Try?
Unibroue of Quebec is famous for being such a brewery, as is Ommegang of New York. Slightly less well known, though every bit as good, is Portland, Maine’s Allagash Brewing Company. Though the name does not invoke the European images that Unibroue and Ommegang might, don’t let that fool you: Allagash beers are every bit as authentic as their old-world sounding compatriots.
Allagash offers their beer on draft, in six-packs of 12-ounce bottles, and in corked 750 ml bottles (The Reserve line). They offer a very popular white ale, a dubbel, a tripel, a Speciale, and of course Grand Cru. The beers are bottle conditioned and will improve with age, especially those in the larger bottles. The stronger of these will age out nicely for years.
As is common for Belgian beers of this type, Allagash packages its Reserve beers with added sugar and a secondary yeast that is different from the one used for primary fermentation. The results speak for themselves: authentic, distinctive ales of great character that lend themselves to pairing with a wide range of foods, or are perfect for sipping by themselves on a cold New England night.
Allagash Brewing traces its origin back to 1995 when it first offered its flagship Allagash White. Since that time, brewer Rob Tod has continued to delight New England beer lovers with his delicious and unique brews, and his vision has truly paid off. In a microbrew market that almost overwhelmingly favors English style ales, there has been plenty of room for a taste of something different. Today, Allagash is looking to expand their vision beyond the northeast.
Allagash Grand Cru is the brewery’s winter seasonal. The addition of spices to the beer makes it a perfect holiday beverage, but these spices are a traditional ingredient in many Belgian brews. With an alcohol content of 7.2% by volume, about half again as strong as your average beer, Allagash Grand Cru is just the thing to take the chill off a cold winter eve.
So what is a Grand Cru? It is not a style per se, but rather generally refers to a special beer that a brewery might offer. Don’t expect one Grand Cru to be like another, either, because very likely they won’t be. Consider the sour and full-bodied Rodenbach Grand Cru. This is the most intense offering in the Rodenbach triumvirate (Rodenbach and Rodenbach Alexander being the other two offerings), but it is nothing like the now-defunct Celis Grand Cru or the beer under consideration now, Allagash Grand Cru.
On February 9,1999 I took the following tasting notes on Allagash Grand Cru:
Winter seasonal from Allagash. Cloudy orange color,
light head formation formed a nice brussels lace to chase the beer down the
glass. Spicy-yeasty nose. Crisp, slightly citric palate yields a gentle
burnt-candyish character. Lots of musty Belgian horse blanket yeastiness
here leading right into the finish where it becomes more noticeable and
blends nicely with the spices (nutmeg and perhaps cinnamon come to mind)
which are very apparent but not overpowering. Another winner from Allagash.
Although I prefer the dubbel and tripel with a bit of age on them, I like
the Grand Cru young. My sample was exceedingly fresh, having come straight
from the brewery to me. Allagash numbers each batch of their reserve line,
and this is Batch 5 for the Grand Cru.
To best enjoy the full flavor and aroma, I slowly decanted into a
traditional wide-mouthed Belgian beer glass. The carbonation is very heavy,
with a towering head of foam forming in the glass, so much that it was
necessary to allow the beer to settle slightly before adding more.
Allagash Grand Cru pours to a murky burgundy color with a zesty
citric orange nose. The mouthfeel is very rich with a touch of chocolate
that quickly yields to an array of delicious flavors: orange, licorice,
perhaps coriander. The spices increase in the finish, where they join with a
touch of balancing bitterness and a noticeable alcohol warmth.
Allagash recommends serving this beer between 50 and 60 degrees, which is
about the temperature at which I drank it. As it warmed, the spice notes
became more intense, adding even more flavor to an already delicious brew.
This is not a beer you would do well to pass up.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
