Allagash Victor Ale - Allagash Brewing Company

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer reminded me a little of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch. This brew poured out with a nice golden color to it, the head was white and fluffy. The smell of the grapes on the nose came through nicely and gave this beer a slight wine-like aroma to it. The taste of the beer was on the sweet side and leaves you with a good aftertaste also. The grapes are more sweet than tart I think, either way still pretty nice. The mouthfeel of this beer was well carbonated and had a fairly light body to it. Overall this beer was nice, Probably one of the better Allagash brew I've had. I would drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 05:37:12 | More by Knapp85

Meeg

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm stuck in Cleveland, reading my buddy's Facebook posts about his beer tour in New England, which included a stop in my Promised Land... The Barrel Room at Allagash Brewery. What else to do but open a bottle of my Allagash stash?

2009 vintage poured into an Allagash stemmed-glass, consumed while playing hookey and attempting to make progress on my bathroom remodel, listening to WEEI.

Aside from the bitter taste of the discussion about the Red Sox' epic collapse...

Beautiful pale golden color, with a nice, subtle grape scent. Grapes on the tongue, lasting through to the end, pleasantly reminiscent of Dogfish's Midas Touch (a favorite). A not-too light, definitely-not-heavy mouthfeel, matching the best belgians.

I'm happy, and I made progress in the bathroom remodel. Allagash always helps.

Oh! It was gusher, but I hadn't cooled it before opening. A rookie mistake. Don't open at 70 degrees, or you'll lose a bit of beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 21:07:16 | More by Meeg

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 bottle

A: Pours a clear golden yellow color with a nice big head that sticks around for quite a while

S: Some yeast to start things off, along with a sweetness that can be attributed to the grapes, some light malts and a light hop presence

T: Can definitely pick out the wine-like yeast strain as it isn't too fruity, but still imparts a good vinous and fruit-like character. Following up is a nice bit of malt with a touch of sweetness and light spicy hops to round it off. Alcohol is present throughout, but doesn't detract flavor from any single element

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. A touch under-carbonated, if anything

O: A nice hybrid-type beer that definitely stays in the beer realm, but captures some nice wine-like qualities. The red grapes used impart a subtle sweetness that isn't too overbearing, and the wine yeast strain doesn't overpower the beer qualities. Very nicely done

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 03:16:57 | More by BEERMILER12

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Finally cracking open the bottle

Appearance:
Golden honey with a light and plentiful white head. There is no haze and ample lacing. This is a very well carbonated beer.

Smell:
Light aromas of honey and grapes mixed with some spice. Very sweet beer with almost no hints of bitter or alcohol. Tremendous yeast character, smells yummy.

Taste:
A well restrained grape with golden malt and balanced spices. This is a very summery sipper that would easily take you by surprise with its deceptively high abv. An aftertaste light as honey followed by a slightly bitter spiciness.

Mouthfeel:
Light and refreshing beer that leans a little towards having a medium body. This beer is just the right amount of sour and dry. The bite from the alcohol is minimal and carbonation is plentiful throughout.

Overall:
I'm grateful for already having tried this beer in Portland on tap and bottle poured already. I was lookin for the perfect wine-beer hybrid to share with my father and this seems to have done the trick. Although the beer is pricy it's absolutely worth the money if you are searching for a flavorful Belgian style ale sweetly blended with grapes, or just a good beer in general.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 22:20:40 | More by ThePorterSorter

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle served in a snifter.
2011 vintage.

pours a mostly clear golden tone while yielding a frothy two fingers or so of an off-white head. good retention and lacing.

nose offers a lot of grape and apple, with notes of yeast, malt, and maybe a touch of hops in the background. nice, though nothing extraordinary.

flavor delivers more of the same. good doses of grape, with some secondary fruity characteristics (apples, maybe a bit of citrus), some yeastiness and a sturdy malt presence. some booze, but not enough to significantly impact the beer. medium bodied in the mouth with adequate carbonation.

overall, very solid beer. no 'wow' factor per se, but pretty damn tasty. i'm enjoying it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 03:44:00 | More by perrymarcus

beerhan

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, 2009 vintage.

Poured into a snifter, golden color with medium medium carbonation. Small white head that fades fast.

Smells very sugary and sweet. Almost like a sugar daddy with some grapes. A little yeastiness to it but nothing overpowering.

Taste is incredible. I came into this beer with low expectations but I thought it tasted fantastic. Most belgian pales have an overdominating yeast taste to it but this one is rather subtle. There is some grape in the after taste that is delicious and its sweet but not bitter.

Quite drinkable but could use a little more carbonation. It is almost like a bitter juice rather than a sweet beer at some times.

Overall this is one nice beer. Worth trying once or twice but not really worth 11 dollars.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 17:25:59 | More by beerhan

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This corked and caged 750ml bottle has been aging in my "cellar" for about four years.

Just a slightly hazey copper and amber colored beer with a quick head and sparse bubbling.

The taste has lots of toasted malt flavors, really enhancing the caramel taste of this beer. The grape, sweet viney mix with the caramel flavors works well.

The palate is a little syrupy, sweet, but the carbonation cuts teh syrupy mouthfeel for a little balance. Just a little noticeable warmth from the alcohol. Rather mellow overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 13:37:32 | More by scruffwhor

AgentZero

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Copper/yellow color with a fluffy whitish head that left a little bit of stick on the sides.

S - Smells like grape jelly or grape juice, lots of grapes in here. Malty backbone is pretty buried by the grapes, and there's some estery smells as well.

T - Sugary grape sweetness over some caramel malts, but this is so grape forward it's almost a waste of beer, just drink juice at a cheaper cost. Little bit of spice and yeast in the background.

M - Medium bodied with fairly active carbonation.

O - I don't really feel like drinking this one again. I like grape juice just fine, but juice is juice, beer should seem more like beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 21:18:15 | More by AgentZero

Blanco

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The color is slightly pink with a white head. smell is of the grapes and other fruity tones, with slight hint of belgian style yeasts. Flavor is sweet, but not cloyingly so. more grape. very light mouthfeel. overall, solid beer, but nowhere near the price tag i paid for it though.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 02:14:53 | More by Blanco

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Public House, in San Francisco.

The beer is brewed with purple cabernet franc grapes but it looks more like a golden delicious apple, and certainly nothing like the beverage typically made with those grapes. The complexion is pale enough that it should be clear but is actually distorted. While its head is thin, it forms permafrost lacing that leaves that glass looking like arctic tundra.

This doesn't smell as exclusive as it aught to given its specs; there's little barrel character and surprisingly little grape flavour. The malts are plain and have a stale, almost corn-like tint to them. Usually barrel-aged beers make for the most engaging, bewildering scents but this one is, well, kind of bleh. It grew almost nauseating as the alcohol began to show.

The flavour is more reminiscent of apple cider than it is grape wine. In fact, I'm unable to note much grape character at all and I'm going out of my way to look for it! About the only likeness this has to any wine is a residual sugariness and sweet apple-y finish - more what you'd expect from something like a Semillon than a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

Then again, what would be the point in it tasting like a wine? There are far more significant things to fuss over, like the fact that its maltiness and hops and yeast - the elements that define a beer - are all either subdued or somewhat off-putting. This tastes like nothing more than an average Belgian blonde (that hardly rivals even the more commercial examples of such). For the price I paid and all the theatrics behind it, I expected something less generic.

There are many beers not brewed with grapes that rival the complexity and elegance of even the finest wines; this one, however, barely even affords the simple quaffability of an average beer. Allagash has proven they know what they're doing with barrels so perhaps it's my own tastes that account for my disappointment with this offering. Either way, this is not a cheap beer and a 750ml bottle is quite a commitment - it's not something I'll be buying again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 17:28:34 | More by biegaman

impending

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Trappist. Served in an Allagash glass. Nice clear moderately dark amber with a minor white head which subsided to the edge fairly quick, ok lacing.

Nice complexity to the nose. Yeasty and estery with a subtle vinous overtone. The notes while blending are somewhat discordant, encouraging much unsure sniffing.

Flavor is a pleasant surprise. The grapes are obvious but not necessarily in a wine fashion until the aftertaste begins settling slowly. Grains and yeast carry the flavor through. Thin creamy mouthfeel.

Compared to Victoria, this has an extra dimension of complexity which gives it a subtle nod.
cheers
jd

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 23:33:56 | More by impending

womencantsail

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to Blake for sending me this one.

A: The pour is almost copper in color with a fluffy, off-white head.

S: A rather intense grape aroma to the beer, but it's almost like super sweet grape jelly or grape juice. Some malt and light yeast in the background with a little bit of pepper and other phenols and esters.

T: The grape flavor really dominates and gives the beer a very sugary sweetness. Some bread and sweet toffee/caramel malts add to the sweetness. A light yeast and pepper bite in the background and a hint of metal.

M: Medium in body with a medium to high carbonation.

O: Just really disappointing. I like that the grape flavor is there, but it's just too sugary.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 08:48:15 | More by womencantsail

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a bright orange color and a cloudy consistency. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head. Above average lacing.

S: A big aroma of fruit, hops, and a bit of yeast.

T: This is an interesting flavor. There are elements of citrus, hops, malt, yeast, and a vinous quality. It may be a bit on the unfocused side, but it's still a lively flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth, creamy finish. Light to medium-bodied.

O: I'm not going to say this is my favorite Allagash brew, but it is a solidly made, flavorful beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 12:16:04 | More by avalon07

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle of the 2009 vintage pours a very hazed, dark gold color with a short-lived tan head. Lacing just ok.

Nose is heavy on the grapes, I am guessing white...has a buttery chardonnay smell. Really not a whole lot else going on...maybe some bready yeast and floral hops.

The yeast is much more prevalent than I expected on the flavor. Uber-bready, and I am surprised there is not a big fruit ester surge, grapes pretty much stand alone in that regard. Hops are there aplenty and kind of muddle things up a bit. Malts are toasty and crackery, light toffee. Spicy and phenolic, light acidity and some grape tannins. Interesting to say the least, although I am not sure I would buy it again…even at half the $17 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 02:01:43 | More by twiggamortis420

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a white wine glass on a gorgeous summer day. The fluffy white head coyly makes an appearance but then disappears, never to be seen again. The ale has a rich copper hue, slightly cloudy with an disciplined line of bubbles marching up from the bottom.

Aroma is rather subdued, a musty hint of belgian yeast crowned with malt. Very clean. Lingering underneath though is something else... sweet and slightly fruity notes take over and brings a gentle complexity to the nose.

The flavor is crisp and dry, showing the same restraint as the aroma did. This strong pale ale does not assault your senses. A tart fruitiness lingers underneath coating the palate, barely perceptable but definitely there. Mild booziness rounds out the experience, warmly elevating the tart flavor. The beer finishes clean and dry with the gentle warmth slowly fading from view.

Definitely an interesting taste experience. The subtle blend of flavors are much more than the sum of their parts. There is craftstmanship in the restraint shown here and the beer never threatens to overwhelm the senses.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 18:44:03 | More by neophilus

drumminbrewer

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(going through the rest of my notes from this weekend)
Bottled in 2010. I think they used Cabernet Franc grapes for this batch (though I'm not sure, the other variation was "Chancellor" grapes).

Pours an apple cider brown with a quickly dissipating head. Not much lacing to be found, but a millimeter of a porous head left. As I get further into the bottle the yeast settles into the glass adding a pinkish tint the beer...mmm, the body is still lovely and effervescent despite everything floating around in the glass now.

Nose is alive with all sorts of citrus; oranges, lemons, lemon zest (like the rind of lemon shaved off) and tangerines. More Brett like qualities come off as it warms. Strong presence of the grapes.

The first sip is so alive. Every part of my tongue gets a different nuance or secondary flavor. The grapes themselves are most noticeable in the middle part of my tongue, pleasant acidity makes elevates the citrus notes. Everything delivered on the nose is present in the flavors and then some. 9% abv? Are you kidding me? It drinks more like a 6-7% saison!

This is a wonderful beer. I've had really good luck sitting on Allagash stuff for about 1 to 2 years, no exception here. Extremely refined, complex and balanced. Highly recommended with some age.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 19:04:03 | More by drumminbrewer

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I just noticed this beer at the Woodlands Spec's and thought that I had never reviewed it yet. I got the Victoria too. Let's give the Victor a go.

Appearance: Pours a somewhat hazy burnt orange color with a solid 1" cap of creamy antique white foam. There are tons of bubbles rising as seen on the side of the glass, and they are making the head last forever. At least 10 minutes after the pour, there is still a huge rocky head on this beer that is leaving continents of lace as it tries to recede. If it were a bit clearer, this bear would rival any.

Aroma: I initially got a healthy dose of hops, with what seemed like American varieties in there mixed with some spicy Saaz. Interesting. I guess the grapes are giving the beer the dryness that you get with some red wines, though it isn't reflected in the color...just an impression that I get, and perhaps this is all in my head because of suggestive thinking because of the label? Let's see in the taste.

Taste: The flavor is also a mix of malt and hops, but the grapes are more noticeable in here than in the aroma...of the cold beer that is. The hops must all be in the last additions as the grapes are adding a significant part of the bittering by themselves. The mouthfeel is medium with high carbonation and a good bit of body to be elevated by this carbonation. Overall the mouthfeel is quite complex and more than you get with more ordinary beers. The grapes are adding to the whole ensemble in a very well blended way. The finish is toward the sweet, but there is a lot going on to challenge the sweetness.

Opinion: I have been pretty impressed with this beer. To me, it is obvious that they did a number of test batches or blends to get the balance right. I like how the hops are such a big player in the aroma and the initial parts of the taste, then they step aside and let the rest of the beer do its thing for the finish. The grapes seem to really work with this beer. I think that they have done this really well.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 05:09:38 | More by SkeeterHawk

jampics2

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle, shared by Arp. Thanks, I've never had this one before! Split a few ways and poured into a snifter.

The beer looks nice in the glass. The color is copper with notes of orange - hazy but not totally cloudy - and the head displays great retention and lace.

The smell is grape-driven, for sure, but there are a few other interesting elements at play here. Dark berries, raisin, and honey all share the spotlight with dark sugar and some nice yeasty esters. The esters give a tropical touch, and there are some green apple notes too. Nice!

The taste isn't quite as diverse as the nose, but it has some strong points too! Mostly, the vineous flavors showcase how a beer like this can be a wine lover's new best friend. There's a significant sweet malt base present here. A touch of toasted grain fades into raisin, plum and grape notes atop a bed of caramel. Just a touch of tartness peaks, then sweetness and dryness follows.

The mouthfeel is light and lively, much like a white wine with bubbles. No elements of booze or stickiness to detract from the tasting experience. Overall, I really liked this beer and would sample again sometime. Thanks for the bottle share, Adam!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 13:31:29 | More by jampics2

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange-ish to brown color with an off white head. In the aroma, candy sugar and a sweet white wine. In the taste, candy sugar and yeasty. Almost like a sweet chardonnay or a riesling. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry riesling like aftertaste. It is like a beer version of a nice white wine, quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 13:51:37 | More by OWSLEY069

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought this back in September at the brewery when I was up in OOB for labor day weekend. Finally decided to open the bottle before we head up to Todd's Taco Night.

Appearance: Golden yellow and orance color with a small head when poured into the tuliped glass. There is also slight carbonation towards the top of the glass.

Smell: Smells like grape jelly. There is also some floral and malty hints after you get past the grapes.

Taste: Slightly malty with a tasted of grapes or grape jelly to me.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Good carbonation and smooth.

Drinkability: This is a very drinkable beer and not too boozy given the 9% ABV. This is a beer to hold on to and enjoyed with others given the $18 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 21:20:13 | More by Flounder57

krazyboi

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a white wine glass.

A: Dark golden yellow with very small head.
S: Fruity, caramel, grapes, slight alcohol.
T: Sweet malts with a touch of grapes. Finishes dry with a bit of bitterness. The aftertaste is similar to that of a dry white wine.
M: Light to medium body. Good carbonation. Slightly creamy.
D: The alcohol is hidden fairly well and makes this quite drinkable. The price tag makes it hard to drink often. This is a decent beer, but nothing special. The grapes aren't too prevalent when drinking, although you can tell there were grapes used in brewing it. Not worth the $18 price tag in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:53:37 | More by krazyboi

bishopdc0

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The smell is is a sweet tart fruit aroma with a slight yeast.

The look is mahogony red with a very lacy white head. The head forms and dissipates but slowly.

The taste is great, I would love to have this at Thanksgiving. The taste stars with a slight yeast flavor mixed with malt. This quickly givesway to a tart wine and almmost cranberry flavor. The mouth is a building of carbonation that finishes dry. Very nice

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 12:31:57 | More by bishopdc0

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Allagash Victor Ale, special thanks to "Allagash man" for bringing it along. Corked and caged, brewed with wine grapes. A few years old, what a treat.

Pours a hazed gold in color with a tint of amber. Head is bone white and short livid, just leaving a few spots of lace. In the aroma, big time fragrant wine grapes adding a nice white wine type element. They really hit it out of the park with the aroma, this beer smells great. In the flavor, the wine grapes are still there along with some peppery Belgian yeast. Certainly Belgian ale yeast, lending its subtle fruity complexities that really shine through and play off the grapes. Mild tartness that has mellowed out to just a notion. Alcohol is quite tame and just present in the end. Delicate feel with a nice level of carbonation. Nice and drinkable, this is one hell of a beverage.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 23:08:16 | More by Stinkypuss

claspada

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aromas begin malty at first with a pleasant pilsner maltiness. As it warms and opens up, the vinous and sweet grape notes start to come through, a little bit of earthy hoppiness but you really have to search for it.
The taste begins the same as the nose with nice maltiness that is quickly finished with some light but substantial vinous notes. There is certainly a wine-like character to this, but a good bit of malt keeps it in check. The finish is perfectly balanced; bitter and tart, but not overly so. Mouthfeel has a medium-heavy body and is smooth but crisp. The carbonation helps balance out this high ABV offering preventing it from becoming cloying/syrupy.
Overall I really enjoyed this beer. It had a nice body, good balanced flavors and hid the alcohol well, so it was easy to drink. Not the best dark Belgian ever, but still very enjoyable. Was lucky to find this for $9 for a 12 oz serving at a bar because even though it was good, you really don't need to have a whole 750ml of it.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 17:15:27 | More by claspada

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2010 vintage poured into Delerium tulip.

A- Pours a burnt sienna with a slight haze and a small head. The small head recedes quickly and leaves no lacing on the side of the glass.

S- Grapes, Belgian yeast, some champagne qualities and a light malt. Not much else going on.

T- The taste falls short of the nose. The grape is there but is muddled. There is an overwhelming Belgian yeast and sugar with faint malt in the background.

M- Medium bodied with a sprite carbonation. Dry on the finish and a nice tickling sensation on the way down.

D- This beer alone feels unfinished. I can see why they added the sour aspect with Victor Francenstein.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 15:03:56 | More by Wisconsinality