Maine: 11th Anniversary Ale, Allagash, Portland

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:21 p.m.

Memorial Day weekend el norte continues with this four year old treat from Allagash in Maine. Sixteen bucks for 750 ml at 9.2% in 2006? I have no idea. Pre-recession pricing is meaningless to me now.

The brewery speaks highly of this creation which finds itself this far into its life looking very much like a very good Belgian dark strong. Fig and licorice are works used by Allagash but there is a fabulous texture to this beer, like a sticke alt, that speaks to enough residual sugar to let this one lie in a cellar for years yet at this strength. Another word not mentioned is rum - dark rum at that...You could nicely soak fruit in this or have it with Christmas cake. Or smoked salmon. Buckets of it. Herbal, too. Rosemary?

The deep BAer respect may be one notch too light.

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