Allagash Musette

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

Bottle: Courtesy of Styles. The aroma has lots of grape with some yeast and hints of cherry. It pours a transparent amber with a minimal off-white head. The flavor is dominated by lots of grape and moderate candi sugar. There’s a light yeastiness in the background. It finishes with some faint sour grapes and a hint of raisin. I didn’t get in bourbon influence on this beer.

well carbonated. ring around the glass as it went down, flavorful of the oak and a little spice.

750 ml bottle into a Barleywine Snifter glass. Bottled in August 2006. Pours a deep mahogany orange with a very retentive lightly tanned head. The aroma lightly hints at scorched oak wood, bourbon, vanilla, medium malts, and the smell on your clothes after you’ve been standing around a fire for a while (weird I know, but it’s totally what I smell). The taste has begins on a tiny burnt alcohol singe moving into a syrupy malt body with light oak flavors melded with light vanilla. A spiced hoppy note kicks in towards the finish while going back to somewhat of a burnt oak/wood and bourbon taste that sticks to the mouth for quite a while. Beautiful bubbles spur from the bottom of the glass. The flavors are all so subtle you can barely tell what all is making this one up. The bourbon and oak have mostly killed all the carmalized malt and toffee notes of what would be a Scotch ale. The spice note near the end is confusing as well - tastes great, but was unexpected and you can’t really tell what it is made of except for some clove. Overall a good beer, quite complex, and well brewed. Like most special Allagash I think this was over priced for something from America (when I’m in America)...but like I said, overall, a nicely done wood aged brew.

Oak, yeast, vanilla nose, cloudy, murky brown in color, short lived tan head, flavor is of whisky and burnt oak, not particularly appealing.

Bottled May 2006. Opened Dec. ’06. Well carbonated opening. Clear, medium mahogany colored with a fantastic off-white head. Great lacing. Aroma is malty and full, notes of oak and vanilla, some fruity characters. Medium bodied, well carbonated which is a bit distracting but understandable after reading the description posted. Sweet malty flavors with a decent bitterness, pit fruits. Alcohol is well hidden for 10%. Nicely done, an interesting play on several styles that comes off quite nicely!

Bottle. Deep pretty almandine body with a thin film of bubbles. Very attractive. Nose-nail polish remover, lemon, alcohol, apple juice, honey. Taste-honey (big time), perfect honey flavors, clove, alcohol, and caramel. Thick ,sticky, and nice. Reminds me of watered down bourbon.

Shared on Christmas day with John. Poured a deep chestnut color with a light head. The aroma was deep and malty with bourbon, vanilla and peat notes. The flavor was powerful. Strong alcohol, bourbon, burnt caramel, big oak and wood, too intense for my taste actually. Fluffy but thick body. Not one I’ll have again, I could not finish it.

Pours a light muddy brown. Medium light tan head that quickly subsides into a small thin blanket which lingers on. Somewhat weak aroma, but nice. Smooth mouth feel. Complex fruitiness. I taste the bourbon barrel, but not over powering. A bit pricey for what it is, but was a pleasure to drink.