[Ed.: Note the comments where Greg from Allagash corrects some of my less than stellar observations. But check here for thoughts on my questionable taste.]

Have you ever had a surprise disappointment? I got a bunch of Allagash brews last year, stashed them to great benefit and loved them all... until now. Their Victor just wasn't not doing it for me at all. This being the age of Twitter, I did twut thusly:

Yuk. Allagash Victor reminds me of Molson Brador gone bad. To be fair, I hated chardonnay long before this beer ever hit that cask. Bye $$$.

In the end, a straight sink pour after two half mouthfuls. The alcohol stood out like a half ounce of poor rye in 750 ml. I don't recommend anyone tries white wine cask conditioning before drinking this beer. A good try, a noble experiment, a 700 ml addition to Lake Ontario via the water treatment plant. I need a tonic. Look, the Sox are up against the Yanks and I need something to sip. So, I call upon the gods of Jolly Pumpkin to save the day.

The bottle is marked "blend #9, 2007" and was likely fresh when I visited there a year and a half ago. It's the only bottling of this beer without a review at the brewery's web forum. Boy, will "sbearorg" be ticked. The beer pours deep smoked amber under a thick fine rich cream head. On the nose, vanilla and cherry and raspberry and balsamic and so oloroso sherry. Wow. A big swish around the cheeks finds this one halfway between a gueuze and a Flemish red. Not heavy. A bit tart, a bit dry oaky, a lot of barnyard and a bit faded fruit.

Lovely, bright and cheery. Just the thing. Oddly, a solid BAer tie with the Victor. Each were bought at the brewery, the Jolly Pumpkin was half the price.