Allagash Curieux

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.

Sampled at GABF 2007. Oh boy, this is a hottie. Dark purple brown color with a medium beige head. The bourbon in the nose bitch-slapped me. This is all alcohol. It simply dehydrates your tongue. If you like bourbon, and I do, this is a winter warmer.

On Tap at the Trappist in Oakland, CA. Big malty, spicy, estery nose. I would have never guessed that this was aged in Bourbon barrels. Wonderful malt & yeast complexity in the flavor. Reminds me of the nice flavors from the Westmalle yeast strain at low temps with some fresh bread flavor. Very enjoyable.

C&C 750, Feb 2006 bottling. listed at 11% alcohol on the label. Lightly hazed gold with a white head, and millions of bubbles cruising effortlessly up to the top of my St. Bernardus chalice. Sweet, tropical fruity nose, lightly dusty, mild spices. Flavor is fruity and woody, light Bourbon notes, very mellow and well integrated. Sweet finish, spiciness a bit more pronounced. Excellent.