Allagash Musette

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

Serve in Thistle

I don’t like this any more than Curieux. I mean, every time Allagash does one of these large corked bottle wonders I have to buy it, but ... this is (1) not a Scotch ale and (2) not especially nice. Nasty actually, despite being create and well made. Nasty. Clearly Belgian yeast, and markedly Belgian like everything from Allagash. By color and mouthfeel I’m thinking strong double, unlike the Tripel of Curieux. Is there anything about this that is smokey or Scotch? No. Was there before it was overwhelmed with oak and bourbon? Maybe, but probably not. Another good looking golden Belgian from Allagash, swamped with oak and whiskey. Beautiful dark amber, small head. Spice, alcohol, bubble gum. I really don’t care much for this. // How silly! I rerated an hour later. I don’t like it. It’s like a zillion dollars a case and I poured my first bottle out 1/4 finished. I don’t like the taste, and I down grade the OA because for that price and that much alcohol if it’s not great it’s not even worth thinking about. Yuchers!

Poured cloudy golden color. Brewed in Whiskey barrels. Fruity and malty carmel taste. Really has a whiskey bite. Can feel it going down your throat. Fun beer to drink, maybe because I enjoy whiskey.

Bottle. Opened for the Super Bowl. The web site recommended to pair this with BBQ. We had chili. Close enough. Nice pour ... orangey copper with a nice head on top. Good carbonation. Aroma of some dark fruits like fig, some earthy tones and some whiskey. To my surprise, I found the mouthfeel to be a little light. It pretty much is a Belgian inspired Scotch ale, with the emphasis on scotch ale. Sweet from caramel and faint dark fruit, slightly astringent (whiskey) and a little bit earthy (roasted malts and a tiny bit of oak). They all balance well, but none of them really knock you out. It’s good, and I appreciate it, but I’m just not into the scotch ales too much.

Bottle sampled in mid-July 2006: Pours a transparent dark orange copper with a well-lacing frothy light tan head. Complex woody oak and sweet dark caramel malty aroma has some toasty bready notes. Body starts with a lightly sweet, full caramel and Belgian maltiness wtih some big buttery oaky flavor. Nicely-balanced, unique and enjoyable.

Pours a hazy caramel amber color with a thin, bubbly, offwhite head. Good aroma of caramel with earthy and peaty malts. Good flavor of caramel with oak, earthy, peaty malts and some yeast on a light to medium, creamy body, the carbonation is non-intrusive and soft. Quite different from other Allagash beers, interesting but far from my favorite beers from this brewery.

Bottle. Murky brown pour - cider colored - with a fluffly cream colored head. Sweet, malty, and earthy aroma, with figgy notes. Vanilla and oak are apparent in the aroma, but not as much as I expected. Faint bread and yeast also, with some toffee notes. Very musty and earthy flavor. Smooth, full malty flavor with a hint of bitterness. Finish is short but clean. Reminds me of a De Dolle beer I’ve had (maybe ara bier, but I’m not sure), but not as good. It tastes really belgian-esque to me, much more than it probably should, especially for a scotch ale. Not bad, but allagash has better stuff. Lots of carbonation, considering its barrel aged, I didn’t expect that.

Large, milky brown head of medium sized bubbles. Head is a little flittzy for a scotch ale. I expected a nice thick dense head that retains itself for a long time. Little fruity aroma. Some malts but not enough. I read the description now and see that this is modeled after a "belgian" scotch ale. Has more of the yeasty and fruity aroma of a belgian strong than a scotch ale. No smoke, no peat, no thick chewey malts. Slightly vinuous with just a hint of bourbon. Color is a dark amber. The flavor is more in line with the style. Pretty malty and a little sweet. Good alcohol warming. Little fruit again and a touch of tartness from the oak. Needs more earthy and peat notes. Only a slight bourbon overtone again. Body is a little thin but packs alot of flavor. Finish is pretty hot actually and kind of short lived. A good scotch ale should have an ending that hangs around for a while. Regardless this is still a pretty damn tasty brew but I am a little dissapointed. It may need to lay down for a while longer though.

Pours out a turbid chestnut color with a tall, steadfast rocky cream colored head. Aroma is awash with bourbon soaked oak and hints of vanilla, lively yeast, toasted malts, earthy hops that poke through at random intervals, brown sugar and smoke. Smells elegant and viscous, nearing vinous qualities if not for the brash whiskey intermingling within. Needless to say, alcohol masking is not really taking place here, it’s bold and abrasive like a young cabernet. Flavor is subtle in all its mannerisms, strangely exotic. Focus now moves to the smoky malts and whisky, then on to dark fruits. Palate is full and very refined and gentle. Finishes with a subtle spiciness and eloquent tang, reminiscent of Belgium’s finest. The bourbon component is a conundrum; I think it would have provided a better all around presence had the beer been aged for a much shorter, or a much longer time in the barrel. This level of spicy whisky clashes with the overall profile. Somewhat wandering as a finished product, but delicious in spite of that. Time will tell what this is truly capable of, it is a little hot at such a young age. I just love Allagash and this proves to be no exception.