I read once that "patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." I don't know if that means Rousseau enjoyed bottle conditioned beers or not, but his saying definitely applies to the 2007 Allagash Curieux reviewed here. This beer was from a batch of the 670 cases bottled in November 2007. I have had this Belgian style tripel on draft before and the quality did not compare to the bottle held for the past few years, and consumed last night.
As the label states, this beer ages very well and proved to be an experience I richly enjoyed. I'm a fan of the oak bourbon barrel aged beers in general. There's something about the smooth bourbon notes in the finish that keeps me coming back.
This beer definitely grabbed my attention with the vanilla and bourbon flavors and smooth mouth feel at the first sip. Served in a tulip glass at about 50 degrees, the honey colored beer produced a tall, fine, white head characteristic of Belgian ales. The beer opened nicely as it warmed and maintained nice lacing in the glass. I recommend that one take their time in drinking this 11% abv (alcohol by volume) beer. Not only because of the abv, but the beer seemed to evolve well as it warmed.
This beer is a bit on the pricey side at $16 compared to some of the other beers out there. Allagash Curieux is well worth the expense if you like to hold and age beers. Remember, life is too short to drink bad beer.
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