Allagash Curieux

These notes apply to the Jim Beam bourbon barrel version. 750 at the Seattle International Beerfest. Smells bourbony without a doubt, but there’s sweet caramel and candi there too. The bourbon settles out after it’s been open for a few minutes. Cloudy orange/light amber pour. Thin off-white head. Medium, somewhat oily body, lightish carb. Bits of hay, lemon, and pear on the mid-palate. Tangy, sugary cling with oxidized apples on the finish.

Aroma of yeast, spice, apricot and booze. Hazy yellow, pours the tiniest of heads. Tastes of alcohol and malt, harsh, ordinary. Thanks jerc.

Pours amber, slightly haziness with a tall soft off-white head. Very oaky aroma, lots of spices and a big sweet caramel and bourbon backing. The bourbon isn’t as strong as i was expecting, more of the dry oak flavor shows, the bourbon must just get mixed in with the sweetness. This beer feels very dry on the palate resulting from the high carbonation and the dry oak flavor. This beer has sat for a while so there was no excess alcohol flavors.

Aromas of bourbon, tartness from the oak, somewhat spicy tripel-ish aroma. Light sweetness, hay. Golden orange pour, nice bubbles, and a nice head too. The flavor is pretty full of bourbon and booze up front, some oak notes subdue the underlying base of yeast, spice, and fruit. Some candy sweetness, and perhaps a little bread. Lots of noticable booze from the 11%. Carbonation is soft, the body is smooth, and oak dryness lingers.

En fût, cask. Verre de 13 oz. dégustée chez Great Lost Bear (Portland, ME). Arôme: Odeur d’épices avec une pointe d’alcool. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée légèrement voilée. Présence d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de raisins avec une pointe d’épices. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture huileuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’alcool en arrière goût. (Rating #1701)

Pours a hazy golden yellow with a towering white head. Oaky, whiskey aroma, but soft with a sweetness suggesting honey. Sweet malty palate with dominant vanilla oaky tones, honey, spices, and a leathery woodiness in the finish. Absolutely delicious!

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.

750ml Bottle: Aroma is heavily sweet. Smells of bourbon, vanilla, apples, and oak. Poured amber in color with a small white head that diminished quickly. Small lacing. Hazy. Sparkling. Flavor is heavily sweet and alcoholic. Tastes of alcohol, bourbon, spices, and cloves. Full body. Thick texture. Lively carbonation. Long alcohol finish. Alcohol is warming. Overall, could use a little less alcohol flavor.