Allagash Curieux

Allagash Curieux is a Belgian-style tripel brewed in Maine and aged in bourbon barrels, finishing at 10.2% ABV with a modest 27 IBU. That bitterness figure is low for the strength, which tells you where the beer is headed: the barrel and the tripel's own fruit and spice carry the structure, not hop bite. Expect vanilla, coconut and caramel from the oak, sitting alongside the stone-fruit, pepper and light clove character that Belgian yeast typically gives this style. Because the base beer is a tripel, the body is usually dry and effervescent enough that the barrel sweetness doesn't turn syrupy. Styles like this tend to show a golden to deep-gold colour, a lively carbonation that lifts the vanilla and coconut at the front, and a warming, slightly boozy finish as the alcohol makes itself known. Pour it into a tulip or a snifter-style Belgian glass, which gathers the oak and yeast aromatics and leaves room for the head. Serve it cool rather than ice cold. Around 10 to 13°C (50 to 55°F) is a good target; straight from a cold fridge the barrel notes are muted, and a few minutes on the counter lets the vanilla and caramel open up. This is a sipping beer, best treated closer to a small pour of spirit than a refreshing pint, and it's worth sharing a bottle between two people. It isn't a beer for mixing, since the barrel character is the point. At the table, the vanilla and caramel suit roast pork, glazed duck or a washed-rind cheese, and the spice and sweetness handle gentle heat as well, for instance in Thai or Indian dishes. For dessert, try it alongside crème brûlée, bread pudding or a firm aged Gouda, where the caramel notes echo the food. It also keeps well, so a bottle can sit in a cellar if you'd like to see how the oak settles over time.