Stories Told
Allagash Brewing Company

375 mL bottle. Deep reddish brown. Smells of toasted malt, oak, light vanilla, berries. Tastes of strong toasted malt and oak with a deep berry and jammy undertone. Dry, oaky, mild sourness. Good.

From a bottle, poured into a Pokal.
Amber with high clarity initially, No head.
Pouring from bottom of the bottle gets a little cloudy, presumably from settled yeast and solids.
Malt flavors are muted by the sour overtone, sort of reminiscent of apple cider on its way to vinegar, or an old-school colonial-era “Switchel” beverage.
Acidic with a lemony sour cherry flavor, berry notes, hints of tea. A dry finish.
An interesting brew.

A: crystal clear; deep red with a tinge of brown in color - maybe deep amber; 1 finger off white head that receded to a thick collar; no lacing;

S: fruity funk;

T: cherries and blackberries are front and center; there is some funk coming from the base beers; no sign of bourbon barrel character;

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

O: really nice flavors, even without any barrel aging character;

 

Reddish-brown color.Big off-white head. slightly funky aroma with notes of cherries, wood, malt, and berries. Taste follows with moderate sourness. Well done.

 

I’m a big fan of this one. Almost the color of sweet tea. Very little head. Immediate notes of cherry and toffee. Very sour, almost too much but yet it isn’t too much. It’s very good. Might need a tums though. Definitely need a tums.

375ml bottle into a tulip. Bottled June 2021, so over 2 years old.

Deep cherry red body with a small head, specks of lacing. Aroma of tart fruit. Sour and tart in tasting, cherries and blackberries come through more as it warms. Lasting pleasant sourness, overall a well blended Oud Bruin, happy to have tried it.

 

 

 

Bottled June 2021

I really wish there were more Flanders Oud Bruins readily available. The balance of sharp tartness and dark malts really can be something special. And of all breweries, I’m really excited to see what Allagash can do with the style. Adding cherries and blackberries to the mix too make it all the more intriguing, so let’s get right into it

Pours a cloudy reddish brown with 2 fingers of beige head that fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

While the nose here is quite nice, the blackberry isn’t really coming through as much as I’d like it to. I’m picking up on aromas of tart cherry, red wine vinegar, molasses, brown sugar, dark bread, lemon zest, toffee, light blackberry, and vanilla

The blackberry does come through in taste, though in a soft way that’s complimentary to the tartness. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart cherry, sharp oak, jammy blackberry, brown sugar, cinnamon, tannic red wine, and light vanilla. The swallow brings notes of cherry juice, blackberry sorbet, cinnamon, red wine vinegar, dark bread, lemon zest, wet hay, and brown sugar

A medium body pairs with moderate tingling carbonation, resulting in a sharp and funky beer. Finishes mostly dry with an earthy tartness

Unsurprisingly, this is yet another great Allagash beer. I need them (and everyone) to brew more of the style

Copper-colored brew with minimal quickly disappearing bubbles. Tart cherries and blackberries in the flavor, bourbon very far background in the mix. Dark fruit, sour apples, and tea all cross your mind in mid-pucker. A sour brown ale that takes you to a sour, dark place. Interesting for sure.

L: Pours a dark amber orange color with no head or no lacing.

S: Strong notes of cherry and blackberry mix with a strong tart sourness and a slight note of bourbon.

T: Tart and sour cherry and blackberry are forefront with a hint of bourbon and vanilla, very sour and tart.

F: Smooth, medium to large body.

O: A nice sour but it has a large pucker factor.

Pours a dark red, very little head. Not a huge aroma, but a bit of the sour in the smell. Taste is great: sour apple, puckering acidic goodness. Carbonated thick feel. Makes me sweat. Good stuff.

So this beer is brown-red in color, hazy and doesn't give that much of a head.
It smells just like a stout mixed with a sour beer. There's hints of black berry and cherries in the aroma.
On the palate it is light and well carbonated. It taste like a normal fruited sour at first, then the alcohol becoming present and it finishing with hints of blackberries, cherries and some chocolate notes. Overall this is a good tasting, unique beer.

Pours a reddish amber color with a creamy tan head about a half inch at its peak. Head falls to crema-like bubbles covering the surface of the glass. It is very clear. Great looker.

The nose promises tartness. Definite cherry and blackberry fruit smell, a bit of a caramel sweet note, plums and maybe dates, a tiny bit of funk and a decent earthy component.

This is a flavor assault. It is fairly tart but not just fruity tart - it is a deeper and more complex tartness with more character than simple fruit acidity. It hits sharp and quick, then moves aside to let the other flavors play. Major league fruitiness that is cherry and blackberry in the forefront with the rest of the band being plums, dates, and raisins. I'm finding some tea-like notes. The fruit flavors are quite fresh initially, then take on a jam-like quality. There is a nice level of oakiness but no real trace of bourbon. At the very end of the taste, there is a caramel/toffee sweetness that eases the whole taste back down to a more sedate level, slight residual tartness, a touch of earthiness, a tad bit of that jammy sensation lingers. A little cidery and maybe a little red wine vinegar. All these flavors roll around nicely, each sip presenting a little differently.

The feel overall is light and bright, medium mouthfeel and a nice creamy feel from that floating layer of foam. Slightly drying, some oaky astringency, a little acetic sting. As powerful as the flavor is on the sip, it doesn't accumulate, fading pretty quickly and inviting another sip.

This beer is just plain good and I can't accurately describe everything going on here. Packed with flavor, assertive on the sour but not excessive, resulting in something surprisingly easy drinking yet as complex as you want it to be.