Allagash Brewing Allagash Tripel Reserve ABV 9% • Vol 750 ml • bottle • USA • Expensive • Flavour 6 Other beers from Allagash Brewing Other beers from USA

Allagash Brewing (in Portland, not Oregon but Maine) expressly brews beers in the Belgian styles, going to great lengths to resemble the originals. Their 'Tripel Reserve' is one of the best known. What has it to offer? Colour: straw to chromate-yellow, clear. Very thick, white head. Nose: buttermilk whilst pouring, yes, diacetyl! Overpowers everything else. Taste: dry-bitterish, quite outspoken at first, merges into a soft-sweetness. Again very lactic touch. Definitely diacetyl but luckily less pronounced than in the nose. I want to taste citrus, spicyness and hops, but keep getting butterscotch. Mouthfeel: very mellow, yet dry. Slightly sticky. Throat-warming effect. Aftertaste: as said, creamy-sweetness - keeps relatively long. Diacetyl is a killer, certainly in blond & dry beers. An esteemable effort - but ruined. Review submitted by: Joris P. Pattyn ADD A COMMENT TO THIS BEER

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Review updated 15 November 2002

Comments

I'm new to this whole serious beer scene. However, Allagash is very, very different from typical American beers. I like it very much.
If this is an attempt to make a Belgian style ale that fails, could someone direct me to the "gold standard" of Belgian style ales?

[Take a look at the suggested beers at the bottom of the review. They should give you a starting point. -Ed]
Loren Harmon

It's difficult to approach the Allagash brews as one might with most American beers because they're simply so different. It cannot be called refreshing, although that is certainly not this beer's goal. Exceptionally thick, although not unpleasant, the Tripel is almost an after-dinner drink & reminds me of an exceptional barley wine; to be savored on its own, shared with friends & drunk in moderation. A "special occassion" type of beer.
Kyle Barhamand

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