Allagash Curieux 2009 Review

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Co. | Beer: Curieux 2009
Style: Tripel | ABV: 11.0% | IBUs: Unknown
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

We had a bit of sad news here in Texas recently when Allagash announced they were pulling out of bunch of states, including ours. I've only had one Allagash brew so far (maybe that's why they're leaving!), so I figured  I should post up the review as a farewell. The good news is, it's a hell of a beer.

First, a little overview of Allagash. Founded in Portland, Maine in 1994 by Rob Tod as a fifteen barrel brewery with one beer, Allagash has come a long way, establishing itself as one of America's top Belgian-style breweries. They now brew a stable of regular beers, along with a long list of specialities, all of them bottle conditioned. Losing them from the Texas market stings, but I guess if you snooze, you lose.

In 2004, Allagash launched their Barrel Aged series with Curieux, a big Tripel aged for eight weeks in Jim Beam barrels. The brewery claims the beer picks up notes of soft coconut and vanilla along with the bourbon. Sounds like a perfectly planned beer, right? Turns out, that's not exactly the case.

According to Tod, as recounted in a post Washington City Paper, it originally sprang from a bottle shortage. A batch of Tripel was ready for bottling, but unfortunately the bottles were held up in customs. Instead of dumping the beer, they decided to age the beer in some Jim Beam barrels that had recently arrived. While they didn't have high hopes at first, the resulting beer was good enough to keep making, eventually kicking off the Barrel Aged series.

Let's satisfy out curieux-sities and jump in, eh?

Appearance: A bright and hazy golden-orange body capped by over two fingers of fluffy near-white head that features good retention and decent lacing.

Aroma: All of the usual citrus and spice notes you'd expect from a Tripel mixed with plenty of booze around the edges and some vanilla and whiskey notes presumably imparted during the barrel aging process.

Taste: It's fruity, spicy, and bready like most Tripels, but there's far more complexity to come. You certainly don't have to look far to find plenty of oak and whiskey notes, unlike some barrel-aged beers I've tried. That eleven percent alcohol is present throughout and adds plenty of additional spiciness, but never seems out of place. Booze, whiskey, and vanilla come together in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy with smooth carbonation. There's a few hints of burn from the alcohol profile, but it's all rather deceptively smooth. Dries up in the finish.

Drinkability: A beer crafted for savoring, to be sure.

Verdict: Curieux is quite a special beer; it's essentially a damn good Tripel accompanied (not dominated) by complex barrel and alcohol character. If I had the funds, I'd secure some bottles for cellaring, as I'm sure this just gets better with age.

Grade: A

Note: While the review above is being posted in 2011, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2009.

Flying Dog Kerberos Tripel Review

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery | Beer: Kerberos Tripel
Style: Tripel | ABV: 8.5% | IBUs: 27
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

While there have been a few different Flying Dog beers here on Pintlog, I have yet to review one from their Canis Major series of big beers. We're starting the series off today with Kerberos, a Tripel with a mean bite.

Believe it or not, but this is actually the first Tripel that's made it on top PintLog, meaning we have to stop for a quick description of the style. One of the traditional Trappist style, the Tripel is stronger than Enkel (now generally known as "Blond") and Dubbel, but a little weaker than the Quadrupel.

Tripels are a little darker than a Strong Golden Ale with a fuller and maltier body to match. They typically have lots of peppery phenols, citrusy esters, sweet malt, and spicy hops. They're strong in alcohol content, but usually have a sneaky masked punch you have to watch out for.

This particular Tripel is named for the hound that guards the gates of Hades in Greek mythology and seems to slot right into the middle of the IBU and ABV range for Tripels. As for ingredients, the backbone is built from Pilsener and Aromatic malts and it's hopped with Golding and Saaz hops. It's bottle conditioned for authenticity, so this dog is still kicking when you bring it home.

Flying Dog are brief with their notes, noting only that it has a "dark golden color and a sweet flavor with a dry and spicy finish." Let's see if the beer speaks for itself.

Appearance: A slightly hazy golden-amber body with less than a finger of off-white head that burns out rapidly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma: A nicely complex combination of fruit (most notably orange), spices (clove and coriander), yeast, and some bare whiffs of alcohol. It certainly smells like a Tripel, that's for sure.

Taste: A mix similar to the nose: apple, orange, pepper, and yeast all over a mild malt backbone. Alcohol is more noticeable than in the nose, but still far from brash. The finish is peppery and citrusy.

Mouthfeel: A medium body with moderate carbonation and a drying finish. At times you can detect some slickness and mild burn from the alcohol.

Drinkability: Rather easily drinkable, but the alcohol content will slow you down eventually.

Verdict: Kerberos is a tasty brew, but falls short of brilliant. Certainly not a bad showing for an American brewery without a tradition of brewing Belgian style beers.

Grade: B