American Craft Beer Week can be a great reason to drink the good stuff. Two beers that been neglected due to my potiomania are Allagash's Victor and Victoria. I wanted to open them up at the same time, but I always had an excuse to avoid the tasting. First a little background. I've never seen the movie or stage version of Victor/Victoria, but I did visit Wikipedia a few minutes ago. [Set in 1930s Paris.] "A penniless soprano, named Victoria, colludes with a struggling gay impresario to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as "Victoria" - and as a result becomes the toast of Paris. Complications arise when a Chicago mobster sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star." So if I am reading it right, Victoria pretends to be a man pretending to be a woman and gets a job as a female impersonator in a nightclub. All the while, she takes a gay lover to enhance the con. It turns out (at least according to the brewery's descriptions) these beers have nothing to do with the movie or play. Day 6 Website/Bottle Information: Victoria Ale's aroma is of fruity spice with a hint of the Chardonnay, and the taste presents subtle notes of green banana, black pepper, and fresh-crushed mint. With a focus on the subtle, wine-like character of the grapes, the 9.0% ABV brew boasts a pale copper color, Belgian yeast influence, and a medium body with a long candied fruit finish with hints of honeydew melon, and, of course, Chardonnay. Allagash Victoria Ale is a tribute to the historic Victoria Mansion here in Portland, Maine. Also known as the Morse-Libby House, it is one of the greatest 19th century houses in the United States. Designed by architect Henry Austin, the mansion was built between 1858 and 1860 and survives as a unique example of the princely palaces created for America's wealthiest citizens in the pre-Civil War era. With superb architecture and well-preserved original interiors, the Victoria Mansion is an unparalleled document of America's highest aspirations in architecture, interior design, and the decorative arts. The Victoria Mansion has operated as a museum since it was saved from demolition in 1940, and today the non-profit organization that owns it remains committed to its preservation and interpretation to a wide audience. Allagash Brewing Company has partnered with the Victoria Mansion to help in the restoration of this National Historic Landmark. For every bottle of Victoria Ale purchased, Allagash will donate $1 towards helping restore the mansion, located on Danforth Street in downtown Portland." Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle He Said: Unlike most beers containing grapes (added some time during the brewing process or fermentation), Victoria almost tastes like half sparkling wine and half Belgian pale. What does a beer-wine taste like? Victoria is sweet when it hits the tongue and finishes slightly spicy and dry. I bet you can find wine and beer tasting notes with similar descriptions. However, Victoria is a unique beer experience. Despite the high price (~$18 if memory serves me right), I will be picking up another one of these to be opened on a special occasion. She Said: The taste is sort of sweet in a Belgian pale kind of way. Victoria is smooth from start to finish. Very nice. 4 hops out of 5. Website/Bottle Information: Allagash Victor Ale is a tribute to the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center, perched at the crest of Munjoy Hill in the Portland's East End. A National Historic Landmark, this granite and slate church was built in 1897 by Arthur Bates Jennings. The Romanesque, Queen Anne architecture is accented with turrets and over 90 stained glass windows; it is a distinctive and unique building whose history and mission serves Portland well. The church has been renovated by the non-profit group, Friends of the St. Lawrence Church. The Center's mission is to create a community focused auditorium where everyone can enjoy the arts. Allagash will contribute $1 from every bottle of Allagash Victor sold to help realize the mission of the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center." Serving: 1 Pint, 9.4 fl.oz. (750 mL) Bottle He Said: Overall, I liked Victor a little better, but I'll be picking up both iterations next time I'm at the store. She Said:
May 22, 2010
Beer #1: Allagash Victoria
Vintage 2009
"To create our unique, Belgian-style Victoria Ale, the brewers drew on references to Bacchus, the Thracian god of wine, in the history and artwork of the Victoria Mansion as inspiration for this new beer. One hundred and fifty pounds of Chardonnay grapes were brought in, crushed on site and added directly to the mash.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.0%
First of all, I had no idea when I purchased these two bottles their likeness to wines. Victoria pours light gold and clear. The beer smells faintly of white wine, from the Chardonnay grapes, but the aroma is tame compared to the explosive flavor. The carbonation is lively.
Victoria doesn't have much of a nose. In fact, it is hard to smell anything other than clean glass. The head was rather small, due to a slow pour. The color is a light gold with bubbles racing for the top in a constant stream.
Beer #2: Allagash Victor
Vintage 2009
"The Victor Ale was inspired by its feminine-named predecessor, the Victoria Ale. With chardonnay grapes to make the Victoria Ale unique, our brewers decided to use red chancellor grapes for the Victor. Over one hundred pounds of chancellor grapes were crushed on site and added directly to the mash. In addition to a generous portion of Pilsner malt, Victor is hopped with Fuggles and Hallertau and fermented with a wine yeast strain. With a focus on the subtle wine-like character of the grapes, the 9.0% ABV brew maintains a copper color, wine yeast influence and a medium body with a tart and spicy finish.
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 9.0%
Victor pours slightly darker (caramel-amber) than Victoria. Victor's flavor is a little tighter as well – very wine-like. The grapes chosen and use of wine yeast really make a noticeable difference. Victor is also much more aromatic than Victoria. I get mostly Belgian and wine yeast funk on the nose. The beer has a sweet wine flavor and maybe some apples going on. The taste matches the nose. I didn't notice any hop characteristics in this beer until it warmed and was flat.
Victor looks darker than his wife Victoria. The slow pour once again left very little head in the glass, but I got some nice yum-yums at the bottom of my glass. The aroma is sweet it's not smash-you-in-the-face sweet. The beer tastes like a more hardy beer than Victoria – it is more serious whereas Victoria was playful and light. This one has more of a bite, but stays very smooth throughout. Very enjoyable. 4½ hops out of 5.
The pour inspired a perfect, thick, one inch head on top of a bright orange body. The carbonation was heavy and consistency clear when held slightly above the eyes. A gentile swirl of the glass released a peppery aroma on top of the notes of Pilsner malts and Belgian yeast. A second agitation reveals additional aromas of hops and candi sugar. The bouquet is not as prominent as a typical Saison style, but this is not a typical Saison.
The beer’s complexity unfolds as it wanders on the palate. No flavor really dominates despite the inclusion of sweet potatoes in the fermentation. The mouthfeel is characteristic of a Saison, with the carbonation allowing the spices and complex yeast flavors to dance on the tongue. The finish is interestingly dry, perhaps from the sweet potatoes. What does the addition of a starch do to beer anyway? If only I had bought two of these so I could try one after aging. As the beer warms, the sweet potato flavor emerges slightly.
At least that is how I remember Allagash Fluxus 2009 the day after. While time and sobriety allow for a more decorated story, more credible reviews than mine of nearly every beer available are readily available on RateBeer or Beer Advocate. Each can be accessed from your home computer or even your Smartphone of choice right from the liquor store aisle.My internal battle… whether or not a review on a beverage is worth a blog post.
Will not a simple tweet do the trick?
theferm: Poured @Allagash Fluxus 09 tonight. Made w/ sweet potatoes & pepper. A slightly sweet & spicy Saison. 8.3%ABV. Recommend highly! #craftbeer
The web is littered with Joe Webloggers and their opinions on their favorite beverages. For the most part, the posts are about as interesting as reading about their family vacation or funny things their cat does. Here at TheFerm.org, our charter was to share drinking related experiences, but Google Analytics provides evidence that readers are more likely to land on the page if we mention Russian River’s “Blind Pig” than if we cover SAVOR. If the goal is to only attempt to share something about our passion for fermented beverages with the blog reading public, the clear move is to crank out short tasting notes posts.
I currently have two refrigerators full of beers that I am procrastinating drinking. Why? Because I feel obligated to write about the experience of my most interesting bottles. I suppose I can make a resolution to write more about my drinking endeavors while they are fresh, but drinking is a social affair (usually) and writing is a private matter. Come to think of it, this may explain why I have four unfinished blog entries sitting on my hard drive. But I digress…
In 2006, the U.S. Congress created American Craft Beer Week with the passage of House Resolution 753. To commemorate American Craft Beer Week, TwoPints and I are reaching into the cellar and opening up a good bottle of beer every day. To document the consumption of seven of my best bottles the seven bottles I have convinced myself I should open, we are also reaching back to one of our old beer journal techniques. We call it "He Said, She Said." In the journal, we'd each jot down our thoughts on the beverage at hand on adjacent pages... usually without the elitist terms like opalescent, rosewater, or lacing.
Enjoy, and Happy American Craft Beer Week!
Day 1
May 11, 2009
Allagash Grand Cru
Batch #20 (Winter '08-'09 release)
Website/Bottle Information:
Allagash Grand Cru is our winter seasonal. We brew this special, deep-golden colored beer each year in limited quantities. It has a full, yet refined malty palate and a gentle fruit and spice aroma, which will continue to mature and evolve over time when the beer is cellared. Enjoy Allagash Grand Cru by itself next to a warm fire, or as an accompaniment to pate, sausage, or a hearty lamb dish. Allagash Grand Cru is the perfect compliment to the cooler seasons!
Available in: 12 oz and 750 ml bottles, 5.17 and 15.5 gal kegs
ABV: 7.2%
Original Gravity: 1067
Recommended Cellaring Temp: 55°F
Recommended Serving Temp: 45 - 60°F
Suggested Food Pairings: Pair with full flavored, spicy entrées such as lobster or shrimp diavolo. Also excellent with curried dishes. For dessert pair with bread pudding, Indian pudding, carrot or spice cake.
He Said:
Aw man. I love this beer. Even before I became a true beer snob, Allagash Grand Cru was one of my favorite 750mL bottles. It turns out, Grand Cru isn't exactly a beer style, but in the U. S. it is usually used to describe a Belgian-style beer, usually brewed with spices. Allagash's version is a near perfect blend of spicy and malty. The smell... it's kind of a spicy, alcoholly heaven. This is pretty heavily carbonated and tastes great both cold and as it warms. As for Allagash's claim that it's a winter beer... I think the medium alcohol level (eeh, 7-ish), lively carbonation, and balanced flavors make it a pretty good warm weather beer. Take that!
She Said:
Allagash Grand Cru, to me, is not a beer you would pick up on a hot summer day. Because of the spiciness, I'm reminded of winter time beers. This makes perfect sense, as I'm told that is how they market it (He Said: you'll find a snow flake right there on the label). I love the bubbles bouncing around with every sip. Not my favorite type of Belgian but great tasting none-the-less. Every beer drinker has their "it" flavor, Allagash Grand Cru just misses the mark for me. The beer is just a little to heavy and serious for my taste. No way would I push it away if offered to me, but not my "go to" beer of choice. It's good, try it!
