Looking back at my notes, I remember saying that I wasn't impressed with Allagash's Dubbel Ale and that this Allagash Black would make or break my impression of the brewery. I cracked this one open the day after I had the Oberon Ale, as I was looking for a little something different.
The beer was poured into a stemless brandy glass. It came out dark brown to nearly black, with light able to penetrate the edges just a bit. It left one finger of milk chocolate colored head that had light retention and didn't leave too much lacing on the glass. The aromas were hard to determine, the malt backbone was overpowering in the nose. Roasted malts, burnt sugar was about all I could pull out of there.
Fortunately, the taste was much more complex. The bottle calls this a Belgian Stout, but I wasn't getting a lot of stout like flavors. The roasted malt was apparent, along with the light coffee taste that accentuated it. There was that familiar taste that comes with anything out of Belgium, but it wasn't a prevalent dark fruit. More clove and banana than dark fruit. There's also some spiciness that plays on the tongue a little bit. The burnt sugar and chocolate in the finish is a nice way to go out. Light carbonation, with an average body made this one easy to drink and go down. At 7.5% ABV, it didn't feel boozy in the slightest. Allgash has redeemed themselves with this offering, and I will be willing to try some of their other brews as I come across them in the stores. It's a different style, but I really like it and I highly recommend!
Grade: B+
Price Paid: $3.49 (12 oz bottle)
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