Allagash Curieux

bottle from Kingdom Liquors - bottled June 06 - sweet oaky bourbon, a little spicy, thin cloudy head - yes you can taste the bourbon on the finish - very nice

On tap. Poured a golden orange with white head and nice lacing. Aroma is strong of bourbon, oak, and malty sweetness. Flavor was of malts, oak, yeast and had a sweet, alcohol finish. Has a somewhat spicy finish. Very quality brew, glad I took the reccomendation.

Pours a pale orange-tinted gold, ample head and lacing. Nose of mild burbon, not that I’m particularly familiar with the stuff. Wow, definately unique. The blend between the malty sweetness and the woody burbon notes creates a unique flavor experience. There’s a slight lingering sweetness that imparts a maple/vanilla character. Not terribly complex overall though; a tad one-dimensional maybe. More/some Belgian character and less time in the barrel would be more to my liking. Still quite quaffable for 11% and gets points for uniqueness.

This one is labeled October 2004. A medium gold color with small bubbles rising to the surface to help sustain a thick collar of lacing, bright white, tight-bubbled foam. Sweet honey-like malt notes with charred oak create a succulent, inviting aroma. Charred oak comes through strongly on the flavor with the complexity of the malt taking a backseat but there is a definite candy sugar note and sweetness forming the foundation and a strong, spicy yeast and alcoholic bite balancing. This reminds me of Weyerbacher Prophecy.

Rerate on a 2004 bottle: The oak mellowed nicely, the bourbon flavor faded away leaving a very smooth oak flavor. This was compared with a glass of the 2006 on tap, and clearly proved superior. Originally: Very slightly hazy golden body with a small frothy white head. Sweet oaked aroma. Sweet oaked flavor with some vanilla in the end with a sweet fruity background.

Pours a nice looking cloudy gold with a smaller head than most Belgian beers. Smells strong and wonderful: notes of bourbon and wine are very strong and dominant, but there’s some maple, pear, sugar, and as it warms, oak. Complex aroma. Taste leans a bit heavy on the bourbon and oak flavors, but that’s fine by me. It’s a nice twist on the tripel style. Anyway, plenty of vinuous notes, some subtle dried fruit. Reminds me of a chardonnay. Dries out a little upon the finish due to a light estery yeast, but then comes back to the original flavors, rather than remaining dry. An oak and sour grape taste remain, with an acidic quality reminiscent of coffee. Mouthfeel was surprisingly soft, with fairly low carbonation, and medium body. I was pretty impressed with this, but since I haven’t had the original tripel, I’m not sure how they compare.

August 2006 bottling. Hazy, dull orange with a thin white head. Complex nose...black pepper, citrus, yeast, alcohol, flowers. Silky palate, though lighter in body than expected. Bourbon and oak are the most prominent flavors with some hard candy, some tartness, some earthiness. Long, spicy, tongue coating finish.

June 2006 bottle. Light yellow color with medium white head. Bourbon dominates the aroma, and the taste as well. Hints of the tripel lie beneath the bourbon aroma. Sharp whisky flavors begin the taste and a dry alcohol note ends it. Perhaps a year or two mellows out the bourbon-ness of it. Little of the typical Allagash belgian characteristics are apparent to me in this bottle.