Allagash Curieux

25.4 oz bottle. October 2005. Increasingly hazed earthy orange with a brief white head. Bourbon dominates the aroma but lets some spicy peach creep in. Bourbon is better integrated into the taste but still imparts a note of alcohol. Silky toffee, oaky orange liqueur and a touch of sweetened cranberries. Carb is not quite sparkling but still sharp enough to balance the dense body. Smooth and warming. This would be great with a good cigar or a rich paté.

On tap at Eulogy Belgian Tavern in Philadelphia. this was the BEST beer that we tried and we had a number of amazingly delicious and interesting (all pretty smooth) beers! it was served in a snifter. poured a blood-orange with a medium sized, white-fizz head. lacing followed in the form of very small thing piasleys dancing along the class. smells of strong alcohol and sweet smalts. tastes mostly of bourbon. becomes sweeter and sweeter as you continue to drink it. borders on too sweet. but looking back on it I wrote "Delicious, Delicious, Delicious" and know that the 3 of us fought over who was holding it in their hand as we were rotating/sharing beers and this was the best. try it immediately! yum!

750ml bottle. Feb 2006. Aroma: subtle bourbon and oak notes with a hint of vanilla. The spiciness of the beer and the spiciness of the bourbon meld into a complex aroma. Orange peel, slight banana, and some light floral notes. Appearance: Deep yellow in color and hazy. White head was small, rocky and short lived. Not much lacing. Flavor: Light bready malt, lemon zest, and clove/pepper. The bourbon flavor runs throughout with a strong woodiness and a bit of vanilla and coconut. Alcohol is noticeable, but pleasant. Dry finish with some bourbon and alcohol carrying over. Palate: Medium bodied with a light creaminess. Medium-high carbonation. Some fairly strong alcohol warming on tongue and down throat. Overall: An interesting beer. Wouldn’t think a Trippel and bourbon go together, but they work pretty well here. Nice flavors and complexity.

well i love bourbon.. .and i love tripels... good combo... makes the back of your cheeks and tongue curl up. worth all $15.

Bright orange, carbonaceous body with small off-white head. Sweet aroma belies the bourbon/alcohol flavor which is initially very strong but becomes less noticeable as I finish the drink. This was good for me because I don’t like the taste of bourbon. Still, I appreciate the use of the bourbon flavor in this beer. Full bodied and smooth. Alcohol aftertaste is strong in the back.

2006 bottle. Hazy/cloudy yellow/gold colour wiht a thin white head. Beautiful aroma, vanilla/bourbon oaky character that backs up a soft sweet Belgian malt base. Orange citrus, some soft rummy notes in the nose as well. Flavour is surprisingly well integrated. Sweet chewy malt, some honey, toffee and vanillla. Light bourbony flavour, black pepper and a nice sweet spicy yeast profile. Cardamom and clove appear briefly behind the soft bourbon. The beer has good balance. It’s clearly barrel-aged, yet the tripel character also comes through and isn’t clobbered by the bourbon or the oak. I’m still not certain that barrel-aging is the best option for these lighter styles, but this one come pretty close to changing my mind.

Pours a slightly hazy amber that forms into a nice white foam head. Pretty goo staying ability here. It smells of fruits, but not much alcohol or bourbon. Taste has some alcohol, esp. when it warms up a bit. Very good brew here.

tap. Pours with a golden color. Very nice head. Aromas of botrubon and fruit but mainly bourbon. Flavors start out with a heavy dose of bourbon, later one gets orange, bread and some spices. Nice mouthfeel, nice finish with just a bit of alcohol