Allagash Curieux

Brewed By: Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (Bottling March 1, 2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Tripel/Strong Ale, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

It's been a good weekend, although maybe a bit too short. But it seems appropriate to wrap up with something classy, classy person that I am. About Allagash:

Allagash is a brewery based out of Portland, Maine. The company was founded in 1995 by Rob Tod, who designed a 15-barrel brewhouse, and began brewing some of the first American Belgian-style ales. Rob found success with the Allagash White, and expanded his operation. In 2001, Allagash began caging, corking, and bottle conditioning their beers. Since then, they have continued to celebrate Belgian-style beer.

Tonight's beer, the Curieux, is part of the brewery's year-round releases. This beer was the brewery's first attempt at a barrel-aged beer. The brewery takes their Tripel, and ages it in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for eight weeks. The beer is then blended back with the fresh Tripel. 

This one pours a golden-orange color in low light, and kicks up a finger's worth of golden-tinted, white head. I'm happy to report that the cork came off nicely, there was no gushing, and the pour was reasonable. In bright light the beer is more of a golden-yellow color, with hints of orange. The head is fluffy, white, and sustaining magnificently for an 11% beer. There's a lot of carbonation rising upwards in this, with tiny bubbles rushing upwards. As you might expect, this is slightly hazy. 

Allagash Curieux

This beer is like Christmas for me. Tripels and Jim Beam? Oh my, yes please. You get big whiskey, Jim Beam, vanilla, oak/wood, and meaty coconut on the nose. You also pick up on some nice orange, light citrus, grass/wheat, some candied/perfume Belgian yeast, yeast spice, and some clove. 

Typically you see breweries throwing Stouts in whiskey barrels, and I get that. But throwing these Belgian ales in whiskey barrels unlocks a whole new spectrum of awesome flavors. I'm pulling out big whiskey, meaty coconut, dried tropical fruits, pineapple, mango, citrus/orange, dried bananas, dried mango/pineapple, and big vanilla. There's a big warming in the mix, but the booze itself is virtually undetectable (aside from the Whiskey flavors). As I go in for another sip, I get a wash of the base beer up front, with big citrus, wheat, grass, clove, and Belgian funk...and then the tropical fruits show up, followed by the barrel. 

This has a palate fatiguing effect, where taking quick sips back to back causes the whiskey to fade a bit. If you wait a bit between sips, you get a fresh wash of big whiskey notes. This is very drinkable for an 11% beer, and the body is creamy, has just the right amount of carbonation, and a medium-full mouthfeel. The beer is a bit sticky on the finish, but I wasn't expecting champagne-dryness at 11%. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. You get big base beer up front, with Tripel-esque notes; that rolls into tropical fruits, and burgeoning whiskey; that rolls into big whiskey, wood, bourbon; the finish is vanilla, coconut, tropical fruits...slightly sticky and dry.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I will grant this a Light Divine Brew. This is somewhere between the Bruery's very tasty White Oak, and the very tasty Two Brothers' Bare Tree. I'm really feeling the tropical fruit vibe you get with this beer. Lots of bourbon, vanilla, coconut, and mango/pineapple. Good stuff. I feel like this would pair well with mussels or scallops, maybe calamari. You could also pair this with pasta that has a strong cheese sauce, or put it against some peppery chicken/turkey. This could also work with fruity desserts (like pie), or a cheese course. Really tasty stuff, and a nice twist on the Tripel.

Random Thought: Weekend movie recap: This Is The End was hilarious, go see it. Superman was good, but had a lot of problems. Star Trek: Into The Darkness was awesome and good fun.