Allagash Nancy
There are only a few breweries whose products that I will purchase without additional thought. There are even fewer when it comes to Belgian-style or wild ales. In fact, there is just one — Allagash Brewing. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve put other products back on the shelf just to make room for a couple from this Maine brewery. And such was the case with Nancy.
This 6.3% ABV wild ale is, well, let’s allow the company’s website explain it for us:
Nancy is a sour red ale fermented with Maine cherries and Brettanomyces in 100% stainless, for just shy of a year. The cherries were a blend of Balaton and Montmorrency and added at a rate of 2lbs per gallon.
The end result of those efforts is another beer that proves Allagash is consistently one of the best brewery’s in the U.S. Their barreling program and wild ale production has been incredible throughout the years and is only getting better. Nancy, is just more, tasty proof.
Appearance
The beer pours a slightly hazy, golden amber in color with a crown of noisy, white foam.
Aroma
Distant cherries, a solid amount of tartness, light grains and soft woody notes all persist.
Taste
Nancy carries a great flavor and potent tartness. It’s sharp and biting, but not as sour as some of the beer’s peers on the market. Excellent tart cherry notes and wood linger in the background throughout. The beer is light bodied and effervescent.
Overall
Once again, Allagash have managed to produce a classy wild ale with excellent, but not mouth-crushing, tartness and an overall excellent flavor. Nancy is a great example of why I often swap out what I have in my shopping cart for Allagash products. It’s just that darn tasty.
Rating: 4.25/5
