This looks tasty. Aromas of rich, dark sweetness in the background, including dates and raisins. A subtle grain overlay on the nose balances, with some nut sweetness revealing, also. Flavors are bold and smooth initially, with a blast of rich, old world fruit sweetness (date and fig) followed by a grainy and toasted wheat character that brings a touch of sharpness and cleanliness to the palate. Very balanced. The more you drink, the more you can pull from the palate, with some tart grape sweetness and hints of smoke and char. The dynamics of the flavors keep the elevated ABV from being blatantly recognizable, but there is a subtle warmth that builds as you drink. Nutty and sweet aftertaste, with a decent linger to it, leading to a slow, light, and slightly sweet finish. This is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 15:58:24 | More by GarthDanielson

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Wow. Deep, complex and flippin awesome!

A: Dark amber brown, looks great. Two finger head.
S/T: Candied sugars, really well balanced and great tasting...smooth, nice all around.
O: This is a great beer. The tastes here are so good, such a flavorful beer, lots of sweetness but absolutely not overpowering...this beer is right on.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 17:20:55 | More by 4thelvofbeer

WillCarrera

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

750 ml bottle, bottled in February, 2013, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a dark brown, reddish highlights, topped with an inch of creamy khaki head, nice retention and lacing.

S- Lots of raisin, other dark fruit, some caramel. Not much else.

T- Some dark fruit, lots of raisins, figs etc. There's also some caramel, wheaty grain flavors, quite a bit of spice, some clove, roasty char and dry oak towards the finish.

M- Medium-bodied, nice, creamy feel.

O- A solid BSDA, the oak flavors especially are very nice, but not much else really stands out. I'm not sure I would pick this up again when there are so many comparable beers at better price points.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 11:29:48 | More by WillCarrera