Winter Delights From New England

Allagash Black
Belgian-Style Stout
750 mL corked bottle
7.5 percent ABV
Sampled: Jan. 3, 2010
Wow, what details this beer leaves off the label.

At first glance, what makes this stout Belgian? Nothing. Then the Allagash Website fills in details most would consider vital.

Not only does Black come from a Belgian yeast strain, but the brewing process includes a spin through methode champenoise, the aging and sediment-removal process used to give sparkling white wines their carbonation (whoa).

Only a few expensive brut ales from Belgium engage in the method, so it’s a major mark for unusual ale. As with most Allagash beers, I’m in for an interesting spin. Judging by the bubbles, Allagah didn't slack off and simply inject Black with CO2.

Belgian candied sugar presents itself immediately, But Black lacks the thick body of a dubbel, the typical Belgian style to sport those sugars. That gives it an amazingly creamy, enticing nose. The body is significantly lighter than even a typical Belgian stout; in that aspect, Black could claim closer ties to porter.

Even the finish is cleaner than most stouts, with a little roasted malt that quickly fades from the palette. I have no clue how much a role methode champenoise plays, but the stout has a unique effervescence and drinkability uncommon to strong stouts.

The hop contingent turns a little bitter on the finish, but does not linger. It defies too many conventions associated with stouts. Granted, Belgian stout is a relatively recent alcoholic innovation.

Black tastes nothing like Ommegang’s experiment with Belgian chocolate, or the Obscura Stout, another Belgian attempt that largely succeeds. But it exceeds both due to its incorporation of Belgian brewing techniques into something new.

Stout? I still don’t know. Amazing? Pretty damn close. Rating: 8.5/10

Smuttynose Baltic Porter
22 oz. bomber bottle
8.7 percent ABV
Sampled: Jan. 3, 2010

The mercury never left the 20s today, so something stout seemed in order. Since I can’t nab Synebrychoff anywhere near Nashville, this New Hampshire-brewed Baltic porter will suffice.

For the uninitiated, Baltic porter is a step beyond English porters and stouts, a style concocted for the rougher winters in Scandinavia and North Sea ports of call. Baltic porter generally derives from a lager yeast, allowing it to develop properly at colder temperatures.

The alcohol content beckons from the nose onward, wispy lace clinging to the glass. I get a few stiff fingers of molasses right behind it, followed by caramel and a few holiday spices amid the raisins. The coffee is slow to develop, and not quite as rich as Baltic porters from Finland or Sweden.

I anticipated more for the style; the coffee backbone in the malt often defines the Baltic porter. While they did a fine job with a tough porter, this Smuttynose could have benefited from more roasted character in the malt.

Nonetheless, it’s a friendly libation for a cold night. Rating: 7/10