Try?
So, I'm drinking
this curious little beer. Actually, it might be more accurate to call it a
curious big beer, potent as it as at 11% alcohol by volume. The beer
I'm talking about (and drinking) is Allagash Curieux, from Portland,
Maine's Allagash brewery. Allagash, of course, specializes in Belgian style
ales, and does them better than just about anybody else in North America
(New York's Ommegang and Canada's Unibroue excepted).
And I must say, I'm of two minds about this beer. Part of me says, wow, oak aged, so complex, and absolutely delicious. This is a real winner, and it is of course. Allagash has taken a classic Belgian style of beer and brought it to another level, kicked it up a notch, really made its own.
But then there is the price tag. $12.99 for a 750 ML bottle. That's steep, and although high-end beers seem to be all the rage these days, as a long time Bruguru (around since the dawn of the beer renaissance, my friends), I know that I can get an equally wonderful Belgian-style brew for less than half that from Ommegang or Unibroue, or come to think of it, a Belgian-style ale from Belgium for less too.
But then again, Allagash Curieux really is a very special beer. Let's let the brewery tell you a bit about it, shall we?
In October of 2004, we released the first beer in our series of Barrel Aged beers, Allagash Curieux. To make the Curieux (French for "curious"), we age our Tripel Ale in Jim Beam barrels for 8 weeks in our cellar. During the aging process in bourbon barrels, the beer is totally transformed, and many new flavors and aromas develop. Most notably, the beer picks up soft coconut and vanilla characteristics...and also a hint of bourbon flavor!
OK, I don't know about you, but I can't wait any longer. Let's try this, shall we?
Allagash bottles this periodically in 750ML corked bottles, my sample comes from a lot of 520 cases bottles in September of 2007.
Allagash Curieux pours to a pale golden color with a light creamy head formation and a fruity, heady nose of musty Belgian yeast aromas and fragrant bourbon. The bourbon notes in the nose are so wonderful, in fact, that I think I spent more time sniffing this one than drinking it, though I can't be sure.
A sip reveals a lush and rich, full bodied ale, definitely in the Belgian Triple style, but really oh so much more than that. Right off the bat I get light rich malt, fruity pineapple, cotton candy, and lots of funky Belgian yeast notes.
Underneath all that, I'm also picking up hints of woody vanilla from the oak aging, and high-octane bourbon flavors, too. But Allagash suggests, of all things, coconut, and though I'm not sure I would have got it without them mentioning it, sure enough it's there. Along with, in the finish, a lot of wonderfully drying alcohol warmth.
This, my friends, is one wonderful ale indeed. And yes, it is expensive at $12.99, but if you're a beer enthusiast like me, you really should try it. Because after all, curiousity may have killed the cat, but it's a really good thing for beer.
And I must say, I'm of two minds about this beer. Part of me says, wow, oak aged, so complex, and absolutely delicious. This is a real winner, and it is of course. Allagash has taken a classic Belgian style of beer and brought it to another level, kicked it up a notch, really made its own.
But then there is the price tag. $12.99 for a 750 ML bottle. That's steep, and although high-end beers seem to be all the rage these days, as a long time Bruguru (around since the dawn of the beer renaissance, my friends), I know that I can get an equally wonderful Belgian-style brew for less than half that from Ommegang or Unibroue, or come to think of it, a Belgian-style ale from Belgium for less too.
But then again, Allagash Curieux really is a very special beer. Let's let the brewery tell you a bit about it, shall we?
In October of 2004, we released the first beer in our series of Barrel Aged beers, Allagash Curieux. To make the Curieux (French for "curious"), we age our Tripel Ale in Jim Beam barrels for 8 weeks in our cellar. During the aging process in bourbon barrels, the beer is totally transformed, and many new flavors and aromas develop. Most notably, the beer picks up soft coconut and vanilla characteristics...and also a hint of bourbon flavor!
OK, I don't know about you, but I can't wait any longer. Let's try this, shall we?
Allagash bottles this periodically in 750ML corked bottles, my sample comes from a lot of 520 cases bottles in September of 2007.
Allagash Curieux pours to a pale golden color with a light creamy head formation and a fruity, heady nose of musty Belgian yeast aromas and fragrant bourbon. The bourbon notes in the nose are so wonderful, in fact, that I think I spent more time sniffing this one than drinking it, though I can't be sure.
A sip reveals a lush and rich, full bodied ale, definitely in the Belgian Triple style, but really oh so much more than that. Right off the bat I get light rich malt, fruity pineapple, cotton candy, and lots of funky Belgian yeast notes.
Underneath all that, I'm also picking up hints of woody vanilla from the oak aging, and high-octane bourbon flavors, too. But Allagash suggests, of all things, coconut, and though I'm not sure I would have got it without them mentioning it, sure enough it's there. Along with, in the finish, a lot of wonderfully drying alcohol warmth.
This, my friends, is one wonderful ale indeed. And yes, it is expensive at $12.99, but if you're a beer enthusiast like me, you really should try it. Because after all, curiousity may have killed the cat, but it's a really good thing for beer.
Update 9/13/2018: Allagash Curieux, just tapped at my local Taco Mac. No idea what I’m paying yet but it’s worth it. Not as boozy in the nose as the bottle I had years ago but it’s full of boozy bourbon in the palate, coconut, vanilla, wood, pineapple, cotton candy, yeast funk and warming alcohol in the finish. Yeah baby!!!!! And here's the bill: $9.25 for an 11-ounce glass. It's worth it!
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
