Allagash Odyssey - Allagash Brewing Company

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Suited for adventure: husky brown, crimson highlights, cocoa head, a classic countenance, sets the mind in anticipation and the imagination loose.
whiskey screams from the nose, escaped from the bottle and ready to let fly with it's fury...rich malt and alcohol at the helm, steering us into the situation...prune, oak, raisin, plum are at guard on the side. what first stung now seems mellow, even sweet. Glorious.
Bold entrance on the palate, the rich, roasty, lush and fruity flavor floods the gates, and breaks down the door. Bourbon-y feel dominates the mouthfeel.
Other associations beckon forth...dark rum, molasses, slick, yet leathery...berries and grapes, the darker kind, come to match the onslaught of the whiskey.
Medium bodied,yet full with flavor, an relenting river of taste washes up and out with every swallow.
Finish is rather dry, just a touch sweet. Like any good drama.
The rush has been resolved, the quarrel abated, and the goals have been met: satisfaction sits in the glass, and a happy smile on the face of the drinker. We've gone to a wonderful place, throught the vessel that is this bottle, and it's noble contents, and come back better, stronger, wiser, even.
Can beer do that?
It already did.
May the force be with you.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2005 08:51:36 | More by feloniousmonk

necoadam

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

455 cases bottled. One case carried 6 bottles from what I learned. So not many of these beers are floating around.

Poured out a dark dirt brown with a foamy white head. Left a few strings of lace around the glass after I was done. Smell consisted of dark fruits mostly, along with some vanilla, honey, and a touch of earth and wood way back in the background. No big spices came through which surprised me a little bit. Taste was good. Started out with an assualt of vanilla and honey on the palate, which then mixed with some fruit, and a few hints of spices shine through which made it balance nicely. Mouthfeel was medium with a good creamy texture. This beer is quite dangerous in the drinkability department. Savor this beer, you won't be sorry.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2005 00:28:15 | More by necoadam

markman

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Allagash Odyssey (750 mL, bottled February 2005):

Beautiful beer…textbook ivory head on top of an ebony sea of 100% pure anticipation. Aroma is big and yeasty…big promises of oak, vanilla, and alcohol, and taste follows suit: big, yeasty, and oaky, and there is no missing the 10.4% ABV as it warms the belly. A lot of stuff going on here…not for the meek seeking out his/her first “Belgian”. Sharp in it’s nutty smokiness, and continues to be relentless in it’s onslaught of flavors: vanilla, slightly burnt nuts, dark chocolate, and did I say oak? The fizz could be toned down a notch or two, and though the flavors are amazing, at this young age they tend to compete rather than compliment…I’m thinking a little sleep may better integrate this stuff into a singularly beautiful whole. As it sits halfway through the first pour, I’m now picking up a bourbon-like essence just hanging in my palate. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna let that take away too much of the fun I’m having here. Quite a brew indeed, but I’m gonna let it’s twin sleep a while…I may even have to pick up a few more so I can check in on progress every now and then. This beer says, louder than any other I’ve experienced, “you ain’t seen nothing yet…”

Wow.

…and the wind, it cries Mary
*James Marshall Hendrix, 1967.

Allagash, still the #3 “Belgian” brewery in North America...

Cheers…

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2005 00:13:57 | More by markman

xgrigorix

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Brown, 750 ml bottle, corked & caged. Bottled in February 2005.

Dark & mysterious with ruby coloured highlights. Thin cap of rich beige coloured foam. Fast moving lines of fine carbonation.

Vanilla & nuts fill the nose, along with a very in your face charred oak aroma.

Just a touch of sweetness up front. Lovely flavours of vanilla, smokeyness, oak, dark fruit, & nuts. Dry & rustic. Medium-full bodied, robust, but soft carbonation. I imagine this will become quite interesting after a few years in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2005 17:25:22 | More by xgrigorix

NiceGuyMike

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Very dark with flimsy white head (I pour slowly so I wont hold the flimsy head against it).

Smells of light alcohol with a wonderfully sweet, read molassas, allspice sent.

Light vanilla, oak wonder full malt and again I get allspice. The sweetness complements the alcohol very nicely. So wonderful.

To figure out it was allspice I had to run to my spice rack and do a blind smell sample a few. Some of the spices I tried included clove, coriander seed and nutmeg. Of those allspice seems to be the key; maybe a hint of nutmeg.

Mouthfeel: thick creamy with champagne bubbles.

Unlike the Curieux this is very drinkable. Alcohol is near perfectly balanced with tastes.

I would definably put this up against any wine any day. Simply adorable.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2005 01:26:05 | More by NiceGuyMike

ColForbin

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Allagash Odyssey pours a deep dark red-brown with a voluminous white head that sticks around for a good long while. Nose is full of spice, coriander, clove and a bit of sour fruit. Taste is incredibly smooth, with some caramel, banana, clove, very dry in the middle, and an oaky California-chardonnay-like finish. The oakiness isn't over-the-top, however, and it melds better with the beer than it does with most of the aforementioned wines. Highly carbonated, fairly light body for a beer of this gravity. Quite drinkable, with a smooth warm alcohol feel at the back of the tongue.

An excellent beer from an excellent brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2005 23:19:22 | More by ColForbin

carln26

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark brown to black with mild ruby highlights. It was topped by a uniform cream colored head. Decent carbonation delivers a mild stream of champagne bubbles to the top of the glass. Very neutral aroma. There is vanilla, a little date from the malt, a hint of earth/soil, and a touch of bourbon. The taste is much richer. There is a sweetness of dates and figs up front followed quickly by vanilla, and a bourbon character. The hops show in the middle of the flavor with some orange/citrus. A mild alcohol warming, slick but rich mouth feel lend to a good drinakbility. I think this may be my favorite offering from Allagash.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2005 21:02:19 | More by carln26

MrSeth

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The cork pops off with pretty good force. The carbonation shows in the pour really nicely. It is almost an opaque dark, dark brown. In the light there are rich ruby highlights. A 4" head forms which has a pleasant yeasty aroma. The smell is also malty and oaky, and reminds me of toasted coconuts. There is alcohol in the nose if you really go after it, but it really isn't fuming with it [keywords: good balance]. The taste is like ripe plums, skin and all.. it starts out with a full on sweetness and finishes with a dry, tart astringence. Although this is a drinkable brew, I think you could easily split a 1 pint 9.4 fl oz bottle between two (or more) people, especially with dinner. And speaking of which, this brew does in fact go well with BBQ. I went for some jumbo chicken wings and a glass of Odyssey.. aaahh, sweet!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2005 01:32:34 | More by MrSeth

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

feb 2005 bottling, one of 445x12=...?

appearance: dark ruby color with an off white tightly packed head. very carbonated and otherwise active in a delirium snifter.

aroma: very malty. coffee notes with a tinge of sweetness.. i know! tiramisu! this beer smells just like tiramisu! rich, sweet.

taste: extreme vanilla. toffee and honey in the background. subtle wood and subtler tiramisu with a dark overall body. hazelnut is in there somewhere. what a perfect dessert beer. bottle #2 goes in the cellar, as usual, and i cant wait for this busy bouquet to mix up a little and mellow. overwhelming, a chaotic yet orgasmic taste experience.

mouthfeel: heavy. smooth & thick. yum. where is the abv here, cause i certainly dont taste it. its got that bubbly unibroue dark smoothness to it.

a good spring transitional season beer. like weyerbacher's insanity in some ways, but more drinkable and lighter overall for slightly warmer drinking weather. great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2005 21:00:31 | More by goodbyeohio

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Allagash's Odyssey burst forth with a richness and complexity that could be likened to an overladen rain cloud dumping itself across the cold dessert floor as part of a fast moving electrical storm at night. It's black body reveals glints of burgundy beneath its inch-high creamy ivory head; and the retention is quite nice, leaving short walls of almost completely solid lace that slowly erode to spots and splashes as you progress through the glass. Vanilla, dark caramel, raisins, and oak greet you in the nose along with some black licorice, a spritz of alcohol, a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup, chickory, some mild brown sugar, and the suggestion of cold black coffee. It's medium bodied and zesty in the mouth before warming to become somewhat airy. The flavor is even more intense than the nose suggests with the addition of some previously hidden yeasty fruitiness and spicy phenolics; and more dried dark fruit. As it warms, it rounds out quite a bit as the alcohol sinks down into its supple maltiness. Roastiness remains in the finish, but it also softens quite a bit as it's awash in dull dark fruit, alcohol, and soft, sweet vanilla. It's enjoyable for sure, but it's 10.4% abv does slow down its drinkability!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2005 23:29:15 | More by NeroFiddled

Ego

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

eyeball:
fluffy white head, deep ruby brown color, the head is lingering nicely (and lacing well)

nose:
powerfull, oak soaked in whiskey with a touch of barnyard mold dryness, almost the belgian farm bready smell but lacking the sweetness (honey) notes, dried apricots, hop florals are buried deep, not the greatest nose for me in terms of what it is but fascinating and complex.. perhaps a little carmel/coffee tone in there which seems to hint at the alcohol just beneath it.. I could probably smell this all night and come up with 100 things to say, but since I bored you already.. let me move on...

taste/mouth:
at first it feels flat, but the carbonation makes itself known mid sip, first impression is vanilla velvet with a whisky ish aftertaste and then warming sensation. no apparent alcohol flavor as of yet, a dark cherry component has emerged on my third sip, the whisky character is taking over more now...

verdict:
very well done, I dont recommend more than a snifter's worth, excellent as a digestif with some strong cheese or a really hearty spicy dip of some sort. it could hold its own against powerfull food. this one should age nicely...

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2005 03:55:04 | More by Ego

vladtheimpaler

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle, Feb 05 bottling, 10.4% abv.
Clear brown, fluffy, creamy tan head. Nice even carbonation.
Oaky fruity aroma, with a pleasant smokey component.
Big malty fruity flavor with a nice oaky character. You do notice the alcohol, but it does not detract.
A little dry on the palate, but in apleasant way.
Somewhat drinkable, but I think this is a bit much of a beer to finish a whole bottle by yourself.
This will be a keeper. Excellent cellaring potential, where one could expect that perfect 5's across the board could be achieved with time and perfect conditions.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2005 22:11:50 | More by vladtheimpaler

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on-tap at Anam Cara Public House at the EBF pre-party.

This strong ale poured a cloudy, brown color with tan foam that settled. The smell was whiskey and malt with some fruitiness, including dried fruit, and some toffee and a bit of alcohol. The taste was malty with flavors of whiskey from the barrel, dried fruit (raisins and prunes), vanilla, and moderate hops. The mouthfeel was smooth but with a crispness, with full body and low carbonation, and with a very nice aftertaste. This was a very nice beer to sip and savor from a snifter.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2005 05:16:48 | More by UncleJimbo

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
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 +11.2%
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