Beer Stats

• BJCP Style: Specialty Type
• ABV: 10.4%
• IBU: 27
• Hops Variety: Nugget, Hallertau
• Malts: 2-Row Malted Barley Blend, Pale Malt
• Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
• City: Portland, ME

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• Aroma: Vanilla, oak, bourbon, hint of coconut and candy apples. Alcohol apparent.
• Appearance: Pale gold, fluffy white head with very good retention
• Flavor & Aftertaste: Bourbon and oak forward, vanilla and coconut accented, restrained bitterness
• Palate: Dry start to finish, light bodied, medium carbonation, short dry finish
• Style Representation: This would be a specialty type entry.

There is such a variety of specialty beer styles out there currently it is hard to wrap your head around most of them. Beyond your “everyday” drinking beers and adjunct beer types, barrel aged beers is a huge thing in craft beer right now. I tend to think of these beers as “luxury” beers both because of their higher price and more luxurious feel. I recently tried Allagash Curieux, and was just blown away by how excellent this beer is. Despite recent trends, you just don’t think about beer as a high-end, upscale beverage; but I would place Curieux in that category.

Curieux is a Belgian style Golden Ale, barrel aged for seven weeks in bourbon oak barrels. Naturally, when we think of barrel aged alcoholic beverages, our mind immediately go to exquisite wines and bourbons; but craft beer breweries have really taken to making beers aged in various barrels from wineries and distilleries. I have yet to try beers aged in wine barrels; however, I have tried several aged in bourbon barrels. Allagash’s Curieux ranks right up there with some of the best.

Curieux pours a pale golden color with a slight haze culminating in a wonderful fluffy white head exhibiting excellent retention. Allagash uses Hallertau and Nugget hops with a high quality 2 row barley malt blend base. An excellent choice, as these two hops provide an excellent spicy aroma and flavor compliment to the vanilla and coconut notes from the barrel aging process. The flavors and aromas simply work so well together to provide an interesting, yet not overwhelming drinking experience.

I can’t say enough good things about this beer. It’s expensive on a per bottle basis, I paid just under $4.00 per bottle at Total Wine in Alpharetta. That’s quite a bit more than I like to spend on beer; but I will say – in a heart beat – it was well worth it. That’s why I refer to these style beers as “luxury” beers. You buy them to sip and savor on a special occasion or an evening when you want to kick back and relax with a high quality, better than average beer experience. If that is something you are looking for, I highly recommend Allagash Curieux. It is an magnificent, enjoyable beer for crisp fall or cold winter evenings.

Thanks for reading. Until next time…Let Us Drink Beer!