Allagash Curieux (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel) - Allagash Brewing Company

ToasterChef

Maine

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from my tasting notes. Served in a 10 ounce tulip at the Great Lost Bear. The beer has a hazy, opaque golden color. There is a thin white soapy head. It looks very pretty in this glass. It has a magnificent bourbon and Belgian yeast aroma with notes of oak. It's both sweet and spicy. Flavors I can identify include candy sugar and citrus. There is alcohol and bourbon in the finish that lingers. There is a great balance of triple and bourbon qualities. I've had other cask pours of this beer that were very hot, but this is smooth and excellent; very little burn. It has low levels of carbonation, a lot of coating and a heavy body. It's all together highly drinkable. It is strong and bourbony, but oh so good. There is just enough sweet to counteract any burning sensations from the alcohol. I have and will continue to drink this beer, especially when it is available in a cask.

Serving type: cask

04-01-2010 16:21:55 | More by ToasterChef

MikeGill

New York

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted on 2/11/10 at The Ginger Man in NYC.

Gravity cask poured into a snifter.

Light cloudy carmel color. Pin sized head with minimal lacing. Vanilla, coffee, and charred wood aromas with some tree fruits coming through as well. Definitely has a bourbon smell.

Buttery with hints of bitter chocolate and sour dough bread. Plenty of sweetness but not syrupy. Medium bodied and luscious. Smooth and complex with American oak spice. Well rounded flavor profile, starts sweet then moves to spicy bitterness and finishes dry.

Remarkably balanced and drinkable for 11% abv.

Serving type: cask

02-18-2010 00:04:50 | More by MikeGill

taigor

New York

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from cask into snifter.

A - Golden color with medium white head that slowly dissipates leaving slight lacing around glass.

S - Yeasty, spicy upfront with hints of citrus.

T - Yeasty to start but slowly turns fruity with a hint of spices and that 11% abv comes through at the end.

M - Medium bodied with high carbonation.

D - Surprisingly very good drinkability even though it is high in abv. Very tasty and smooth.

Serving type: cask

12-07-2009 19:10:15 | More by taigor

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this on cask at Teresa's Next Door.

A-Pours a hazy apricot golden color with a fluffy white head and great lacing.

S-Sweet with a heavy aroma of chardonnay grapes. No real bourbon character or funk.

T-Yeasty and sweet with just a bit of funkiness. Bourbon barrel notes really not apparent here.

M-Light to medium bodied.

D-Tasty but not up to either the bottle or tap versions. Will be interesting to see if age helps this one.

HV

Serving type: cask

07-13-2009 13:47:14 | More by sholland119

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask at Julians/Providence
A - Hazy Honey color - nice light off white head.
S - Little bourbon, some sweet malt, some oak.
T - Light bourbon. some vanilla, oak, sweet malts. Alcohol lingers a bit too.
M/F - Medium body. Light and subtle carbonation. Very nice.
D - Very smooth and enjoyable. I enjoy cask beer and this one was a real treat.

Serving type: cask

05-29-2009 04:18:04 | More by ThirstyBird

glid02

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta.

Pours a very clear gold color with a large-bubbled, one-finger white head. The head recedes rapidly into a wispy layer on top leaving light lacing.

Smells of light fruits - bananas and pears - with hints of oak, though not a whole lot of bourbon.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The light fruit flavors are muted, giving way to sweet malts and hints of grassiness, though again there's not a whole lot of bourbon influence, with the exception of the slight alcohol burn.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a decent thickness with moderate carbonation for a cask offering.

Drinkability is alright. It's not hard to drink, but it'd be a lot easier to drink with some bourbon influences - at least for me.

Overall I was a bit disappointed with the cask version. I thought it would give the bourbon more of a chance to shine but I think it was weaker than the normal tap version.

Serving type: cask

04-15-2009 20:13:11 | More by glid02

timmay41

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A Valentine's Day cask-conditioned treat at the Moan and Dove, Amherst, MA.

A: A deep, muddy brownish with yellow highlights. A one-finger casky-bubbled head.

S: Alcoholic-tinged sweet notes of bourbon and malts dominate, with subtle fruit notes.

T: Sweetness up front with a warm, dry aftertaste. Belgian sugars present but muted by the temperature and relative flatness, which is actually pretty awesome.

M & D: What the cask conditioning does is make this much more (and dangerously) drinkable, toning down the booze bite. It drinks less like a complex aged triple and more like a session belgian white or double. If this 11% offering is wrong I don't want to be right.

Serving type: cask

02-15-2009 04:42:36 | More by timmay41

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on cask at The Moan & Dove, Amherst, MA.

Arrived in a 12oz steemed tulip with a 1" off-white head over the cloudy copper brew. Lacing is minimal. Head lasts well, with sticky lingering lace. Aroma is fruity and boozy. Taste is lightly sweet, with increasing alcohol to the close. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is dangerously easy. Even nicer than bottle, oh my...

Serving type: cask

02-15-2009 02:13:58 | More by ppoitras

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a bourbon barrel aged tripel - big, big beer. Sampled on tap two years old at the fabulous Am Flat in downtown B-town. Nice eggshell white head with a yellowing edge at the meniscus of my glass. Nice retention and irregular yet persistent lacing that banded throughout the sample. Aromas of dried cherries and raisins. Clear and rich true-gold color with some orange highlights. The flavors are deceptive (where is that 11% ALC? Oh crap... there it is...) Tropical fruits (sweetness), malty breads, bourbon depth and alcohol heat (esters) especially as it warms up. Good mouthfeel, nicely balanced, smooth and surprising. Impressive aged and will likely get better as it does so. Noted and admired.

Serving type: cask

08-20-2008 17:54:08 | More by thekevlarkid

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-cask 7/3/08 at Doherty's East Ave. Irish Pub, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of Belgian yeast, fruit, light malts, alcohol and some hops.

T: The taste malty and creamy which I wasn't expecting, with flavors of Belgian yeast, apples and caramel. There's a mild hops presence that provides some balance and there's a slightly alcohol sting. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, light carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

D: Tasty, goes down dangerously easily, not too filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, the casking seems to add the creaminess to it, whether or not that helps this particular beer is a matter of personal preference. Overall, it's a very good beer that is worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: cask

07-04-2008 15:16:24 | More by TheManiacalOne

iceball585

New York

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Light yellow color, clear, thin white head that lasted pretty well

S- Bourbon, oak, light malts, yeast, vanilla

T- Strong bourbon flavor, vanilla, fruit, oak, creamy, mild hops

M- Medium body, low carbonation, very smooth but definite warming kick near the end

D- WOW it was awesome

You can really tell this beer was aged in Jim Bean bourbon whiskey barrels. It gives it a nice whiskey flavor but not too over powering. The oak barrels almost give it a slight chardonney flavor as well.

Serving type: cask

06-23-2008 23:23:23 | More by iceball585

mltobin

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap in Portland, Maine at the Great Lost Bear.

Appearance was brown with a one-finger head.

Smell was strong, fragant, almost like hard booze, but still pleasant.

The taste was spicy, rich, and powerful, almost like I was drinker a Makers Mark version of a belgian beer.

Mouthfeel was full and complex, interesting.

Drinkability is good, just be sure not to have more than a couple of these.

Serving type: cask

05-14-2008 23:59:00 | More by mltobin

dreadnatty08

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Paradiso.
Pours a very hazy, cloudy medium amber to bright orange color. Just a shimmer or bright white head is formed that quickly is reduced to a covering and soon nothing. The aroma is difficult to grasp with the cask pouring (minimal carbonation hurts), but soon notes of sour cherries, citrus, moderate clove and vanilla come through. On the palate, however, things develop. Flavors of strong oak hit you hard first, followed by vanilla, spicy phenolics, and a little citrus. The cask conditioning makes things a bit muddy, with a bright citrus tripel clashing with the strong oaky and bourbon flavors. The mouthfeel is heavy with low to minimal carbonation. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and extreme beer. The oak was a bit overpowering though hindering the drinkability.

Serving type: cask

03-25-2008 19:58:01 | More by dreadnatty08

skomahon

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the Dirty Truth in Northampton--I love cask ale, and was excited to hear about an Allagash tripel on cask while I was there.

Pours a blonde color into a chalice-style glass. Very rich aroma, lots of citrus and other fruit flavors mixed with some hints of alcohol and also a distinct richness--I could sense complexity from the very first smell of the beer.

It may have been this pour, but the mouthfeel was surprising! I wonder if this would have been better bottled, or maybe it was the surprise of low carbonation from the cask with a distinct alcohol flavor that I more regularly associate with the powerful, viscous, mouthfeel of belgian tripels, but I would have liked a bit more richness here. The taste itself is rich and complex, not overpowering--and actually is probably more drinkable than many other of its style. However, after being so excited about the smell and it being on cask, I was a bit disappointed...definitely worth trying, and an ambitious project from Allagash.

Serving type: cask

03-10-2008 15:26:47 | More by skomahon

RocPorterFanatic

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I just had this on cask at The Olde Toad in Rochester, NY. Served in an 8oz. Tulip.

A - Golden hue with little to no head. Slight lacing left after each sip. Richer color than an American Pilsner, not as dark as a red. Didn't share the same color as other tripel's I've had

S - Malty. Over the top, orange peel and nutmeg were present.

T - Orange peel and nutmeg with an instant alcohol flavor. Not overpowering, no hoppiness. No bitterness, very clean aftertaste. The bourbon barrels definitely left their mark, as well as a very faint vanilla taste.

M - Just slightly carbonated, what you'd expect from an ale that had been ages in oak barrels for months. No extra carbonation at all.

D - This could be deadly. I'm glad I had a driver. This beer is amazing. I really couldn't drink more than 1 or 2 without getting hurt, but I might be willing to try.

Serving type: cask

01-12-2008 01:11:02 | More by RocPorterFanatic

PlaywrightSam

New York

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from the cask at the Publick House in Brookline, MA. A: Golden honey orange, very thick, legs all over the glass. S: Very sweet, the oak is definitely present, toasted malts, breads, some fruits in there as well. T: A wonderful honey/fruit sweetness up front with a nice dry bitter finish. Really fantastic. M: Thick, smooth. D: When I walked into the Publick House this was the first beer I ordered, and I was not disappointed. It's a really beautiful, extremely well balanced, well-tempered tripel. I'm going to try to make it back to the Publick House in the next few days to try it again.

Serving type: cask

12-30-2007 02:32:50 | More by PlaywrightSam

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.44/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on-tap at the brewery tasting room, the beer is a slightly hazed, honey-gold coloring with a white filmy ring on the surface. Nose of grain and sweetness, with a heavy bourbon overlay. There is spicing that helps to cut the richness in the aromas. Flavors of bourbon initially, with booze and warmth, followed by a toasted grain backbone, honey and vanilla sweetness, and subtle earthiness. Smooth and surprisingly light in body, there is a boozy and rich aftertaste with a slick, slow lingering finish. Wow!

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2013 19:37:03 | More by GarthDanielson

gr0g

New Jersey

3.96/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2013 vintage poured into a snifter. Cloudy amber-gold in color with a two finger head. Leaves some nice but spotty lacing behind. Yeasty notes of the standard Allagash tripel are more subdued here. Faint notes of oak and vanilla are additional contributions from the barrels. Overall floral note with maybe some ripe pear.

The flavor follows the nose in being less fruity and yeasty with a corresponding increase in sweetness and woodiness. Dull aftertaste that kind of lingers. Some alcohol heat but no sting, which is impressive for an 11% beer. By no means a mediocre tripel, this still hits most of the right notes for the style, but the vibrancy of the fruit and yeast notes are missing.

Overall, the barrel aging doesn't really do any favors. Allagash makes an excellent tripel that isn't improved upon here.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 19:26:49 | More by gr0g

alaimoa

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle that came straight from the Allagash Taproom. Pours a dark gold with a little lingering lace. Very bourbon forward on the smell and taste and left lingering vanilla and mile alcohol notes. This beer was truly awesome and I was pleasently surprised with how much of the bourbon characteristics came through

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 11:03:30 | More by alaimoa

pjkelley82

New York

4.34/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Ahhhh... yea... the rating speaks for itself. Went to Maine and visited Allagash taproom. They let us sample this.... bought 2 bottles. Couldn't find it for 4-5 months then I did.... bought 2 more bottles.... bottles were $15-$19... for a 750.... well worth it. Maine beer is impossibly smooth so the alcohol taste barely stays.... I'm a big fan of cask beers so that's maybe why I liked it so much.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2013 06:10:42 | More by pjkelley82

dar482

New York

4.73/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The beer is a beautiful hazy deep blonde gold color.

The aroma has a sweet caramel, barrel characteristic with oak, and sweet apricot. Lemon, spice. You can surely get that this what it is. Tripel that is barrel aged.

The taste has a barrel aged sweetness, Belgian yeast, fruity sweetness, lemon, pineapple. Then there's some rich flavors with oak, bourbon barrel with the coconut, vanilla.

There's a boozy finish as this is at 11% ABV. My favorite tripel so far. It's not your standard fare, but this really is spectacular.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 06:29:58 | More by dar482

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a golden body with great carbonation for lots of head and lace patches on top of at first is a lightly tart, funky smell with some sour and tropical fruit notes and spice. Got some sweet fruit and sugariness out of the aroma too but not much woodiness or bourbon. Taste is the same as the barrel aging helps out in the mouthfeel with some smoothness and the bourbon notes are quiet but add some heat on the back but not overpowering. More of a traditional tripel in regards to taste with a solid balance of some tropical fruits like orange peel and banana, some sweetness from sugary malts and possibly tropical fruit and touches of spice thanks to some clove and even a slight sourness (I swear I got a taste of sour apple). Not a traditional tripel in the strictest sense but the addition of bourbon barrel aging is a nice complement to the brew and I thoroughly enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 16:56:59 | More by clayrock81

oberon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Sticks ans Stones tonight.Poured into a goblit a lightly hazed lighter golden with a nicely formed white head.Aromas are big in the bourbon barrel department with mild phenols and spiced pears,a nice mix of things going on.Sweet bourbon vanilla flavors along with more sweet alcohol,spiced phenols are there but kept in check pretty well,some boozy fruit in the finish.A nice barrel aged tripel not over the top bourbon wise but it packs a kick.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 23:48:36 | More by oberon

Jonada

New Jersey

4.44/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottled on February 1, 2013. Served in a goblet.

Appearance: Dark golden yellow color with a finger of a white frothy head and good retention. Body is very hazy with lots of champagne like carbonation streaming throughout. Leaves some spotty lacing.

Smell: Belgian yeast spice, banana, clove, red apples, with some light candi sugar notes as well. Not really getting much barrel character.

Taste: Sweet Banana, apple, pear, vanilla, toasted almonds, candi sugar, pineapple, white grape, oak. There's a semi sweet creaminess as well, almost like a banana cream pudding with a shot of booze. The beer has a lot of bourbon barrel character without overt bourbon taste.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, heavy mouthfeel. Carbonation is high, but works really well with the big mouthfeel. Booze is hidden well.

Overall: Well I'm officially an idiot for waiting so long to try this. This is probably the best tripel I've had. I can't believe this doesn't fly off shelves.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 04:41:35 | More by Jonada

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Appearance:
Pours surprisingly little head that is white and lasts. The beer itself is a cloudy gold.

Smell:
The hops come out strongly and mix very well with the alcohol and vanilla flavor as well. In addition, I also get some Belgian spices and some clover as well.

Taste:
Wow. The taste is nothing like the smell. While the smell is more hoppy, the taste is more vanilla than hoppy. The hops are still there but are mainly present in the aftertaste than anything else. In addition, I get a nice clover taste, which I believe would be the yeast.

Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied with biting carbonation.

Overall:
I thought this was a very good Trippel aged in Bourbon barrels. The flavors and smells blend well together to make a very good beer. I'm definitely going to have to pick this beer up again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:16:02 | More by HattedClassic