Pint Bottle
When I walk through any store with craft beer there are a couple of phrases that I look for on bottles. One of these phrases is "Aged in Bourbon/Whiskey/Whisky barrels/casks." Allagash Curieux caught my attention for just that reason. I'm hoping it's worth the hefty price tag of around $18 a pint.
Upon pouring the Curieux, I first notice that there is little to no head, which later develops into a white foam about an inch (just about two fingers) thick. The beer is a cloudy, light colored caramel. First smell gives hints of almost white wine, grapes, maybe a hint of caramel that I can only guess comes from the bourbon aging. The high alcohol content is fairly apparent (it's 11% ABV). First taste gives a gentle fruit flavor, grape it seems like, mixed with vanilla/caramel/bourbon-y notes (which imparts a nice, lingering sweetness undertone), and some bitterness, sort of hoppy nature in the aftertaste that I don't usually enjoy, but combined with the bourbon aging is fairly interesting. It goes down smooth (almost too smooth, like I'm drinking wine) - carbonation is low-medium and finishes fairly dry, leaving a mild bourbon/hop aftertaste that I strangely find enjoyable (as I do not enjoy hoppier beers like IPAs).
Upon first taste, I did not think that the Allagash Curieux would be worth my money, though as I continue to sip it's slowly growing on me. I would look for it cheaper (the snow was coming and my town doesn't have many craft beer options) if you can find it, but it's worth a try at least once.
Overall Rating: 4/5
When I walk through any store with craft beer there are a couple of phrases that I look for on bottles. One of these phrases is "Aged in Bourbon/Whiskey/Whisky barrels/casks." Allagash Curieux caught my attention for just that reason. I'm hoping it's worth the hefty price tag of around $18 a pint.
Upon pouring the Curieux, I first notice that there is little to no head, which later develops into a white foam about an inch (just about two fingers) thick. The beer is a cloudy, light colored caramel. First smell gives hints of almost white wine, grapes, maybe a hint of caramel that I can only guess comes from the bourbon aging. The high alcohol content is fairly apparent (it's 11% ABV). First taste gives a gentle fruit flavor, grape it seems like, mixed with vanilla/caramel/bourbon-y notes (which imparts a nice, lingering sweetness undertone), and some bitterness, sort of hoppy nature in the aftertaste that I don't usually enjoy, but combined with the bourbon aging is fairly interesting. It goes down smooth (almost too smooth, like I'm drinking wine) - carbonation is low-medium and finishes fairly dry, leaving a mild bourbon/hop aftertaste that I strangely find enjoyable (as I do not enjoy hoppier beers like IPAs).
Upon first taste, I did not think that the Allagash Curieux would be worth my money, though as I continue to sip it's slowly growing on me. I would look for it cheaper (the snow was coming and my town doesn't have many craft beer options) if you can find it, but it's worth a try at least once.
Overall Rating: 4/5
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