Allagash Victoria Ale - Allagash Brewing Company

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden amber with a finely beaded head that is quite healthy. Fades to a ring. Sweet, very ripe grapes followed by some Belgian yeast tang and some light citrusy bitterness in the aroma. The taste has more of that extreme grape flavor going on, especially up front. Sweet, ripe grapes followed by a spicy, fizzy, aftertaste with hints of clove and fennel as well as some late earthy bitterness. Up front this almost tastes like Most- the Austrian drink of wine that is not fully fermented, but the finish tastes more like a more herbal version of a tripel. Mixed reaction to this one at my house. I think it is somewhat unusual, and fairly pleasant, but by no means would this make my regular to drink list. I've actually had this a few times now but neglected to review it. I'm probably done with this at this point.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2008 08:38:16 | More by Georgiabeer

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ML corked and caged bottle > oversize wine glass.

slightly hazy honey color wityh many tiny bubbles and a high crown of smooth, bright-white foam and large clumpy lacing.

Very fruity nose, sweet, red berries, wild raspberries, sour and tart wild yeastie scent with lemmon citrus and overlly ripe red grapes and clean, wheat scent way down.

The flavor is a light and crisp wheatie malt, very pale wheat with white grapes and sour fruits. Later on, there's a wine-like earthiness under a smooth herbal hop. subtle spicey and peppery yeast effect tingles the tongue along with a mellow but noticable heat. Grapefruit tartness and fresh green veggies are subtle but effect for balance.

I think the addition of grapes adds some nice complexity and despite a 9% abv it's very refreshing in the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2008 22:47:57 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

ruckzuck

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Out of a large wine glass with steak tartare.

A - lovely copper opaque body with a white head which dissipated

S - fruity, spicy, yeasty, funky, peppery, and sweet malt. Smells absolutely delicious

T - just like the nose. The peppery and spicy aspects are more pronounced in the flavor for sure

M - medium bodied with some nice carbonation

D - absolutely great! This is a superb beer. I almost wish I weren't sharing the bottle with my gf, but I'm sure I can get more at Green's and I'm glad we're enjoying it together. Highly recommended. Allagash hits this one out of the park.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2008 22:30:06 | More by ruckzuck

paulthebeerguru

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Slightly hazy golden yellow color, with a hint of orange. Nice white head, moderate lacing, which could have been better. mellow head retention. Mild grape tones with some sweet pale malts. honey. some chardonnay flavors, spicy, tart, yet subtle. Low to medium body. active carbonation within the beer. a little dry, but crisp. very drinkable. downside of the strong alcohol burn.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2008 23:42:51 | More by paulthebeerguru

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

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

The beer pours a solid gold color with good head retention and lacing. Like the Victor, this beer smells pretty sweet, with honey and hints of cherry. On the palate this beer is moderately sweet, and is a bit grapy. There is also something of a sweet and sour cherry taste as well to this beer. Maybe some honey as well. The beer is smooth and long on the palate, but is not the least bit heavy or tiring. Drinkability with this beer is high. I would never guess the abv. is 9%.

Another very nice beer from Allagash.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2008 15:31:31 | More by johnmichaelsen

PeprSprYoFace

California

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought this at a local beer stop. Pretty pricy for what it ended up being.

Appearance was ok. Belgian pale/tripple looking with a transparent golden color. Head dissapated fast on this one. Lacing doesnt really stay on the glass.

Smell is yeasty and if a Belgian tripple but not very strong. Little hints of grapes.

Taste is that of a Belgian tripple and a belgian pale ale mixed with a heavy yeast taste. The grape flavor is nice in this one and makes a good complement. Slight spicyness.

Mouthfeel is a fine carbonation on the tongue with a slightly thinner feel than I was expecting based on the Abv.

Drinkability is ok and I could probably drink the whole bottle by myself but I would rather share it and drink a better beer next instead. Its a good beer but not worth the $17 I paid for the 750ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 07:10:34 | More by PeprSprYoFace

kkipple

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a very mead-lookin' nearly still dingy dull orange. Head dies faster than a snickers bar in death valley.

I'm getting a lot of yeast in the nose, vitamin B and tang, with layered notes of honey and white grapes. There's alcohol heat and a pleasing floral scent here - let it sit for a while and the yeasty smell fades a little and it opens up. Not awfully complex, but good.

Tastes quite grape-y, white wine and sulfur yeast mingle with your basic mellow Belgian golden ale. Lots of honey and pears, pepper, mild apple tartness. The yeast is still a little overpowering here and sits in the finish a tad too long. Overall it's a pleasing mellow flavor if you can get past the yeast funk.

Mouthfeel is finely carbonated and slick, the finish is heavy on the white grapes and a little boozy-sweet. Not too shabby.

This is a good beer, but the yeast character overpowers a lot of budding nuance. Worth a try, now I've got to get some Victor!

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 06:02:56 | More by kkipple

deltatauhobbit

Maine

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

Pours a hazy golden/orange color with a good sized head, good retention, some lacing.

Smell is yeasty with strong notes of fruit, apple and pear possibly and a bit of honey, can't really make out much of a grape presence though.

Taste has a rather tart sweetness yet finishes sharply (most likely a result of the grapes), lots of spiciness going on such as clove, good carbonation amount for the style, the strength is well hidden behind the fruit and spice of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 16:41:36 | More by deltatauhobbit

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Atlanta ale meeting. All but drunk, I swished some samples around after seeing and smelling. Creamy mouthful and grapiness mixed in the yeast.Sweetish from the much chardonnay grapes.And with that it is more wine than beer, but there are not wines around that brew with beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2008 04:29:00 | More by northyorksammy

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy orange-ish, yellow color with a white head. In the aroma, it was all white grapes. In the taste, Belgiany sugar and a dry white grape. A sweet fruity and bitter moouthfeel and a semi-dry fruity aftertaste. Great flavor, fantastic grape presence. Hide alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2007 17:20:02 | More by OWSLEY069

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a chalice)

A- This beer has a straw yellow lightly hazy body that as a snow white creamy head that last for the full beer. There is a strong carbonation of microbubbles that glide to the surface.

S- The smell of soft sweet honey has a bread crust note to it. For the most part the smell is pretty clean.

T- This beer has a sweet honey malt flavor with some light white caramel flavors and a faint note of banana and bread dough to it. There is a soft bitterness at the finish that has a soft green noble hop note to it.

M- This beer has a light mouthfeel with a creamy texture that finish with no sign of alcohol heat.

D- This beer has a nice smooth wheat sweetness to it with a good balance from the hops. The flavors are not as concise as typically malt and hops flavors but have more of a mystery to them.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 17:43:36 | More by rhoadsrage

flexabull

California

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of brandonman63. Thanks again!

Pours a cloudy gold color with a nice big head.

Aromas are spicy, yeasty, and very floral.

Very creamy, nice sweet and full malt flavors. Some yeast and spice on the finish. Somewhat tart as well, very nice balance of flavors. Would like a bit more of a spicy kick to this one though... still quite tasty.

A lot fuller in mouthfeel than others in the style I have tried. Very nice.

Super easy to drink, and very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2007 01:35:57 | More by flexabull

GClarkage

California

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

08/17/07- Purchased at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, CA.

Presentation- 750ml bottle, both caged and corked. 2007 release which was poured into my Troubadour tulip.

Appearance- Light orange-yellow hued pour. Good one inch yellow-whiteish head with decent streaks of lace.

Smell- Lemon rind, maybe a bit of cinnimon and clove with a nice yeasty nose as well. Not really sensing many grapes here.

Taste- Ahhh, the chardonnay (assuming that) flavor really comes through in the taste. A bit sour, but more sweet. Has a lot of witbier characteristics as well. Lots of white pepper, corriander and clove spicyness.

Mouthfeel- Pretty well carbonated, but easy to suck down. More sharp carbonation that foamy.

Drinkability- Seems more like an imperial wit if there is such a thing. Overall really tasty, but the price was a bit steep...$13.99 at a store where prices are very good...I've seen it for as much as $17.99. Maybe a good $9.99 bottle of so.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2007 15:37:16 | More by GClarkage

rallison

California

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very classy looking 750ml bottle, backed with a $16 price tag. Let's hope this is at least decently tasty....

Pours a nice cloudy amber color into my Urthel glass, with a semi-fizzy 1 finger white head that leaves a good bit of lacing. Smells of apple cider, coriander, white wine and similar smells.

Taste is interesting. Well spiced - coriander and the like - with an interesting grape character. Peppery. Slight bit of tartness as well. Some earthy characteristics, with a nice touch of yeast. As this warms, sweet flavors take on a more central role - sweet toffee and caramel.

Mouthfeel is pretty well carbonated, with alcohol not really present. Finish is sharp. Drinkability is decent.

Was this good? Yes. Altogether a solid offering. Was this worth $16? No, you can find better for quite a bit less.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2007 05:06:30 | More by rallison

MarioL66

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Golden cloud, led to anticipated deliciousness

Smell - As it warmed I detected chardonnay/white grapes, interesting

Taste - Sweet up front, then a light sourness leading into a very small hop note. A mint note.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, a little heft (from the alcohol)

Drinkability - Refreshing when cold and as it warms the details emerge.

This beer works from a refreshing standpoint when cold and, if warmer, really shows the white grapes used to brew it. A good beer from Allagash. I prefer a few of there other offerings but I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2007 00:44:39 | More by MarioL66

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Bu11zeye: Poured a bright yellow color ale with a big foamy head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of sweet white grape juice with some Belgian malt and some yeast. Taste is sweet with a nice mix between Belgian style malt and a yeasty finish. I couldn’t really pick-up the taste of grapes in there. Body was above average with some good carbonation and no alcohol was noticeable. Overall, this is an interesting beer but definitely not the best from this fine brewer.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2007 00:38:51 | More by Phyl21ca

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two-finger white head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Almost cloudy amber color. Grape?? nose. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is grape/hops, not sweet, slight tin finish. Grapes and malt don't mix. High ABV is hidden. Not worth $15.59 for a 750ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2007 22:25:01 | More by jdhilt

cbl2

New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2/21/2007 $10.99 750 mL 9.00% No best by date, designed for aging.

Appearance:

Pours a hazy orange topped by a thin film of white head that is constantly replenished by the presence of vigorous carbonation.

Aroma:

Muscat grapes meets pizza dough, as wine and beer face off in this melange of aromas. Sweet honey and a bit of earthyness present themselves as well.

Taste/Mouthfeel:

Excellent mouthfeel leads into a sweet warming body of gooey honey, cantalope and pear. Alcohol and bread are abundant in the finish, as is an intense belgian candied sugar.

Reminiscent of Midas Touch to me. This one straddles the fence between beer and the beyond. Fruit characters lead the way here, though not the Chardonnay I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 22:29:19 | More by cbl2

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.47/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ripe apricot with sheets of bubbles boiling off the bottom of the glass. Victoria doesn't look overcarbonated, it looks Belgian carbonated; there's a difference. Atop the gorgeous liquid is a chunk of French vanilla foam that is almost, but not quite, the equal of the best BSPAs. It's respectably rocky and is just sticky enough to leave a few melty smears of lace.

The aroma is classic for the style. I'm continually amazed that Allagash nails the Belgian styles with authority, while most American brewers struggle to some extent. The nose is apple and pear fruity with a perfect amount of clove-like yeastiness. Surprisingly, white grapes aren't a huge part of the aroma.

Victoria Ale is yet another wonderful beer from Allagash Brewing Company. The addition of 100 lbs of Chardonnay grapes gives it a distinctiveness that sets it apart from the rest of the brewery's lineup. There isn't a huge grape influence on the palate, although they're definitely noticeable and add a considerable amount of fruitiness to a style that is able to incorporate more fruitiness with ease.

In typical ABC fashion, each member of the flavor profile knows its place and contributes perfectly to the hugely successful whole. Allagash beer doesn't smack the drinker in the face with a shovel, but the end result is the same: stunned amazement. There's a fraction more sweetness than is typical for the style; probably due to pale malt, candi sugar and fructose from the grapes.

I can't imagine a more perfect spiciness. Ground clove hums warmly along, zipping in and out, complementing without overwhelming. These guys have mastered the use of Belgian yeast more completely than many Belgian brewers. They've also just about perfected the art of alcohol masking because there's virtually none noted until the senses begins to fuzz about a third of the way into the bottle.

The mouthfeel score was one notch lower initially. However, with repose, it has improved considerably. I love the combination of a medium weight silkiness; a peppy, invigorating bubbliciousness; and a lightly coating, finishing stickiness. Pure pleasure.

Allagash is not only the best brewery in the state of Maine, it's one of the best breweries in America and in the world at large. In fact, in my humble opinion, there are only a handful of Belgian brewers who are as accomplished and as consistent. Victoria Ale may not be the best BSPA that I've ever had, but it's within sight of the leaders. Thanks hopsaplenty.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 22:45:25 | More by BuckeyeNation

Manosbeeroffate

Maine

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

$13 a bottle, wow!! Pours cloudy golden color. Smells quite sweet like dried fruit. Tastes less like that, more just sweet malt, quite yeasty too, quite a bit of yeasty aftertaste too, but not overwhelming. Overall, it's good not great. Not worth the $13 that it's priced at. I can get La Fin du Monde or even Allagash Four for half the price of this, which I will continue to do.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2007 02:45:20 | More by Manosbeeroffate

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, corked. Sampled June 2006.

This beer poured a cloudy, golden color with white foam that settled. The smell was mild grape skins with a slight sweetness that became more pronounced as it warmed. There was also a Belgian maltiness. The taste was lightly tart grape skins with Belgian malt and light hoppiness. There was a faint flavor of tannins. Overall the flavors were somewhat subtle. The mouthfeel was very dry with medium body and very pronounced carbonation (frothy). The sweet maltiness and grape skin flavors lingered. This was a good and enjoyable beer, but with subtle flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2006 07:06:01 | More by UncleJimbo

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Bottled February of '06, Sampled November 2006
This definitely smells of grapes; as soon as I start to pour this beer I get tart, vinous, flinty notes of sharp white grapes. The beer is very well carbonated and has an initial three-finger thick, light tan colored head that leaves some lacing on the sides of my glass as it subsides. The beer is a hazy, orange tinged, light amber color. Sweet malt aromatics are also here in the nose; touches of caramel, sweet malted grain and a touch of toasty grain. Fruit notes certainly are the most noticeable part of the aroma with notes of raisins, plums, and even a hint of something like a tropical fruit note. It is interesting that this has taken on some notes of darker fruits (even a note of fig is here), the initial aroma was all chardonnay grapes, but this melds in with darker fruit notes quite seamlessly as my nose gets used to the aromatics. There are some nice, though quite subtle, soft spice notes in the nose as well. Nothing too obvious, but at times I sense notes of ginger, clove, perhaps some cinnamon, and a touch of earthy black pepper.

The taste is quite sweet up front, a grape like sweetness and fullness lingers in the mouth. The beer finishes with some acidity and sharp, slightly astringent, spicy note that is sort of like a sauvignon blanc. This definitely has a fairly full body to it; it is not quite a sipping beer, but I would not call it quaffable either. Chardonnay grape flavors are definitely here as well, but the beer is sweet enough that it masks the typical dry, chardonnay wine flavors. Again the sweetness of this brew makes me think of darker fruits than white grapes; notes of sweet plums, fresh figs, and raisins are the most easily discernible flavors. There are some notes of greener fruits here as well though; notes of honeydew, star fruit, and of course green grapes are noticeable if somewhat subtle to the more noticeable darker fruit notes.

Despite my comments regarding the heft of this beer, this has disappeared remarkably fast from my glass. Something about it is definitely drinkable, though I still would not say it is quaffable. I think it might be the acidity here, there is just enough to not allow the sweetness to become overbearing and actually it keeps it quite manageable. I definitely think this would be much better at a slightly lower alcohol content; at 6% or even 7% this would be quite a bit easier to drink and would actually be more in line with what one typically expects from a Chardonnay grape. This is definitely a hard one to judge, on its individual components I would score this quite highly, and even overall I am enjoying it, but I don't think it is as good as it objectively seems.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2006 03:35:59 | More by Gueuzedude

lou91

California

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I loved this beer from the noisy pour to the fantastic sweet honey and rich complex fruit scents. The taste was not as good as the smell but this may be due to its youth. It was a bit too sweet but a year or two should round it out. Still it is a well done rich flavorful tasty belgian style ale that many would be envious of. This one is going back on the want list. Thanks to Brewfan for this.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2006 06:47:51 | More by lou91

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Somewhat murky orange body with a couple of fingers of offwhite head that dissipates a bit more quickly than expected. Smells yeasty, citrusy, and somewhat spicey. Tastes citrusy, malty, and spicey. Medium bodied. Surprisingly drinkable for the ABV... Very enjoyable! Kudos once again, Allagash!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2006 02:47:31 | More by MrHurmateeowish

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The ale is a copper red color with orange hints. On pour, the head is thick and luxurious but it dissipates to a small white ring.

S: The ale has a grape aroma, similar to red grape juice, but subtle and not so sweet. It is a different aroma for a beer, I've never encountered it before.

T: The grapes in the nose miraculously disappear from the taste. The taste is a stronger malt flavor, well spiced with some pepper and honey. The finish is where some of the fruitiness re-emerges, giving the ale a tart sweetness.

M: The mouthfeel, with spices and fruit tartness, is very good.

D: The 9% abv is well hidden here, allowing the fruit and spices to shine. A well made beer indeed.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2006 01:53:54 | More by akorsak