Wildlife Report
Allagash Brewing Company

Clear, golden color. Big, white head. Fruits, malt, and floral notes in the aroma. Malty, moderately sweet taste with pleasant herbal bitterness.

 

 

 

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; 1 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a wispy cap with a moderate, tight collar; nice lacing;

S: clove and bubble gum;

T: clove and bubble gum with noticeable pear as well; the pear shines more toward the end; mild to moderate bitterness on the finish - seems more bitter due to the dry finish;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish - bordering on very dry; crisp; hides the ABV very well;

O: dangerously smooth and refreshing; makes you want another sip;

Can. Golden orange with slight haze ring and island and a little lace. Spicy grassy peachy aroma. Sweet per style with honey and peach and grass grain. Medium spicy herbal fruity finish sweet but not cloying like a lot of biere de gardes. Medium body lively enough to help hops cut sweetness. Excellent, though I'm not a fan of the style.

 

 

Pours a hazy light orange with thick, fluffy head.

Smell is crisp with notes of crackers, pear, yeast, cloves, citrus peel and some slightly sweet hints.

Taste is crisp and crackery with notes of pear, yeast, cloves, white pepper, citrus peel and some sweet hints of honey. Hides the ABV masterfully.

Mouthfeel is medium, smooth, velvety and well carbonated.

Overall, a very nice, deceptively drinkable Belgian.

 

 

From the bottom of the can: "PACKAGED 02-02-23 16:00 7877"

Appearance: The body is a medium shade of gold and it is very hazy but it's still easy to make shapes out through the glass. It has a medium-sized off-white head which has a bit of a tobacco stained yellow hue to it. It has pretty good retention but it doesn't leave much lacing aside from a few spots here and there on the glass.

Aroma: There is a very light aroma of caramel but it is very muted. After smelling the beer initially, subsequent attempts to pick up a scent for the beer revealed nothing at all. Even the light caramel scent was absent. It's pretty underwhelming.

Taste: A light bit of clove with hints of pepper come through up front. There is a slightly sweet flavor of caramel which is light and it becomes more bread-like as it passes over the center of the tongue. There isn't any flavor development towards the back of the tongue but it retains the bread-like flavor with a touch of the sweetness until it passes from the tongue and leaves clove in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: It is on the upper edge of medium bodied. The beer leans a lot towards the sweeter side and there is a bit of an herbal note that cuts into the sweetness just a touch but a lack of hop bitterness leaves this a bit too sweet. Otherwise the beer drinks pretty well. The label states that this is "8.0% ALC. BY VOL." and it does a good job of hiding that.

Overall: The can states that this is a "SPRING ALE" and that it is "CRISP AROMATIC RUSTIC" which is odd because it feels more like a heavy and sweet beer, and it definitely is not aromatic. It seems like the brewers missed their own mark. The can also states that it has "notes of honey and pair" which is a fair assessment. It is definitely on the sweeter side but there are some pleasant clove and pepper notes to keep things interesting. It also does a really good job of hiding the 8% ABV. The beer is a bit rough around the edges but it might be worth trying if you're looking for something new. I would recommend a single can or pour. It was interesting but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

 

 

 

 

on draft, served in tulip glass

appears a clear dark golden in color, thick white head. nice aroma of stone fruits, bready malt, honey. similar taste, good balance of flavors, easy drinking. medium bodied.