Allagash Tripel Reserve

Sampled at the NY Brewfest on 9/12. Not able to give a very accurate rating due to the sheer number of brews sampled. Remembered it being ok, but not sure it lives up to its rating here.

Poured from bomber, part of Belgian-style beer tasting. Appearance is light yellow orange with a crisp white head. Aroma is of spices, banana, yeast, and malt. Flavor is initially semi-sweet, complemented by a smooth, lightly carbonated palate. I tasted banana, yeast, fruit, and spice all in a phenomenally balanced recipe. Overall, this is a great Tripel. I’d say my favorite part of this is the smooth, balanced palate and the subtle finish with a hint of alcohol. Can’t say I’ve tried a better Tripel.

Hazy golden yellow, Citrus, yeasty, spicey, hops, little, banana, little caramel, slight honey little wood, dry finish.

Batch 114. Pours with a large, off-white creamy head and a murky yellow body. Aroma of orange zest, honey, yeast and spice. Taste is sweet, spicy, and a bit of candied orange peel. Sharp bubbles and a dryish mouthfeel.
Notes from Batch 46 (1998 Bottle consumed in Feb. 2009): Hazy golden color with a generous white head. Aroma is sweet and bready. Notes of raisins and sherry covering up light spice. Hint of cardboard oxidation. Smells like a sherry dosed plain original donut. Taste is bready, sweet with notes of sherry. Mouthfeel is starting to show a little bit of thinning, but it is still pleasant. Light carbonation.

750ml bottle. Cloudy amber with a thin head. Light belgian yeast nose. Some spices and fruity flavors combine nicely with a yeasty malty finish. Maybe not my favorite triple ever but a solid beer.

Poured from a 750ml caged and corked bottle and served in a tulip. This beer poured a hazy, golden orange hue with a lasting head of creamy off-white foam. A decent coat of lacing was left around the glass. The aroma of the beer was made up of fresh orange peel, honey, pale malts, and lightly peppery yeast esthers. The flavor included bananas, orange peel, light honey, and light caramel. No trace of alcohol until a slight warmth at the finish. The mouthfeel is round and full-bodied with a nice crisp feel from some assertive carbonation. A really well crafted brew. Tasty stuff!

[Bottle] Pours a hazy gold with a large rocky off white head and some floaties. Aroma is pretty slight, but lots of citrus notes, lemon, orange peel. Flavor matches. Extremely smooth and pretty light in the mouth. The alcohol is not terribly present. A very drinkable tripel.

8/2/08 from the bottle. Aroma is a blend of roast malt and pepper forward with a caramel finish. Appearance is hazy gold with a well maintained white head. Flavor is clove forward with a perfumy banana background. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a somewhat grainy carb texture blend. Overall, quite good and worth trying just for the complexity.