Allagash Bacchus Tripel

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Tripel
Portland, Maine USA

Tap at Barcade’s 3rd anniversary party. Deep ruddy gold colour, slightly cloudy with no head at all. Nose has lots of sweet red grape and a soft vanilla oaky character. Soft sweet spice along with lots of lighter fruitiness as well. Some of the triple-ish peach/apricot character pops out but there is also a soft berryish sweetness as well. Warming brings along some more balance with the lovely oaky notes playing off of the slight vineous quality and the normal spiciness of this brew. A touch of yeastiness and light alcoholic cooling on the palate. An excellent brew.

[Draft at Sputen Duyvil] Poured a hazy golden color with a medium sized white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of earth, citrus fruits, vanilla, and white grapes. Taste of vanilla, grapes, yeast, light citrus, toast and a bit of alcohol as well.

Had at the brewery at a special tasting. Gold pour with a thin white ring head. Tastes like a much more mature version of their standard triple. Aroma of tartness, cherries, corriander, and a hint of oak. Flavor is a smoother version of the normal triple. Has a nice dry palate. I really like this as a more calmed down version of this beer.

On tap at Capital Ale House - Downtown. Supposedly the keg said Wine aged tripel. Hazy golden amber body with a small white head. Sweet caramel and light oak aroma. Sweet, slightly tart flavor with some caramel, vanilla, oak, and a touch of honey.

On tap at Spuyten. Hazy golden in color with a little white head. Citrusy, grape and vanilla aroma. Yeasty fruity flavor. Coriander oak notes. Finish is dry and yeasty. Medium bodied. Very nice. Drinkable.

Draught at EBF on 2/10/07
Vibrant golden-amber, with a coppery sheen to it, just like the regular trippel, of course. Large white head is held at cover and leaves quite a bit of lacing. The liquid shows moderate carbonation and a high clarity, although there is a touch of unfiltered haze. I thought there was just a slight peachy-rose tint from the wine barrel, though that could just be my imagination.
Intensely fruity/tannic nose, much like the En Garde, indicates a relatively fresh barrel with tons of wine character. Red currants, cranberries, curacao, tart cherries and strawberries all seem to comprise the wine-like aroma, which is decidedly strong. Chewy aromatic malts and light biscuity notes sit behind it, with the strong, ester-rich yeast and light earthy tones seeping in to the barrel character to produce curious results. Moderate tannic qualities on the end produce a dry, acidic finish but it leaves a little room for some soft, pale malt sweetness. Fruitiness continues, a very deep and juicy (but tart) red berry fruitiness, that is probably a bit too much and really leaves the beer component searching for an identity (though it is nice for what it is).
Strong fruitiness again in the flavor, with plenty of acids up front and a very dry, almost grainy, woodiness that stretches the malt sweetness to its limit. The fantastic yeast character of the trippel can’t be held back, however, and it’s there, in it’s estery, spicy glory, but a moderately sharp tannic acidity, and sweet fruitiness begin to win out on the finish. The vanilla and almond-cream-laced alcohol esters from the base beer are still present, though they sort of clash with the lighter, brighter wine notes, I think. Still, very intriguing overall, and it certainly is much nicer than the obnoxious trainwreck that is curieux. But I still think it’s got too much wine. I get the impression of drinking wine, like I did with Cantilon Reed Pinot, and not enough of drinking beer. The fruitiness gets a little fatiguing as well. Texture is perfect, just like in the Trippel. A touch of slickness from the barrel does not really disrupt.

Ah yes, the Allagash brew I’ve been searching for, that will push me into second place. Eat that, JoeMcPhee! Tap at Spuyten, like everyone else. Served too cold. "Lightly sour aroma reveals complexities when one closes the eyes and concentrates." That’s what I wrote on this sheet of paper, at least. Chardonnay and soft oak is, um, "sensual and delightful." Looks like my alter ego may have made a visit when I wrote this. Dry and flavorful, light kiwi and bread... bourbon? Tough to drink, but tasty. A bit oak dominated as it warms. I will now bask in the glory of seeing myself in second place.

Bottle. Drank this one with Sean and Vin. Pours murky orange with a white, tall head. Aroma of spice and malts and yeast. Heavy body, with a strong finish. Great American tripel.