Once Upon an Orchard
Allagash Brewing Company

750 mL bottle. Clear deep orange. Smells of red wine, berliner-like acidity, and floral notes. Tastes pretty sour. Red wine sourness along with that lactic sourness I smelled. Sweet and sour in equal portions, both of which are a lot. Finish is ginger and red wine. Heavy and quite flat. Couldn't drink much of this.

 

 

Feb 2022 vintage
Pours a fizzy bubbly 1/2 finger head with med retention, decent foamy lacing, clear med golden color

Nose nice farmhouse funk, souring acidic bacteria notes, lactic acid, a little barnyard funk, lemony grassy, some juicy stone fruit peachy as well

Taste quite tart up front, juicy funk and juicy peach, stone fruit and lots of juicy peach, some grassy notes with farmhouse funk, bright acidity and sour funk, some lemony tartness, a bit of tang, souring bacteria lactic acid, finishes fairly flemmy with more peach and sour funk

Mouth is med bod, bright acidity and flemmy, med to a bit higher frothy carb

Overall a nice sour funky beer with big peach, enjoyable for sure

Bottled February 2022

I’m still working my way through the bottles from my first Allagash trip about a month ago. It’s been a treat, and I’m sure this one will be no exception. A wild Saison with peaches sounds like a great way to end off my night. Let’s pop it open and see what it’s all about

Pours a cloudy yellow gold with a finger of white head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves no lacing

The peach comes through strong in the nose, but there’s a definite complexity to it. I’m picking up on aromas of grilled peach, tart apricot, white wine vinegar, bready malt, lemon juice, sharp oak, and wet hay

In taste the peach vibe feels a bit mealy like the fruit itself sometimes can, very interesting. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting peach rings, lemon zest, orange juice, sharp oak, tannic white wine, crackery malt, and a touch of leather. The swallow brings notes of mealy peach, lemon juice, earthy wheat bread, honey, tannic white wine, and light toast

A light medium body pairs with aggressive carbonation, resulting in a sharp and sour beer. Finishes bone dry and very funky, very refreshing

A very solid and very funky Saison, just the way I like it. The acidity may be over the top for some, but I dig it

 

Tasting glass
Look: Slightly hazy straw yellow color, pouring a 1 finger head which dissipated to a thick ring
Smell: Trad sour smell with some funk and light peach notes
Taste: Moderate tartness with light salinity. Apple notes which fades to peach. The finish is dry with hints of malt
Feel: light body with moderate carbonation and a dry, crisp finish
Overall: Strong sour with gentle notes