Allagash Curieux

Not sure about the color and nature of the pour from the nice corked 1 pint bottle because the great smell overwhelmed my scenes. The scent turned out to be a great indication of the taste and overall mouth feel. It has a sweet mild smell of alcohol. The flavor is just so gentle. A nice medium body with some sweetness. You can sort of tell the alcohol is present but it really does not hit until the end of the sip when a slight woody bourbon flavor kicks in. Just a terrific smooth warmer.

Bottle labeled June 2006, opened on 11/1/2008. Hazy blond with a medium white head and so-so lace. Sweet oakey aroma with some floral character and a bit of orange. The oak aroma carries over to the the flavor , adding to a honey sweetness that continues into the finish. Enough bitterness for some balance, but hops are certainly not a prominent feature here. Lightly carbonated, with a light to medium body, smooth, and surprisingly clean considering the sweetness that is up front. I like the big oak aroma and flavor, although, a little unexpected in a beer this light and clean.

From the tap poured a brown color with a good amount of head. Nice spicy malty flavor with a lingering finish.

Bottle into chalice. Pours hazy light orange-gold, with a creamy white head and nice, solid lacing. Nose – hints of bourbon and vanilla, slight booziness, meld with sweet apricot and passion fruit, with just a bit of yeast. Vanilla really comes through as a nice, smooth vanilla sweetness, apricots dipped in cream with a slightly boozy aspect. Taste – Begins with an underlying note of vanilla, moves to a much larger, more prominent bourbon note to complement a nice, sweet apricot presence with just a hint of dryness. Finish is yeasty, dry, a bit more bourbon comes through. Really a fantastic balance between the barrel and the beer. Really top notch, one of my favorite Allagash experiences. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a soft, fluffy carbonation.

750mL bottle, February 2005 bottling. Poured hazy medium golden with a short cap of white head.. looked OK. My first impression on the aroma was bourbon, and it came across quite nicely.. sweet vanilla, some orange meat, and prickly esters surrounding.. quite nice. The flavor pale malts and orangey notes at the core surrounded by spicy, peppery bourbon, vanilla, and toasted oak.. finished on the sweeter end, but still well-balanced. Medium-plus bodied with plenty of carbonation (just the right amount).. enjoyed the way the barrels were used here.. quite enjoyable!

It was expensive ($16.99) for the bottle, but it was a damn good beer. For the cost I don’t see buying it again, but it was worth a try. Pours a light little cloudy blonde with a thin head. Nice funky sour aroma. The flavor has a little sour bit to it, and then at the very end you can taste the bourbon. Very smooth. Good stuff.

On tap @ Binny’s South Loop Tasting Room. Yep, on tap. I had been wanting to buy a bottle of this, but at $15 I kept avoiding it, got lucky and saw this on tap at Binny and quickly got a glass of it. Poured a golden yellow, typical of a Tripel. Aroma of yeasts, bourbon (a bit too strong) and malts. Taste is quite smooth, perfect carbonation, and mouthfeel. A real interesting combination of bourbon and yeast, a bit strong alcohol lingered at the finish, but still quite good. $6 is a good price for this, don’t think I would be able to have to drink a 750ml bottle alone, and enjoyed it like this.

750 ml bottle via Secret Santa a year or so ago - Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a half finger thick white head. Faint lacing. Aroma is bready malt and faint oak. Flavor is lightly sweetened malt, light esters, and light oak. Smooth, medium body. A very nice beer.