Allagash Musette

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

Serve in Thistle

UPDATED: APR 25, 2007 The aroma is very fruity with apples and pears being the most prominent. There is also a butterscotch element as well as toasted malt and caramel. The appearance is hazy purple/brown with a two finger head. The flavor is like the aroma with only a trace of oak barrels. The palate is sticky but a little thin with an astringent bitter finish. Overall a really good beer.

750ml Bottle: Aroma is sweet and spicy. Smells of bourbon, oak, wine, and yeast. Poured brown in color though appears amber against a white background. Medium, rocky, tan head lasted throughout. No lacing. Clear. Sparkling. Flavor is moderately sweet and lightly spicy. Tastes of bourbon, lots of malts, a little alcohol, wood, grape, cherry, and cloves. Medium to full body. Lively carbonation. Malty, slightly bitter finish tingles on the tongue. Lasting wood and malt flavor in finish. Overall, good, but not my style.

Pours a dark amber with a thick, well retained light tan head. Pretty foamy. Rich malts and caramel dominate the aromas. Some yeasts as well. Taste has a nice malty bitterness to it. Caramel and vanilla are also very much present, especially in the finish. The bourbon is more controlled in this beer, than in the other barrel aged beers they do. The alcohol is still very hot, but the bourbon is more subtle in this beer. Still very nice.

Shared bottle thanks to CMUBEERMAN. Pours caramel, off white head. Aroma is funky, sour, musty, wheat, celery, meat. Flavor is sausage, citrus, wheat, spices.

Bottled-cork & wire: Pours a deep orangey amber with lots of clarity. The head was tan, extremely bubbly, and brief. The aroma was somewhat enticing with lots of yeasty esters, dark Belgian malts, spicy apple cider characteristics/cinnamon, prunes, oak, and light ethanol. The body has extremely sharp carbonation and evident alcohol burn. These types of brews are frusturating because often times they offer something decent under the assertive alcohol burn and excessive carbonation. A bit astringent and sweet. It does have light fruity notes of figs, applewood, and the later flavors show some raisins and an alcoholic finish. This Ale doesn’t develop anything with warmth or followng sips. I was hoping it would, but there might be something nice under all the astringencies. It’s sad because if this were a bit more tamed and balanced it’d probably be significantly more enjoyable.

this dark, almost burnt amber color is quite a site with its cloudlike head. the nose is filled with caramel and leather, nuts and meat. the flavor adds spice, brown sugar, and apple to this meaty and caramel concoction. the nice slighltyheavy palate makes this beer delectible. i’d love to drink it in january with haggis, neeps, and tatties.

Bottle. Pours a hazy brownish amber color with a fairly substantial beige colored head that seems to hang around. Aroma is yeast, dried cherries, oak. Flavor is candi sweetness with hints of oak, vanilla, light alcohol, yeast, spices. Wish that vanilla was a little more pronounced. Palate is medium bodied, highly carbonated, sticky, finishes slightly sweet and fruity. Very good, but far from great.

Bottling December 2006. Just found this on the shelf yesterday at Total Wine. Burnt orange in color and slightly hazy with an initially thick foamy head. Aroma of yeast, cherries and a faint note of vanilla and oak. Full bodied and creamy mouthfeel. Flavor reminds me of the Allagash Four. There’s something very unique about the yeast strain in Allagash Ales and here is no exception. Slightly sweet, malty and fruity. While I wasn’t blown away by this one, it still is a nice ale from a great and consistent brewery.