$10.99 from Jax, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. 750 mL corked & caged, relatively new to GA, in the second wave of Allagash brews.
Pour is a dark, dark brown (basically black) with some dark brown chestnut highlights. Head is dense and creamy, but a little disappointing in terms of its longevity.
Advertised on the label as a Belgian Style Stout, I would say this is just about exactly what I would imagine a beer in that style to be like. It has the attributes of a Belgian Strong Dark – the usual dark fruits, alcohol notes, sweetness and lovely yeast character – but then the ending cuts in with a really strong licorice bitterness. It’s seldom that I get such a strong sense of flavor, but this is one of those beers that delivers such a thing. A little aniseed in there too.
Reminiscent of Unibroue’s Chambly Noire.
Smooth and silky in the mouth, particularly on warming, with some fine carbonation, this is a very drinkable beer. Glad to have a sensible and manageable ABV too, rather than something in the 10-11% range.
Really tasty, I am surprised I like this so much.