Allagash 11th Anniversary Ale
To acknowledge this year’s anniversary, our 11th, Allagash’s brewers decided to use a champagne yeast for both the primary and secondary fermentations. This beer was brewed with both Cascade and Northern Brewer hops and copious amounts of Belgian Aromatic Malt to achieve its vibrant garnet color and unique, malty palate. At a hefty 9% ABV, the alcohol in this brew is balanced by a light sweetness, a full-bodied mouth feel and a gentle, lingering hop character.
Just prior to bottling, when there is no carbonation present in the beer, a fresh dose of sugar and yeast is added. After bottling, the beer is aged in our temperature-controlled cellar, where the yeast ferments the sugar and naturally carbonates the beer. This process, known as méthode champenoise, is the same traditional process we use for all of our bottled beers.
The batch of 11th Anniversary Ale was bottled in May of '06 - 950 cases, six bottles in each case and is the only batch that will be available. Its aroma is redolent of red licorice, nutmeg, wild apple, and hard candy. Its taste is malty with date and fig notes with a finish that is crisp, striking a balance between dry and fruity. We suggest serving this rustic brew at cellar temperature.
Our 11th Anniversary Ale would make a perfect addition to foods such as roast duck and venison, or with desserts like pumpkin pie and apple cobbler
Just prior to bottling, when there is no carbonation present in the beer, a fresh dose of sugar and yeast is added. After bottling, the beer is aged in our temperature-controlled cellar, where the yeast ferments the sugar and naturally carbonates the beer. This process, known as méthode champenoise, is the same traditional process we use for all of our bottled beers.
The batch of 11th Anniversary Ale was bottled in May of '06 - 950 cases, six bottles in each case and is the only batch that will be available. Its aroma is redolent of red licorice, nutmeg, wild apple, and hard candy. Its taste is malty with date and fig notes with a finish that is crisp, striking a balance between dry and fruity. We suggest serving this rustic brew at cellar temperature.
Our 11th Anniversary Ale would make a perfect addition to foods such as roast duck and venison, or with desserts like pumpkin pie and apple cobbler
3.8
222 reviews
Portland, United States
Community reviews
25.4 oz bottle. Clearish brown, some crimson highlights, with a bubbly beige froth. Nose is raisin, caramel, chocolate cake and wood. Medium light with buzzy carb. Taste is raisin, fig and maple but feeling a bit thin. Finishes somewhat bitter and earthy but not bad. I guess this is what was left of the hops.
Bottle thanks to magjayran’s generosity. What a great beer to just give to someone. From the looks of it, seems to have held up well. Pours very hazy copper with decent off-white head and good retention. Sweet aroma filled with fruit and malt: caramel, figs, raisins, apples, tobacco, spice, bread, must ... the more I smell this, the more oxidation I can detect, but it’s not taking too much away from the beer. Oddly crisp finish... drier than expected, but I guess the champagne yeast would probably explain that. Palate almost like bubbly wine. Ha, yeah, now I keep thinking about champagne at the end. Alcohol well hidden. This gets better with each sip. Nice.
750ml Bottle: Sweet aroma of dark ripe fruits, raisins, caramel, figs, malts, slight yeast, and a hint of hops. Much of the spices and fruits others mention seem to have mellowed in the 3 years since this was bottled. Poured deep amber/copper in color with a small, smooth, beige head that lasted throughout. Cloudy. Sparkling. Full of small particles throughout. Good lacing. Flavor is medium sweet and slightly bitter. Tastes of malts, caramel, dark ripe fruits, light tobacco, raisins, figs, hops, light spices, some pepper, yeast,
Medium body. Smooth, coating, slightly sticky texture. Soft to average carbonation. Sweet, malty, caramel and slight tobacco finish lings a while.
Held onto this bottle for eight months, was somewhat let down by everything except how well the alcohol was hidden. Brown fruit notes subtle presence, combined with a nice malt, yet I wonder if that champagne yeast wasn’t getting a little pushy.
750mL from the White Mountain. Pours dark orange with light creamy brown head. Malt aroma as well as flavor. Just a bit of alcohol in the finish, good for the %’age. Better than I expected but still didnt do much for me
750mL from the White Mountain. Pours dark orange with light creamy brown head. Malt aroma as well as flavor. Just a bit of alcohol in the finish.
750ml I’ve been saving. Not sure why I opened it today but it has been calling to me. Pours a deep caramel brown. Thick, you can’t see through this baby. Very inviting with its creamy thick beige head and fresh caramel aroma with hints of apple or pear. Great belgian. A bit sour, bready flavor. Alcohol sneaks up at the end but not overwelming. Nice warmth. Dry bitter finish.
Bottle shared at the HMoG at the Brick Store.
Pours a dark, clear amber with a small tan head that showed very good staying power and left a little bit of lacing.
The aroma is very sweet with both light and dark fruits, starting with some ripe apples and apricots but also with some raisins and plums on top of the Belgian yeast and hints of spices
The taste brings out some sweet malts with more of the ripe, sweet fruits. The spices come out a little more in the taste than the aroma would suggest and the finish is dry and slightly peppery.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with less carbonation than I expected which probably detracts slightly from the overall experience.
Sweet spicy yeast aroma. Cloudy red color with medium tan head. Short sweet beginning with a spicy bitter finish. mild amount of alcohol in the end. Lingering light sour citrus taste.
750 ml bottle I received in trade some time ago - Pours a slightly hazy orangish-amber color with a small off white head. Light lacing. Aroma is esters and spice. Flavor is sweet esters, malt, and spice. Medium body. Smooth palate. Wish I had taken better notes. I do remember this beer tasting pretty good.
Poured a slightly hazy deep amber color with a solid head. Aromas of malts, sweet fruit, and a little yeast. Taste is a little less complex... mostly malts, slightly fruity, and a little sweet (maybe caramel). Very rich in the mouth, but slightly alcoholic on the finish. Pretty solid brew for my 50th rating. Half way to my crown!
750ml bottle. from a trade with 46er3498. Poured a real nice dark orange/brown color, a bit hazy as well, with a white head. Sweet smell, candy sugar, very subtle, very nice. Nice light sweet flavor as well with a little bite in the end. Very good brew, Thanks Tom.
750ml, seems to be over 2 years old at this point. This beauty pours an amazing golden amber red with an incredibly retentive light tanned head. Sweet buttery banana plum malty notes waft from the nose...lots of Belgian candy sugar notes are present as well. Very malty. The flavor brings a bit of the same aroma profile with a very deep fruity malty presence, expanding into the dark cherry, dark plum, and dark berry realm. All the while a light yet forward cotton candy & Belgian yeast sugary flavor is present. Lots of layers of sweetness, which then is backed up by an incredibly gentle hop presence starting near the finish and continuing to linger with the sour notes of the malt well through the end of the finish. This one was the wait...I never tried it fresh...and I’m almost glad...if you’ve got a bottle, you could definitely hold it for another couple years. Let it breath...and enjoy...!
bottle. glowing mahgony pour with thin head. light cider, old barrel, dark dried fruits and rich malts make up a very nice aroma. smooth and silky mouth. lightly hopped, apple and plum, solidly malted and mild with light spices. some musky woody notes.
750mL bottle. Poured medium reddish-orange with a nice thick cap of beige head. The aroma picked up a rich blend of toasted darker fruits paired with spicy yeast, green apple, and mild sherry-like oxidation.. wafts of herbal and vinous notes surround, and everything came together well. The flavor had a decent deal more peppery alcohol than I was looking for, but it still held together fairly well.. sweet pears and greener vinous notes with more dark spices.. the back-end found faint chocolatey and drawn caramel sweetness.. finished spicy and warm. Medium-plus bodied and hot on the palate with high carbonation as expected.. the carbonation really made it pop, and helped the flow across the palate.. still a bit too boozy for me.
Highly enjoyable stuff here. Wonderfully ineffable nose, with lots of chewy maltiness, light fruitiness, with ample carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel, with alcohol coming in on the finish but remains nicely masked. This is nicely drinkable, a tad on the lighter side, and not the most amazingly complex beer from Allagash, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Thanks to BDR for sharing. Surprisingly, red in color. Lots of malt and dried fruit in the aroma. Fruit in the flavor with an herbal quality, along with oak. Well carbonated, lots of bubbles on the palate. Sweet with fruit, and just a little alcohol. I like this.
courtesy of artusory and shigadeyo. Hazy amber/mahogany, minimal head. aroma is very bland in general. Some residuel sugar and faint fruit and nothing else. Flavor has a bunch of caramel and light fruity yeast esters. Pretty one dimensional for a belgian. Not overly impressed.
750ml bottle-Pours a burnt amber with anice tight tan head. Aroma of malt, sweetness, citrus. yeast, and apple. Taste begins with the sweetness, apple, and malt and then follows with red licorice. This medium to full bodied brew finishes with a bit of dryness. Another great brew from Allagash. Sorry to see it go.
Bottle. Pours muddy copper with a nice tan head that looks like this is going to be creamy.. Spiced, baked apples, dried fruits, biscuit malts in the aroma. Very Nice! Smooth, slightly spicey and creamy. Flavor is a tad more fruity and sweet, not as complex as the aroma but good. A good beer that I’d say is on par with the quality of this brewery. Happy to drink this, but sad to see it go.
Corked and caged bottle. Small tan head with spotty amounts of lacing, murky, and an orange brown hue. Nose was malty, sweet, yeasty, fruity, notes of toffee, mildly hoppy, and some spicyness. Flavor was sweet, malty, fruity, yeasty, some caramel, and some toffee.Medium in body. This did not taste as good as I was expecting from Allagash and it ended up being a disappointment considering this is one of my favorite beer styles. The flavor seemed out of wack for the style IMO.
Caged & corked. Poured with a big muddy river-bottom-brown with its attractive glisten arriving in the head. The aroma is fruity and yeasty at the same time, an interesting invitation. At the first sip, the brew is sweet in a grapey way. As it warms, the beer’s complexity begins to shine through ... yeasty, candied sugar, and even a bit of caramel. Quite the assault on the palate. (#3349, 3/17/2008)
Sept. 2007 - Beer pours caramel red/orange color, decent head and good lacing. Aroma of spices and caramel. Flavor was sweet caramel, some spices, candied sugar. Sweet with a sour zing that I didn’t find pleasing. Just ok.
This pours a murky brown orange color with a thin beige head. Melted toffee, dark fruit and alcohol in the nose. Toffee sweetness, some dark fruit, and a little wet card board in the flavors. I found it really sort of disjointed for a Belgian Strong, but still an okay drink.
Tap at Barcade: Pours amberish with a fading off-white head. Complex nose. Peppery, toffeeish and fruity with mild fig notes and residual spices. Rich texture with a great complexity in the flavor. Some toffeeish character upfront along with fruity notes of fig and prunes. There’s a great amount of spiciness later on. Cinnamon, with an almost citrus-rind like peppery dryness which is slightly oak-like. Rich and complex. A great Belgian Strong!
Draft at Barcade. Murky brown red with decent head retention. Aroma is smoky with light banana and caramel. Flavor is tinny with cinnamon and baked apple. The body is amazing, smooth and creamy.
Murky amber with a frothy head. Nice malty, spicy, herbal aroma. Medium bodied with a lively mouthfeel. Decent caramel malt taste with subtle spice and floral hop flavor to finish. Not too bad. 2907
Pours a murky orange-brown into a chalice with a thin whispy off-white head that quickly disappears into a lace across the top. Lively carbonation streams to the top. Aromas of Dark fruit, orange, musty oak and yeast. Taste of sour cherry and orange, clove and other spices. Carbonation dances on the tongue. I expected to have a fuller mouthfeel, but still, not bad. A good offering from Allagash, but not one I’ll run out to have again right away. I’ll pick up more from cellaring longer than the 3 months I had done this time.
This corked and caged bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a small sized head of foamy fine to medium sized tan colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a very hazy uncarbonated dark orange brown colored body. The weak aroma was malty bready and dough. The mouth feel was weakly tingly at the start mediumly tingly at the finish malty aftertaste. A decent one that I would consider buying again.
750 ml. bottle shared with Quevillon. Light brown color not much head. The aroma and taste is of spicies and a very strong taste of malt.There is also a taste of sweet fruits and caramel. Another great product from Allagash.