REVIEW 105: ALLAGASH WHITE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Allagash Brewing Company

STYLE:  Witbier

ABV:  5.1%

PURCHASE:  Draft (pint), $5.75

SERVING:  Allagash branded chalice. Standard 3/4" head from the tap, closer to 1/2" on the second beer. Good retention.

APPEARANCE:  Very foggy yellowish-gold body with a sudsy, somewhat dense white head. Very little bubbling. Splotchy lacing around the glass.

BOUQUET:  Wheaty--duh, it's a witbier. Prominent citrus notes as well, complemented by subtle hints of coriander and clove.

PALATE:  Very easy-to-drink texture with average carbonation--seemingly a bit too much for a witbier. That said, it has an initially light feeling to it. The citrus starts early and crescendos, but remains mild and tempered. If we were in algebra class, we could graph its parabolic curve on an x-y coordinate plane. Mid-palate, coriander becomes a player. The finish is dry and yeasty, but this quality soon subsides and allows citrus to once again reign supreme for the aftertaste. The wheat is there the whole time, but is second fiddle.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  The Allstroms gave this a perfect score. I think that's a bit over the top. In this reviewer's mind, this is no Hall of Famer.

But it's certainly an All-Star. 




GRADE:  A-