Allagash White - Allagash Brewing Company

ThePaintedGrey

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12 oz. bottle, poured into tulip glass.

A: Beautiful, cloudy pale-yellow color with a creamy, white head. Head retains nicely. This is how a Belgian White should look, in my opinion.

S: Lemon, orange, and coriander hits the nose immediately. Appealing undertones of spices and yeast.

T: Coriander seems to be the leading role here, as it's instantly evident the second you sip. As the beer travels towards the back of your mouth, a lemony/orange citrus note hits the tastebuds. A very comfortable hint of hop bitterness comes through in the finish. The taste is exactly as advertised; "clean, crisp, and refreshing."

M: Exceptionally smooth, wonderfully full-bodied with a moderate carbonation. One of the best feeling beers I've had.

O: Allagash White is everything a White Ale should be. Easy to drink, exceptionally tasty, and overall one of the finest White Ales on the market.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 21:09:41 | More by ThePaintedGrey

Roman5150

Michigan

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into tulip

Appearance: light yellow/orange, 1 finger white head

Smell: clove, banana, wheat , pepper, citrus

Taste: lots of banana, wheat, clove, citrus, coriander, other spices. Very smooth finish, highly drinkable.

Mouthfeel: medium high carbonation, full body for a wheat beer.

Overall: Probably my favorite american wheat beer, perfectly balanced, with the smoothness of a wheat beer and the flavor complexities of a belgian. Will buy again when i see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 03:29:20 | More by Roman5150

chinchill

South Carolina

3.66/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Allagash White on tap at the Poe House (NC)

Hazy yellow with small, partially durable, white head some sticky lacing

Aroma: Mild, yeasty, light, mostly citrus, fruity; hint of banana; light biscuits

Taste: Mildly tart and very fruity, with banana

Medium-light body; not at all waterly; lightly crisp carbonation

O: very pleasant and refreshing brew; excellent on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2013 03:40:31 | More by chinchill

C3likesbeer

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Pale yellow with some haze typical of a wheat beer. Thin head that leaves some nice lace.

S- Bread, some spice. Perhaps clove or coriander. Slight citrus or lemon.

T- Nice refreshing warm weather beer. Citrus spice and refreshing.

O- Solid wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 22:21:07 | More by C3likesbeer

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.38/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

18 Jan 2013: Alfie's on 9th Ave, New York. Pint from the tap, my first ever beer from Maine (I think). Chalkboard claimed 5.2% ABV.

Cloudy, yellow with a fading white head. Typical for the style.

Sweeter than I expected: however what do I know about American brewed Witbiers (not a lot really)?

The nose was all wheat and corriander with both orange and lemon traces too. These carried on into the taste with the sweeter orange hints along with the wheat taking centre stage.

OK more that great, but a pleasant refreshing beer that went down rather well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2013 04:47:05 | More by BlackHaddock

dar482

New York

4.29/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The color is a nice hazy yellow gold color. Pretty color with a white oen finger head.

The aroma has a mix of wheat ale and Belgian strong pale. There’s lemon peel and a floral orange, but also a fruity Belgian yeast breadiness. It’s up lifting instead of a bigger malt or wheat. There still is a biscuit or slight wheat in there. Also a Belgian spiciness of some coriander and pepper. There’s almost a fruity hoppy character like a quality pale ale like All Day or Bitter American.

This is a delicious quality wheat beer. You get this refreshing orange peel and lemon and then it rolls in with a gentle wheat and malt, but nothing too heavy that doesn’t leave this being a sessionable and delicious beer.

The aftertaste has a bit of bubble gum like other wheat beers, especially the German ones.

The mouthfeel is medium, but still extremely drinkable and bold. It has oats in it that gives it bit of flavor, but also this gorgeous mouthfeel. At 5% ABV, it really does pack a whole ton of flavor. Up there with some hoppy pale ales like Southern Tier Live for my favorite summer beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 06:37:08 | More by dar482

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to celticfutblclub for this bottle...

A: Pours a cloudy lemon yellow with one full finger of pure white head. The foam settles fairly quickly, leaving a light frothy ring along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is sweet, a touch spicy, and with mild citrus. I get banana, lemon, lime, bubblegum, clove, and light pepper. Smells super inviting.

T: This beer starts out sweet with a nice mild malt bill and some bananas and a touch of citrus. As the beer moves to the middle, I get some spice and bubblegum. The finish is effervescent with clove, yeast, and banana.

M: Light bodied beer. The flavors are bright and refreshing as they envelop the palate. Mild spice in the middle, but a great balance throughout. Clean finish.

O: Excellent witbier. It's up there with Dancing Man Wheat. I could drink a ton of this on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 18:51:09 | More by trxxpaxxs

Sudcutter

Massachusetts

4.66/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is the lemonade of beer.
The appearance is very pale yellow.
The aroma is citric.
The taste is essentially lemonade with a splash of beer.
The mouthfeel is fairly carbonated but smooth, a little watery.
Overall, I thought this beer was the most refreshing I've had and is perfect for summer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 15:00:14 | More by Sudcutter

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a standard pint glass.

A: Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a thin white head that quickly dissipates.

S: Wheat and biscuit malt aroma.

T: Tart Belgian wheat biscuit and bread flavor.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent wheat beer – no my favorite style but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 03:47:30 | More by ckollias

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, light yellow straw colored with a big white foamy head that dissipates leaving some lacing, hazy

S: yeasty, banana, clove, spice, corriander

T: flavors of grain, banana, clove, cinamon, orriander, nutmeg, fruit

M: soft with good carbonation, gentle on the palate, thinner

O: nice American version of the style that stays true to the roots

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:15:38 | More by M_C_Hampton

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This is legitimately one of my favorite beers to drink come summertime. I put pen to paper (actually it was on my phone notebook) at the Westin in Boston on this review in May of 2011, but I had my first Allagash in college and have never looked back. The fruity crispness, corriander, slight spice, and hazy appearance make you long to be sitting on your deck in July. The only small qualm I have with this beer is the mouthfeel, which is awfully soft, even for a witbier. Absolutely outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 18:00:45 | More by MarkQ617

EthenWithAnE

California

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Aroma - Medium sweet grainy (pils malt) character with a subtle wheat aroma. Medium high citrus (orange peel) aroma. No noble (earthy) hop aroma, ok for style. A very light peppery phenol. Otherwise clean.

Appearance - Pale straw color, hazy as appropriate for style. White thick and moussy foam; head retreats slowly, but quicker than style dictates.

Flavor - Medium grainy malt flavor gives way to moderately high bitter and zesty orange character. No hop bitterness detected. Very low noble hop (earthy) flavor. Well balanced between malt sweetness, spices (orange peel, coriander), and peppery phenols. Moderate notes of clove just before a dry crisp finish. Very slight lactic acid character lends itself to the crisp finish. No DMS, Diacetyl or harsh alcohol notes.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, slight creaminess; high carbonation, prickly on the tongue; very spritzy. Moderately low lactic finish lends a tartness to the feel. No astringency or alcohol warmth.

Overall - Wonderfully refreshing. Body makes this a somewhat substantial and nourishing beverage. Perfect for summer. For more head retention, try a larger percentage of wheat in the grist OR simply carb with more priming sugar or co2. Nearly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:15:00 | More by EthenWithAnE

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Allagash White

Appearance: Allagash White, the first witbier to pass these lips, pours a very pale, cloudy, straw-like yellow capped with a nice two-and-a-half fingers of snow white head. Retention was good overall, but average for a Belgian-style beer. The carbonation is evident and active, streaming in droves off the bottom of the glass. The lacing is very impressive, leaving sheets of suds all over the glass like a freshly washed car or snow after an avalanche. In a word, “refreshing” describes the appearance of this beverage.

Aroma: Lots of nice, bready baking yeast comes through immediately, but clove honey, orange peel, lemon zest, and the witbier’s calling card, coriander, all come through in a very balanced and subtle manner. There is also a lovely wheat sweetness/creaminess that underscores the rest of the aromas. This is a rather simple, but masterfully done beer, and, at a meager 5.1% ABV, smells much better than it has any right to. Amplifying these notes somehow would really benefit the beer, however, as the nose has to do some digging to discover the subtleties of the aroma.

Taste: Unlike most beers in which the taste is very nearly a carbon copy of the smell, Allagash’s aroma actually complements the taste, and vice-versa. All the notes from the aroma are there, but they are downplayed by great Belgian yeast character in the form of a tame bubblegum and a nice spiciness. Furthermore, the spices that the label states the beer is brewed with come through wonderfully here, where they were almost entirely absent from the aroma. There is an extremely minimal amount of clover honey, wheat and banana sweetness that is cut nearly as it starts by the coriander and clove spiciness. The aftertaste is extremely dry and refreshing with an exceedingly delicate hop presence. Again, taking into account the ABV on this beer, there is almost more flavor here than can be believed.

Mouthfeel: This may be the weakest part of the beer, but it is still easily above average. The body is a bit thin, but it wrings every bit of body out of the minimal alcohol it has to work with. The wheat gives the expected creamy and smooth body, which works wonderfully with all the flavors. Like the body, the carbonation is a little less than this reviewer would like, but considering the bottle-conditioned nature of all Allagash products, this is a minor gripe. The mouthfeel certainly accomplishes what it sets out to do: complement the flavor and refresh the drinker, and it does both with flying colors.

Overall: Given one of the first really nice days in Wisconsin, this beer was perfect to just relax on the porch with and watch the city live and breathe around me. This beer is what all other summer beers should strive to be, but it is also great enough that it could be enjoyed at any point in the year. Now the only problem is how I am going to get my hands on another bottle, since Allagash does not distribute to Wisconsin, yet. 17/20

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:00:48 | More by THANAT0PSIS

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.63/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful Witbier made by Allagash, with a charming orange-peel aroma, honey, coriander seeds, and, in a smaller scale, pepper and wheat ideas. The spiceness is more evident in the taste, that besides bringing the other elements of the aroma, displays a slight hop bitterness that is well-paired with the other characteristics. The light, relatively well carbonated body leaves such subtle hop bitterness at the end. I am absolutely fascinated by the quality of the Allagash White - I love it.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:39:50 | More by HabiMendes

Auraan

Arizona

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured a beautiful cloudy yellow with a fluffy one finger white head that receded to a quarter finger and left plentiful lacing. Scents of citrus, banana, and spices. Flavors of citrus, coriander, a bit of clove in the middle and on the finish. Hints of wheat. Quite dry, lacks agood deal of sweetness. Mouthfeel is light bodied with moderate carbonation, a bit low on the carbonation for the style, but not bad. All told, when rated
to style it is the best witbier I've had to date. Far better than Blue Moon and Hoegaarden.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 05:36:28 | More by Auraan

AmitC

Indiana

4.21/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

Color is pale white. Very hazy and cloudy. Opaque. About a couple fingers thick white head that has decent retention. Excellent lacing left on the sides. Some bubbles.

Aroma is of wheat, yeast, little sweetness, some tartness, spices. Cinnamon and clove. Strength is moderate.

Taste is just about the same. Tartness is low. Not sweet either. Clove, cinnamon and some other spices. Wheat and yeast texture. Silky and smooth. Finish is semisweet to slightly dry.

Mouth feel is medium to light bodied. Very smooth and easy texture. Velvety touch. No astringency. Drinks rather easily. Sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 00:52:45 | More by AmitC

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beer is cloudy yellow with a moderately-sized white head.

Banana, clove, coriander, wheat and orange in the nose. Classic wit scents. Good.

Taste is similar. Banana, clove, coriander, wheat, nutmeg and some orange. Crisp, balanced and tasty.

Medium bodied, highly carbonated. A bit irritating but true to style.

Overall, very tasty. A straight-up good example of a witbier.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 02:02:31 | More by jrenihan

Roguer

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - Looks very good for a Witbier. Not particularly cloudy, which might be the only thing that would give it more points in my book. Beautiful color; head residue was surprisingly clean on the glass.

S - Clean, but unremarkable. I couldn't detect any specific Witbier notes; a general aroma of citrus, but that was about it.

T - Bright, forward on the tongue. Citrus, of course; no typical banana flavors, though. Honestly, this is probably the simplest Allagash I've tried. That's not to say the taste is bad at all. It's a very price-accessible example of the genre, just nowhere near the best.

M - Forward on the tongue and in the mouth. A little light.

O - A very good beer, but not the best example of its class. If you like Witbiers and Weissbiers, try it out. I often keep a Bavarian Weissbier on hand, and this ranks above some of them, below others. Also probably my least favorite Allagash. It also happens to be one of their lightest offerings, flavor-wise.

I've tried this both in Spiegelau tulip and wheat beer glasses. I recommend the wheat beer glass - but I also recommend drinking this in the Summer (preferably on a porch or deck).

I'm going to have to retry this beer in the Summer, because in a CT "Spring," it just isn't what I want. That shouldn't be a slam on the beer; I want something thicker, slower, maltier. It's still a very tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 21:22:10 | More by Roguer

MadScientist

New York

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: A pale golden beer with some haze. The white head has a rocky texture and is long lasting.

S: Moderate wheat and orange aromas with moderately-light black pepper notes. There is a light earthy hops aroma.

T: The flavor is mainly Belgian yeast characters of citrus and spice with the fruit character tasting like it was yeast derived, maybe from orange and lemon peel additions but no from hops. The wheat malt comes through as well. The hops bitterness is low but the overall bitterness is moderately-strong giving a balance that is bitter. The aftertaste is of citrus peel and spice.

M: Kind of soft and fluffy with a medium-light bodied beer and a strong level of carbonation. A light astringency that dries the palate.

O: A good Belgian Wit with a lot of citrus peel character and some spice. The balance is slightly too bitter. Worth trying but not worth tracking down.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:02:46 | More by MadScientist

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A- pours a faint yellow color, just a bit hazy, carbonation bubbles shoot to the top creating a thick and creamy white head that retains long after the pour, seems like a oemanent head, leaving beautiful lace behind.

S- mineral-like Belgian yeast provides a bit of light fruit with just a hint of banana and some sugary sweetness. All of the classic witbier aromas are there, but a bit subdued

T-yeasty and light, notes of clove & banana, earthy and mineraly. Mid-palate gives an acidic citrus tartness, then transitions to a dry finish, leaving mineral and earthy notes on the palate

M- light-medium body, moderate but spritzy carbonation, pure velvet mouthfeel with a silky finish. By far the creamiest mouthfeel I've experienced from a Wit.

O- a solid example of the style, mouthfeel was near perfect. Perhaps the best outside of Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:58:29 | More by Treyliff

socon67

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Cloudy white pour with a yellow tint. There is some lacing noted on the glass. Foam is a frothy white that retains pretty well.

S - Spicy notes of corriander and ginger lie above a citrusy smell of oranges. Some scent of light grain is present.

T - Initial tartness of orange is faded by a pronounced spice flavor. Actually I think it is a bit too much. But the notes are all there and a crisp taste of wheat rounds this out.

M - Easily sessionable and great for the warmer months. Balance is solid (again the corriander could tone done a notch) and minimal carbonation.

O - Not sure if this still the leader of the style but clearly a solid beer. A perfect beer to show those breaking in to craft beer that even the lighter styles can be eye opening.

Serving type: growler

02-24-2013 18:16:10 | More by socon67

boesesfleisch

California

4.01/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Cloudy, white ale with a foamy head that dissipated quickly. Left a slight lacing on the glass. Had a nice clean aroma where the spices really came through with a light fruity note in the background. Tasted matched the aroma only the citrus was more prominent. Overall this is a great, prototypical witbier that everyone can appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 07:35:46 | More by boesesfleisch

oline73

Maryland

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a half finger of creamy white head. Good retention. Smells like Belgian yeast, banana, and mild lemon. Taste follows. I like the spice with the light fruity flavors. Quite refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:38:29 | More by oline73

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.39/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The #1 ranked Witbier here on BA... also on the "Beers of Fame" list.

Served in a Delirium Tremens shaped glass.

A: Poured a very soft, yet saturated dirty linen (yellow) color, with a spritzy finger or so head that looked very champagne-like.

S: Smell of banana and clove, without being too overpowering in the sugar department.

T: Oh yes, very clean and crisp, yet still maintaining the aforementioned spice profile. Wheaty, without being too bitter. As a matter of fact, I was stunned at how disciplined this one was in the bitter department.

M: Infinitely drinkable and bubbly on the palate. Sure, there was a sheet of lacing left on the glass, but that didn't stick around on the palate for long. Excellent!

O: One of the best wits available in my local area. I could easily pop a couple of these without putting a big dent in my sobriety. Excellent all around!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 15:08:42 | More by Chaney

Jonada

New Jersey

3.91/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pale golden color, very cloudy, less than a finger of white head that dissipated quickly to a thin white collar and left little to no lacing.

Smell: Lemon, banana, dry powdery yeast, coriander, spice.

Taste: Spicy yeast character is the most prominent flavor. Also getting orange and lemon citrus, coriander, and wheat. There's a very slight tartness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light/medium soft mouthfeel. Medium carbonation. Crisp, refreshing and very easy drinking.

Overall: Really refreshing and flavorful witbier. One of the best I've had in the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 09:24:54 | More by Jonada