Ganache
Allagash Brewing Company

2018 Vintage

L: Pours almost pitch black. Not much of a head, just a thin collar of bubbles.

S: Vinegar up front with dark fruit and a touch of raspberry

T: Tart raspberry up front. On the back end, it fades to roasted malts and just a hint of roasted cocoa. Oud Bruin-like.

F: Medium bodied with a bit of a dry finish. This one is a sipper.

O: Comparing this beer to cake is a stretch since sourness dominates. An interesting and complex beer.

 

 

2018 vintage. Pours from the bottle near black with a ruby fringe, brief fizzy that dissipates to the faintest ring of carbonation, no lacing. Nose is very fruit forward with deep, rich raspberries, raspberry jam, sweet balsamic vinegar; lots of brett as well, but the fruit is most prominent. Taste plays out much the same, with tart raspberries and slight funkiness overwhelming at the outset. Only on the finish are there significant malt notes, which are subdued a slightly chalky, though this could be due to the age. Mouthfeel is coating and the carbonation effervescent, and the alcohol is very well hidden. Very enjoyable and drinkable.

 

A: opaque; cola brown in color; virtually no head - a tan skim cap that receded quickly to a thin collar; no lacing;

S: combination of vinegar, dark fruit, and raspberry;

T: raspberry and vinegar - the balance between the two goes back and forth;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate to high carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: really nice flavor;

 

SPlit with rudzud, July 2018 vintage but literally bought this at the brewery a few weeks ago
Pours a darker foamy bubbly head with lower retention, fair lacing, messy lacing and decent legs, very dark black beer

Nose brings big Brett funk, farmhouse funk and tart slight sourness, fair juicy raspberry, little chocolate raspberry, touch of plastic, clash of roast, funk, and plastic

Taste brings tart fruit up front, a little sour raspberry, a little chocolate and some bitter roast, raspberry jam, light tart funky Brett, light funky Brett farmhouse, some acidity, finishes a bit slimy, little bitter, more funk and sour dark malt clash

Mouth is med bod, a little slimy like feel somehow, light acidity, medium-high carb, little astringent

Overall not that good, raspberry flavor is nice but the sour stout is not, and the funk is meh, this just missed quite a bit

Split with JLindros. 2018 vintage

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice almost dark black hue with a thin wispy off white ran head that fades to leave light wisps and a thin halo.

S - Aromas of dark chocolate, belgian candy sugars, flashes of raspberry, tart. Light funk, really mostly tart with dark sugars.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with big fruity red raspberries, bright and tart. The chocolate is light and decent, loads of belgian sugars, finish is chalky and a bit astringent.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, very flemmy, little sharp.

O - Overall this was a rather underwhelming beer. Flemmy, too much roast and sugars. The raspberry flavour is the only redeeming quality of this one.

Serving Type: Bottle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very dark red, almost appearing black, but up to a light it still has ruby edges. This is topped by a foamy tan head settling to a persistently thick and creamy blanket leaving ridges and a couple of curled arms of lacing.

Taste is toasty seeds and malt, but not roasty, with a tart mild raspberry-cherry presence through a frothy soft body that finishes tingly dry. It's a little wild, herbal and woody with some char, but not too much.

 

L: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a dark brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, off white, somewhat long-lasting head. Not much lacing to speak of.

S: A very nice aroma of chocolate, Belgian yeast, berries, coffee, and some caramel.

T: Tasted of a tinge of coffee (very fleeting), a fair amount of Belgian-style yeast (present throughout), a lot of dark chocolate (quite rich), cherries, a hint of caramel, and lots of raspberries. This is a complex, subtle, and likable flavor. It doesn't overpower your palate, but it has a nice forcefulness to it. Tasty stuff.

F: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A thoroughly enjoyable beer. Drinkable.