Allagash Curieux

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Portland, Maine USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

Another great beer from the folks in Portland. Very smooth. Far too easy to drink.

Lots of vanilla/smoke in the nose and across the palate. Looks like a tripel should. Not too much of an alcohol bite, but it’s there. Perfect amount of barrel aging. Not usually a fan of messing with a tripel but this one works.

Bottle. Delish! Pours a deep golden orange with a solid white cap. the bourbon barrels ae distinct in the nose, along with vanilla and port/wine. Rich and complex with fruits, wood, yeast and alcohol.. Well balanced and great tasting.

750 mL bottle. Golden, slightly cloudy pour with a thin off white head. Aroma of vanilla and slight hops. Great smooth, creamy taste of yeast, faint citrus and vanilla with an even finish.

I don’t really like triples cause of there driness. Nose is all sorts of clove, yeast, and alcohol. Mouth is tamed by the Jim beam. That’s it’s saving grace.

November 2008 bottle. Pours a clear golden amber with a huge stream of bubbles rushing to the top and feeding a bubbly beige head that recedes to a cap quickly and leaves little lacing. The aroma has fruity esters, vanilla, apples and pears. I do get a little vanilla and oak though the bourbon is subtle. Also some earthy spiciness in the nose. The taste has a smooth vanilla sweetness up front immediately following by some yeasty spiciness and sweet fruity esters. The finish is the first trace of Bourbon which burns just slightly and also includes a dry oaky character. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with the dryness lingering with some strong carbonation. The aroma led me to believe there wasn’t much bourbon in here but the taste brought the whiskey to the front. An excellent use of barrels.

This brew is a fine example of what barrel ageing can do, it make a good brew even better. I poured a 750 bottle into a tulip glass and was greeted by a white head set on top of a honey brown colored brew. The aromas’ of the barrel make the statement right up front. It is fruity(grapes) and woody (oak) with a touch of spice and Belgian yeast to it. I enjoyed the flavors as well the warmth of alcohol come’s out first, but the flavors of fruit and candy sugar help keep it in check. I consider this a medium bodied brew with ample carbonation. This brew has a kick, and drinking the bottle by yourself is questionable at best. So I say one glass a sitting is more than enough for me. I have revisited this beer on numerators occasions and was never disappointed.

Tremendous taste and a beer for appetizers or after a meal. I would recommend this to anyone but particularly those looking for something a little different.