Allagash Curieux

Translucent amber in color. Apple-y and grape-y aroma with touches of honey, pear, and grass. Flavor strongly bourbon-y, oakey, smokey, with a base flavor of deep malts, raw grain, and ethanol. No hop taste whatsoever. Not a typical trippel by any measure, seems to fall somewhere between a trippel and a barley wine. Unique.

Cask Conditioned Draught @ GLB. Smooth mouthfeel with notes of oak and vanilla in both the nose and flavor. Very warm with solid alcohol presence. Sweet and yeasty. One of my favorite out of thier premium line of barrel aged beers.

Hazy yellowish orange color with a white head. Soft sweet fruity flavor, yeasty with a touch of sourness, sour apple maybe, and strong bourbon flavors. As it warms more fruity and caramel flavors come out. Medium bodied with a soft feel in the mouth. Initial sharp carbonation but smooth thereafter. Nice long finish.

Draft at Redlight. Pours a hazy orange with a thin white head. Aroma had a nice malt to it along some some nuts and bourbon. Smooth malty body with a nice belgian sweetness and whiskey like bite that balance well. Very tasty.

Aroma is bready/yeasty with fruity tones, slight bourbon-musky smell. Smooth syrupy body but lots of carbonation. Very strange to me. Bourbon is wonderfully balanced, not overpowering. Blends well with the belgian sweetness.

Draft at Redlight Redlight. Pours a very hazy, brazen orange color with a small, foamy, off-white head. Soapy flares of lacing sloppily run down the glass. The aroma shows notes of banana nut bread, caramel, Kentucky bourbon, honey, fruity esters, and doughy yeast. The flavor is somewhat of a conundrum. Just the concept of a Belgian tripel aged in bourbon barrels is foreign to me, but this works exceptionally well. The bready yeast and sweet fruity notes work surprisingly well with the malty, sour mash bourbon. Nutty and fruity up front, with a lightly sour, pungent finish. Medium-full and smooth bodied, there is a bit of stickiness and alcoholic heat, but that can be forgiven. This is an excellent slow sipper, and a successfully daring take on a typically boring style.

Draft @ Redlight. Bourbon/vanilla comes through straight on in the nose. Hazy yellow gold color. Woody aromas as well. Flavor is doughy sweet with touches of wood, bourbon and peachy fruit.

RateBeer Rating, Style and Glass: 95, Abbey Tripel, Trappist ABV, Volume & Calories: 10.5 % in 16 fl oz. estimated at 250C Purchased at: Issac’s on tap in Newtown for $6.00 Aroma: oak, bourbon, nice. 9 out of 10. Visuals: clear, beautiful, golden, thin white head. 4 out of 5. Taste: bourbon, oak, barley, banana. 9 out of 10. Palate: amazing, dark, deep finish. 5 out of 5. Overall: nicely balanced belgian and oak. I’d have it again. It’s great. Very well crafted. 18 out of 20.