Allagash Musette

Batch 260 - 2006 Vintage - Received via trade, with whom though I can’t recall. I’m usually down with most beers Allagash produces and that didn’t change with this one either. It reminded me in so many ways of a barrel aged Maudite (if that were to ever exist) it wasn’t funny, and then to find out it’s supposed to be a Scotch Ale?

The beer pours out medium brown color, cloudy with a nice two-finger thick head. Aroma is decidedly dark fruits, spices, bourbon and wood. The beer has a slight prickly mouthfeel. Flavors are dark fruits, a caramel-malt yeastiness, and more bourbon and oak notes. This was an above average beer and surprisingly sweet.

Bottle. Pour is Light brown with the scent of scotch and fruit pear/apple. Flavor is malty, strong hop character, oak. Very drinkable for 10%. 3.5 The BA Allagash Musette on draft at blind tiger tasted like a completely different beer even though they are listed as one in the same. Awesome oak, and vanilla, licorice, bourbon and it just came together so dam good, listed as 10+%. 4.3

Pours a copper-brown color with an off-white head that sustains itself due to a steady stream of champagne-like bubbles. Aroma is syrupy sweet with some vinous character. Taste borders on cloyingly sweet; I get roasted malt, notes of brandy, and a significant hop bitterness as well. It’s also quite buttery in taste and texture; alcohol becomes noticable after the swallow. Very interesting.

August 2006 bottle. Fruity malt aroma with tangy apple juice hints. hazy orange color with a almond small head. Mildly sweet fruit malt beginning with a stronger bitter wood finish. Alcohol is well hidden.

Purchased at Perfect Pour - Deep brownish crimson, thick lightly tanned head. Aroma showed notes of brown sugar coated dark fruit and apple with undertones of oak and vanilla grapes. Very well balanced caramel fruity oak flavors throughout. Soft hints of sweet bourbon pear emerge at room temp. Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Complex and very well made...

The beer pours dark amber. The nose is light but has hints of wood and spice, although I can pull a specific spice from the nose alone. The head poured a think white but settles down to a thin white that says with the beer the whole time. The first taste is many oak mixed with malts and a light yeast. The finish is a nice smooth woodiness with a light spiciness. The aromas of the beer get better as it warms. Over all I found this beer to be delicious. This beer will be great after it has rested a few years

December 2006 750ml. Pours into the chalice a clear amber-burgundy hue. Pour creates an impressive 1" frothy, tight beige colored head with superb retention throughout. No lacing noted. Ddn’t seem to get a whole lot of punch from the aroma side of things here. Nothing off, but very reserved notes of caramel apples, fresh cut hay, brown sugar, vanilla, white grape and a touch of cut wood just barely tickle the olfactory nerve. Very smooth and fluffy mouthfeel with a lively carbonation but a silky finish. The flavor has a bit more oomph than the smell. Moderately sweet notes of caramel candy, melted brown sugar, buckwheat honey, nuts, toffee, vanilla bean and just a hint of grass and oaky chardonnay come through. A faint touch of hoppy bitterness makes a late appearance. Any perception of 10% alcohol is fairly non-existant making this a deceivingly easy big Belgian-style beer to put away. Economically not such a great deal at $16.99 when you can get the real deals from overseas for a lot less. Not sure what Allagash is thinking of at that price.

750ml bottle. I don’t have a thistle. I figured Allagash wants this to be Belgian-inspired so I’m drinking it from a tumbler. AM pours a dark metallic color with a large creamy-looking white head that leaves heavy lacing. It smells malty and has the candy smell of some Belgian beers. This beer is medium-bodied and a little oily. The flavor is sweet, reminding me of cream soda in a way. There is a little bit of woody flavor and the Belgian yeast really shows through. There is no hint of the bourbon at all and that is fine with me. The finish is mildly sour. The finish is rather clean considering the oily body.