Allagash Barrel & Bean

Review Date 10/18/2019 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Abbey Tripel   Brewery: Allagash   Country: USA   State: Maine   $ Per OZ: $.35 (B), $.82 (D)   ABV: 10%

Allagash brewing and I go way back. Like, way back to 1995 when they opened their doors and started selling their beer throughout New England. I swooned over their Dubbel, Tripel and White, the first three Allagash beers I remember drinking. To this day, they remain favorites, and I’m always happy for the chance to tip a glass of any beer from this iconic Maine brewer.

Hence my delight at seeing Allagash Barrel & Bean on tap at Taco Mac. A barrel aged beer with coffee, I’ll let Allagash talk you about it before we go any further:

Barrel & Bean starts its life as our Tripel—a Belgian-style golden ale. We age that beer in bourbon barrels for just shy of two months, before blending it with cold-brewed coffee from Speckled Ax, a Maine coffee roaster. The sun-dried Ethiopian beans in the coffee are known for their stone fruit and dark berry flavors. The finished beer features rich notes of caramel, bourbon, and coffee.

Details on the beer, also from the website:

Grains: Allagash 2-Row Malted Barley Blend

Hops: Nugget, Hallertau

Yeast: House

Allagash Barrel & Bean has an alcohol content of 10% by volume, making it a stronger version of their tripel, which runs 9% to 9.2% generally. I paid $9 for my 11-ounce glass at Taco Mac, which is actually a good deal for this beer. It runs $16.99 for a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles at Total Wine, and about $14 for a 25.6 ounce bottle at Target.

My glass of Allagash Barrel & Bean arrived deep amber in color with a thin byt sturdy head of foam. This may start life as a triple, but it loses that character in my book. It’s boozy with bourbon in the nose, and has a hint of coffee there too. Taking a sip, the beer is smooth and rich in the palate, and so woody it leaves splinters on your tongue. Subtle cold brew coffee lies beneath, and the beer finishes boozy with bourbon and coffee and grassy notes and alcohol warmth.

Complex, satisfying, delicious. Allagash does it again!

Glad I tried it?  T