Rating: 2Allagash Brewery
Portland, Maine
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 8.5%
750 ml corked bottle
Hugh Malone is an entry in the Allagash Brewery's "Tribute" Series, which mostly pays tribute to the brewery itself, as it includes things like their 10th and 11th anniversary beers; given the general quality of their beers, though, it doesn't seem unreasonable. By all accounts, Hugh Malone himself was an emigrant brewer, born in Ireland, who washed up in Portland with a fondness for hops (edit: after further research, this sounds like a hoax, for which someone at Allagash even composed a special website...).
The beer pours a rich amber color, with a serious head developing fast; the cork came out with a vigorous pop. The head died down pretty quickly, however. The aroma was quite mild, but yeasty. The taste started out fresh and bright, and in the middle became intensely yeasty on the palate. We struggled to pin down a suitable flavor comparison: we knew that it was not fruity, but weren't sure how to describe the spicy taste. It's a complex flavor, with perhaps something of the quality of a dry wine; although bitter, we didn't immediately think of hop flavors (though the beer has no shortage of hops).
The beer is extremely drinkable, and very tasty, but in the end we had to conclude that at the price - $15+ depending on location, which includes a $1 donation - it was a 2 rather than a 3.
Style: Belgian IPA
ABV: 8.5%
750 ml corked bottle
Hugh Malone is an entry in the Allagash Brewery's "Tribute" Series, which mostly pays tribute to the brewery itself, as it includes things like their 10th and 11th anniversary beers; given the general quality of their beers, though, it doesn't seem unreasonable. By all accounts, Hugh Malone himself was an emigrant brewer, born in Ireland, who washed up in Portland with a fondness for hops (edit: after further research, this sounds like a hoax, for which someone at Allagash even composed a special website...).
The beer pours a rich amber color, with a serious head developing fast; the cork came out with a vigorous pop. The head died down pretty quickly, however. The aroma was quite mild, but yeasty. The taste started out fresh and bright, and in the middle became intensely yeasty on the palate. We struggled to pin down a suitable flavor comparison: we knew that it was not fruity, but weren't sure how to describe the spicy taste. It's a complex flavor, with perhaps something of the quality of a dry wine; although bitter, we didn't immediately think of hop flavors (though the beer has no shortage of hops).
The beer is extremely drinkable, and very tasty, but in the end we had to conclude that at the price - $15+ depending on location, which includes a $1 donation - it was a 2 rather than a 3.
1 comment:
After a tour at Allagash today, the origin of the Hugh Malone nomenclature was revealed. The name is a take off for the botanical name for hops, Humulus lupulus. Hence the chemical notation in the background and the bitter look on Hugh's face.
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