Curieux
Allagash Brewing Company

CurieuxCurieux
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Allagash Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Tripel
Ranked #5
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,483
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 10.75%
Reviews:
1,025
Ratings:
4,127
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 11, 2024
Added:
Apr 05, 2004
Wants:
  578
Gots:
  1,214
Aging our award-winning golden ale in freshly emptied bourbon barrels layers the beer with notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, and a hint of bourbon. First brewed back in 2004, Curieux remains our most popular barrel-aged beer.

To make this beer, we age our Tripel in bourbon barrels for approximately seven weeks. After that time is up, we blend the barrel-aged beer with a portion of fresh Tripel, to bring out the beer’s notes of passion fruit and honey. The result is a flavorful and multi-layered ale with a crisp, dry finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of BJB13
Reviewed by BJB13 from Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12 ounce bottle poured into a Tulip.
Bottled 10/12/23

L: Hazy gold, 2 finger stark white head, creamy foam has good retention, leaves some lace.
S: Spicy hoppy nose with some fruity esters to open, oak tannins becoming more pronounced as it warms.
T: Malty and moderately sweet, cracker-like malt, honey, golden raisin and apricot-like dried fruit flavors, tangy finish is spicy and more dry, yeast is flavor is light.
F: Medium weight and creamy with enough carbonation for a crisp finish, smooth overall.
O: Alcohol is well hidden, not getting any bourbon character but white oak is present and pleasant , very enjoyable and easy drinking.
Feb 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.73 by JarMills from Canada (BC)

Feb 08, 2024
 
Rated: 4.47 by Nyoder

Feb 04, 2024
 
Rated: 4.04 by craigbelly from Iowa

Jan 28, 2024
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.39/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a two finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of grainy Belgian malt and yeast, clove, lemon and mild bourbon. Flavor follows with grainy Belgian malt and fruity yeast, clove, light bourbon, oak and touch of vanilla. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. Allagash used to distribute in the Northwest and many of their ales were my introductions to Belgian styles; I didn't realize at the time how authentic most of the were, but I grew to love them. This one I never got to try and was glad to finally get a can of it. Exactly as described, it's a classic Belgian tripel with light bourbon and oaky barrel character. The latter are somewhat subdued, but do add to the interest of this great style. Fine malt and Belgian yeast notes. The oak is mild, and I wish it was a little more assertive. The bourbon is light too, but that seems an appropriate level. Allagash seems quite proud of this one and for good reason. I'd love to drink this again. Nicely done.
Jan 19, 2024
Photo of Hayesbro
Reviewed by Hayesbro from Pennsylvania

4.37/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours an opaque gold with a slight head. Strong aromas of sour, surprisingly, and oak, a little aged wine in there. Fairly sweet, the barrel shines through, with some fig notes and spice. Excellent.
Dec 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.59 by swtdixie91 from South Carolina

Nov 03, 2023
Photo of FreePal88
Reviewed by FreePal88

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Incredibly sweet, almost sickeningly sweet, but pretty complex. Every swig I'm wrestling with its flavor and sorting through its spicy/oaky/honey/slightly fruity elements. A little "big" to drink regularly, but its snobby, "classy" aesthetic isn't necessary. Sell this in tallboy cans, you cowards!
Nov 01, 2023
Photo of AGU313
Reviewed by AGU313 from Maryland

3.16/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
A: Tiny Bubbles and a thin head. Golden yellow and hazy.

S: When aerated sweet vanilla and oak with some coconut. I can smell the alcohol.

T: Bourbony, bitter hoppy, vanilla

M: Light and gentle carbonation

O: Honestly Bourbon is not for me, I don't know why I picked this beer, For lovers of Bourbon I'm sure you'll like it,
Oct 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.43 by Neelbeer from New York

Sep 30, 2023
Photo of barnzy78
Reviewed by barnzy78 from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle
thanks to Ken for the bottle!
L: sightly hazed golden body; foamy creamy white head
S: doughy grain, floral noble hops, spicy yeast, mild oaky bourbon
T: dough, pale malt, oak, bourbon, vanilla, light caramel, honey, spicy Belgian yeast, grassy/spicy/floral noble hops
F: super smooth, medium body, alcohol is warming, pleasant carbonation, balanced & dry finish
O: I wasn’t wowed by this the first time I had it, but it truly lives up to its reputation
Sep 18, 2023
Photo of BWSpoon
Reviewed by BWSpoon from New York

4.78/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
From a can purchased at the brewery. First time and wow. So good!!! Flowery but not perfumy. Light and bright on the palette, like other Allegash beers. Complex, nuanced, a real journey. Not overly boozy in spite of the high ABV. Not an everyday beer. A special event.
Sep 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.22 by QuentinDishaw from Massachusetts

Sep 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.6 by Beecham from California

Sep 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by slightexag from New Mexico

Aug 25, 2023
Photo of jjamadorphd
Reviewed by jjamadorphd from Florida

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very deceptive, very tasty...

When I see a brew is barrel-aged, at 10.5%, and it has a taste that hints of the booze - I found it very deceptive, in a good way. The booze that I expected to taste and even smell - was basically non-existent. I find this to be well made for that fact alone. A tasty treat indeed that I would be glad to try once again.
Aug 21, 2023
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

4.34/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can into a tulip glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear golden color with a small white foam. The head has a fantastic level of retention, fading slowly over time and leaving tons of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is big and bold with lots of candied sugar and biscuit malt. Mixed with these aromas comes a nice doughy smell mixed with lots of coriander and clove, along with a bit of nutmeg. At the same time notes of yeast and some peach and lychee are there as well. For a bourbon barrel aged brew, the bourbon smell is light, but adds a nice accent, mixing with the rest to produce a rather inviting smell.
Taste – The taste begins with a nice crisp cracker and biscuit malt flavor mixed with some sweet grape, peach, and apricot flavors as well as flavors of candied sugar and yeast cake. Along with these flavors comes a decent showing of coriander and clove, with some lighter notes of white pepper and grain. As the taste advances the sweeter flavors get stronger, with some bubblegum and cane sugar joining in. At the same time a bit of grass and hay join in, and with a touch of bourbon coming on at the end, one is left with a nice, sweet, crisp, and flavorful triple like flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is light for a 10.5 % abv brew, with a carbonation level that is high and effervescent. For the style and the taste, the feel is great and makes for a very pleasant sipper.
Overall – While not very heavy on the bourbon at all, the brew is rather flavorful and tasty. A very nice, slightly sweeter sipper, and one certainly worth a try.
Jun 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.3 by QuintusHorace from California

Jun 24, 2023
Photo of illusionistlynx
Reviewed by illusionistlynx from Maryland

3.84/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Interesting idea to barrel age a tripel, and the barrel notes are quite nice. However, I find the overall flavor profile lacks many of the qualities I'm looking for from a solid Belgian tripel in addition to being a bit too boozy for the style.
Jun 15, 2023
Photo of ovaltine
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a gorgeous slightly unfiltered golden color with a creamy white head that yields to the body of the beer fairly quickly. Beautiful tripel. The nose is crammed full of oak notes, with caramel and vanilla in plentiful amounts and a bit of bourbon and pear. I am literally drooling.

That oak flavor is forward and melds well with the caramel and vanilla to provide a smooth foundation for the bourbon to provide a modest amount of booziness, but it’s the pear at the back of the palate that is knocking my beer nerd socks off. So many flavors and so well balanced.

The mouthfeel is substantial and fairly crisp, making for an oxymoron of a beer - a crushable 10.2% ABV beer. This is exceptionally well crafted and a world class tripel that I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to enjoy.
May 27, 2023
Curieux from Allagash Brewing Company
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 4127 ratings