Allagash Curieux

(cask @ The Old Toad - Rochester, NY) Exclusive item to the Toad. Dark copper in color with a tan head. Aroma is very rich and malty with a good amount of bourbon notes throughout. Smooth malt and bourbon flavor at the beginning with an extremely malty and sweet middle and an incredibly smooth and warming finish at the end. Some oak, butter, and earthy notes round it out along with some dark fruits. Very complex and delicious and I’m glad I got some of it while it lasted.

Tasted about a year ago and have wanted to find it since. Found a bottle recently. Certainly has aromas of sweetened vanilla and oak, very nice. This has a nice big complex flavor, slightly sweet and not over the top. This might be a great beer to introduce people to the world of craft beer. I am very surprised that it’s at 11%, it’s very smooth. I’m still on my first pour, so maybe some other qualities open up when it comes to room temp.

Tried at PP bottle shop during Logan’s tasting. Large 750mL bottle ($16) bought generously by Jon. A whole table of beer fell to the groud and broke, except this bottle. I got the foamy dregs out of it. Lots of oak. Mellow flavor. Cloudy yellow. Delicious.

750ml - Bottled Feb 2006 - Aroma of bourbon, oak, vanilla and yeast. Pours transparent gold with a very small head and decent lacing. Flavor is bourbon, oak, vanilla, peat, subtle spice and tropical fruit. Alcohol is there but not too bad. Palate is sticky. Not bad, but nothing really that special to warrant the price.

Cloudy, peachy orange, lasting head. Oak, bourbon and coconut in aroma. Honey, brown sugar and cracker. Rather sweet, some tea notes finishing. Hoppy, nuanced finish.

Cask at Blind Tiger. Cask does this beer well, providing it with an incredibly smooth, buttery oakiness that is as evident in bottled samples. Palate is super-smooth, and this beer is real easy to put down. Not too much complexity, but fruity, bready notes are apparent.

sampled blind at "Better Know a Style: Abbey Tripel".pours clear golden with white head. nose of bourbon, oak, coconut, and alcohol. flavor of bourbon, alcohol, vanilla, white grape. boozy stuff. thin but a vibrant ale hit the back of the tongue and camps out for a while.

The Duvel Tulip I picked out for this sampling seemed very appropriate, as Allagash Curieux came out foamy, pale, and slightly cloudy. The smell was clean and elegant. I could detect a faint hint of vanilla in the nose, but not much Bourbon. The taste was sweet and soothing, but a little too simple considering the barrel aging process. Not much in the way of oak flavors here, but based on my recollection, this came across a lot smoother than the Tripel. The alcohol was well hidden except for the warmth. A little flourish of hops was all that I could detect. Soft and creamy in the mouth, and aftertaste lingered on.