Allagash Musette

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Bottle at KØ07. Almost clear chestnut colour. Good malty flavour with a little esters and pepper and some raisin.

(750 ml bottle) A hazy brown beer with orange tones and a thin tan head. The aroma is wonderful and complex - citrus, tropical fruit (pineapple, mango), spice, and alcohol. The flavor is spicy, with some fruit, and noticeable alcohol. It has a biting finish and aftertaste, and leaves the tongue tingling. The flavor does not live up to the promise of the aroma; the alcohol seems to be the most noticeable flavor.

May 2006 bottle. Clear amber with a short foamy white head. Sweet yeasty smell, some tannic oak (not much), fruit. Medium-bodied. General Belgian fruity yeast taste with some oak notes. Overall not very distinct. It strikes me as more of a simple Belgian Strong. To judge it by the standards of Scotch Ales, this is very mediocre. On its own merits, it’s a good Belgian-style brew. I have a December 2006, and will see if the oak is more up front.

[Corked 75 cl bottle] Brown colour with a slight haze. Rich head. Somewhat spicy aroma with notes of honey and berries. Flavour is toffee and orange peels. The alcohol and the oak aging gives it a somewhat harsh finish. Since this is an "expensive-beer-in-a-fancy-bottle" I must admit that I’m a little bit disappointed; I expected something more. Will probably improve with age.

This has a muted cola taste, one of the things I love in scotch ales. The oak aging adds a bit of character. Sweetness is there. Alcohol is not. Pours an opaque amber/brown color with minimal head. Big carbonation. Aroma is caramel and cola. Full bodied, long finish with a slight alcohol and bitter back end. Good beer but I really love plain ol scotch ales minus the oak aging.

Bottle (5/28/07). Brown murky color with a creamy tan head. A nicely spiced (cinnamon and pepper) flavor with a smooth malt and yeasty finish. A nice brew but overpriced in California (~$17).

August 2006 Bottle. Moderate sized head that diminishes to lace very rapidly. The appearance is a very clear, but medium-dark amber. Carbonation doesn’t hit me very strong. The aroma is mostly hops. Don’t taste the high alcohol content too much. The flavor is that of a very classic scottish ale with the malts coming to the forefront very quickly, and then the hops taking over.

Pour slow, large foamy head. Nice clean and clear caramel brown color, head leaves behind no lacing at all. Spicy peppery lemon grass& pear aroma. Heavy bodied brew with good warming sensation in the chest. Notes of malty sweetness in the foreground subsiding to a spicy flavor.