Victoria
(has 1 batch)

Tap at Publick House, Brookline ($7): White dissipating head and a lemon yellow hazy body. Lemons and grapes make up the most of the nose. So it taste mostly like a Belgian Strong Ale, like a tripel, but there is an undertone, that at least to me was not noticeable at first, of grapes and wine (apparently Merlot.... according to the bartender...). There are some mild hops, not sweet, but has that tart white wine feel to it. Very drinkable. This is not a hard-hitting Belgian ale, rather it is one that relies on subtlety and nuance (and there are too few beers in today’s extreme beer scene that would sink to that level!). I’m glad it was my first beer of the day.

City Beer Store, Allagash night. Very nice looking beer, like champagne with a foam head that refused to quit. I’m continually impressed with Allagash’s clean grain flavors that seem to act as a base for complex Belgians. It makes their beers seem more true to the native Belgian ales. Anyway, the grapes are definitely noticeable but quite pleasant and not cloying. They give the beer a vinous malt quality, much more subtle than expected. Good Belgian yeast notes, earthy and dry. Champagne-ish carbonation with lots of small vigorous bubbles. A happy surprise for me.

Batch 1 thanks to bu11zeye. Pours with a small, foamy white head over a hazed golden body. Aroma is buttery with light alcohol, cinnamon, bread and grapes. Taste is sweet with grapes and green raisins,. Light bubbles. A bit weak...

Original release bottle, drunk a couple times in the past six months, most recently on 11/24/07
So at about 20ish months in the bottle, this one still shows a mountainous size of well-retained off-white head that laces as well as any Belgian-brewed Belgian ale. No surprise there. Leaving the sediment behind, the beer is a dark, but muted copper color in the middle, with lighter gold hues on the edges. Clarity is high, carbonation plentiful.
Aroma is full of grape fermentation notes (sharp esters and phenols, with nectarine notes and some higher alcohols, to briefly sum up what I associate with the grapes). The malt is surprisingly rather full in the nose, with rich, rich honey dough notes (definitely some sticky caramel as well). As far as that goes, it balances the sharp fruit esters and alcohols very nicely. With warming, vanilla and even light citrus notes (esters) emerge to add some complexity, though I don’t know that the vanilla works well with the fruit notes and breadiness. Still, the aroma is full, strong and not flawed, as well as distinctly Belgian. The alcohol is the most problematic, but I don’t see this as any more alcoholic than any other Belgian ale fermented (non-spontaneously) with fruits.
In the flavor is a luxurious amount of honey, caramel, peach and nectarine, with the tell-tale vanilla on the finish. I like the interplay of the more dry fruit notes with the honey and caramel, but probably it’s even a bit syrupy/sugary at this point. There is a touch "breadiness" or premature oxidation that dulls some of the malt intensity (not necessarily a bad thing) and with the alcohol on the finish, it’s quite dry and balanced by the end. Phenolic spiciness is easily noted throughout, with an almost herbal-like bitterness on the finish. Texture, as with most Allagash beers, and especially with this amount of malt softness, is extremely supple with engaging carbonation.
As with most of these Allagash one-offs, patience once again proves to be rewarding.

Thanks to decaturstevo for sharing this one. This starts as a clear gold pour that throws up a thin, fleeting, white head. The aroma is simply that of sweet malts. The flavor follows being sweet with little to no hop bitterness of flavor. Light bodied. This just didn’t go anywhere for me, although it is certainly an easy drinking brew.

This starts very sweet — like a dessert wine — but then dries up. It ends bitter. Average, fizzy head that diminishes. Flat, golden body. The average to heavy aroma presents grape, apple and wine. There is a light toffee aroma along with a light yeasty mustiness. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, moderately acidic and moderately bitter. Medium body with a sticky texture. Lively carbonation.

Bottle. Somewhat grapey aroma - could be chardonnay. Slightly hazy gold color (copper?) with a nice white head. Near full in body with fizzy carbonation. The flavor starts with belgian spice, pale malt and something vinous. A little sweetness with some balancing floral hop - not perfume, more veg. Arguably a bit of caramel. Something astringent in the finish, kind of like oak tannin. Something very light and belgian. Really good flavor; good to sip.

Bottle. Amber beer with a whitish head. Light grape fruity aroma with some sweetness and spice. Yeasty, malty flavor with spice and bckground fruitiness. A bit of slight tannins. Medium body. LIngering spice, yeast, and slight fruit. A bit of a mineral/chalk quality.

Bottle at LCRBM3. Cloudy orange/gold, lasting thin white head. Slight sour and hop aroma. Some medicinal character. A golden strong ale with an odd chalky medicine quality to it.