Allagash Tripel Reserve Ale

Name: Allagash Tripel Reserve Ale
Style: Belgian-Syle Tripel Ale
Owner: Independent
Courtesy of: Insop Song

BeerAdvocate Rating: 92 (Outstanding)
RateBeer Rating: 99,100
ABV: 9%

Back in the dark ages of 1995, a hipster named Rob Tod (yes, with one "D" - his ancestors were minimalists, evidently) heard that all of the cool kids were moving to the Pacific Northwest to make beer.  So, not to be outdone, he jumped in his Jetta and told his GPS to take him to Portland.  GPS technology being what it was in 1995, he ended up in Portland, Maine at which time he asked a grizzled old man that looked suspiciously like Phil Hartman how to get to the other Portland.  The codger replied: "You cahn't get theah from heah."

So, as hipsters aren't really known for their adventurism, he figured one Portland was as good as any other Portland, and decided to stay and make beer right there.  At the time, German- and British-style beers were fairly popular in the U.S., and being a hipster he could have none of that, he decided to brew beer like they do in a country no one had ever heard of before: Belgium.  For you Americans that really aren't up on European geography, that's like saying "I'm going to make it like they do in Maryland."

He started off with a Belgian White, which later would become popular in the U.S.  because Coors started a fake craft brewery called "Blue Moon" and started making quite possibly the worst Belgian White in the world.  Fortunately for them, we Americans really aren't particularly known for our taste in beer, so of course it became wildly popular.  But I digress... on to the review:

Serving:
Delicately poured from a dark huge bottle capped with a champagne-style cork into my trusty Steady-Temp double-wall beer glass.  The glass screamed with girlish delight.

Appearance:
This ale pours cloudy amber with one finger of creamy white head that slowly regresses to a wispy covering over the majority of the glass.  Lacing is present but not prominent, which really belies the body of the beer described below.

Smell:
The nose is a symphony of ale-related aromas - exactly where you'd want it to be.  The banana typical of the style is there, but it's not overpowering as it is in many ales, like Leffe for instance.  Fresh malt and citrus follow, and the smell does not really present the fact that this is a Tripel, with a stiff ABV of 9%.  There is no heavy alcohol smell to it; I'm quite surprised.

Taste:
Fully flavored sweet malts with the same citrus that was on the nose, with just enough hops to keep it from tasting like syrup.  Somewhere in the middle there's a flash of grapefruit soda, so much so that it reminds me of drinking "Bubble Up" as a child.  The alcohol is evident for a second in the tail, just enough to let you know that you're drinking a man's beer.

Mouthfeel:
The body is remarkably full and substantial, it's slick on the tongue and in the mouth, and lingers... in a good way.  It is constantly reminding you that it means fucking business here and that you shouldn't be fucking around.

Overall:
This is an excellent introduction to the Belgian style of making Ale.  I'd be tempted to recommend this as an introduction to the style, but I wouldn't want to ruin you for all of the substandard ones out there.  It's a pleasure to drink, and even for a lager guy like me, I'll have no problem finishing the ginormous bottle it comes in.  An excellent quaff, for sure.