Allagash White - Allagash Brewing Company

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

TheDinger

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler fill from GBX. Poured to a pint glass. Pale straw pour with with nice 2 finger white head. Interesting looking beer, very unique color, cloudy and light. Smell is mild lemon and honey. A little coriander and yeast. Taste is a bit bolder with a front end that is sweet. Notes of cloves, citrus and lemon that give way to a bit of spice and zesty pepper. Well balanced and complex. A touch of hops at the end to stablize the tart front. Feel is nice and light with a decent amount of carbonation. Overall- A very nice take on the style with the zesty finish and unique look. Like the blend of tart and spicy. A very refreshing summer brew that gets better as it warms. Like the hints of honey and citrus. Will hit this again-

Serving type: growler

07-06-2012 01:26:21 | More by TheDinger

Nuke77

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a growler the beer pours a light hazy yellow with a good pure white head. I used an Allagash ale glass for this brew. The smell yeasty and breadlike. The scent is subtle. The taste follows the scent and is a bit lighter than I would have thought, but this is a clean, refreshing brew that would be near perfect for a hot summer day. The mouth feel is light and bubbly. Just an explosion of tiny bubbles across the tongue. This is a very nice witbier and a must for the summertime.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2012 23:04:33 | More by Nuke77

mscudder

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- A cloudy yellow, nice and pleasant

S- Little citrus, mostly wheat

T- Excellent carbonation, strong wheat & yeast. A great wheat beer if it suits your fancy.

M- Incredibly light, leaves a fantastic fresh aftertaste

O- A classic beer as an alternative for those not acclimated with craft brews. To me this is the best "light" beer I have had.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2012 06:49:48 | More by mscudder

jpro

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64oz growler from CBX, picked up during the Allagash event! Poured into the complimentary Allagash glass...

A: Cloudy, pale gold; one finger of cotton white head; leaves some thin webs of lace. Pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a witbier - but I was expecting a bit more head and lacing.

S: Fresh cracked grains; spicy yeast; zesty brightness / coriander.

T: Wheat; bready / slightly fruity yeast; white pepper; a hint of chalk, but minimal hop bitterness.

M: Light-medium body; high carbonation; crisp and refreshing.

D/O: A really nice, traditional Belgian witbier; very refreshing, smooth and easy drinking. Really good stuff. Takes 2nd place to Hitachino Nest White, but those two are head and shoulders above the rest!

Serving type: growler

12-20-2011 15:26:33 | More by jpro

jorg2619

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from my growler to my Duvel tulip. Color is straw yellow slightly hazy with a fluffy head that dies quickly into a ring of small bubbles. There is minimal lacing. The smell is wheat spicy spicy belgium yeast and wheat with a hint of malt sweetness at the end. This is a very inviting smell so I proceed with no abandon. The taste of the legendary Allagash White zesty yeast on the tongue filled in with wheat graininess and a hint of sweetness such as candy sugar perhaps or maybe the sweet malts are so separated from yeast at the end of my drinks that it seems to end with a full body sweetness. This is a good example of a Witbier.

Serving type: growler

04-09-2011 23:46:22 | More by jorg2619

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Pours fully clouded, yellowy apricot, delicate white cap resting above, fine and plentiful lace. oh so tasty and tender nose of delicate coriander, orange and wheaty malts and yeast. Simply delicious nectar of the gods..more orange, subtly lime flourishes, coriander again, drying citric hops...enjoyed on an unusually warm spring day..looking forward to the salads, bread and cheeses of summer, joined by this fine accompaniment . Delicate, yet flavorful, fine achievement in brewing going on here. Widely available, enjoyed getting a fresh sample on draft (in my growler)

Serving type: growler

05-30-2010 16:14:20 | More by Billolick

chumba526

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A well balanced head appeared apon pouring. The color of the beer was a hazy/cloudy light yellow.The aroma was slightly spicy with small notes of citrus. The form and flavor of the beer itself was fantastic.. The form stayed true to the classic white but the brewer added a more bitter flavor to the beer which contrasts well with the spices and citrus notes. This beer is very drinkable, it's not overly carbinated. it's light but has a strong flavor.

Serving type: growler

08-21-2009 15:14:58 | More by chumba526

Moxley

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Shared with my good friend and fellow BA Pleepleus on a Monday.

A - Poured a cloudy urine yellow with a thin off-white film. I'd like to try this again though because I think my growler didn't seal properly and I lost some of the freshness.

S - Not much in the nose, faint yeast and wheat.

T - Lots of yeast with faint spice typical of the style. Citrusy lemon undertones with a grassy finish.

M&D - This is a highly drinkable witbier to be enjoyed especially in the spring and summer months. It's got a dry sticky finish, which I know sounds contradictory, but that's the best way to describe it.

Great for a BBQ in the back yard!

Serving type: growler

05-11-2009 23:04:53 | More by Moxley

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