Allagash White: Appearance
Bright lemon skin-yellow hue. Opaque. Pours to a small, bright white, foamy head which mostly evaporates and leaves minor lacing on the glass.
Allagash White: Smell
The smell of summer: bright orange and lemon citrus, light spices, clean flowers and Belgian yeast esters.
Allagash White: Taste
There isn’t much to say about Allagash White that hasn’t been said about a lot of other witbiers. It’s one of the better American examples of the style as it’s tasty, robust, well-balanced and highly drinkable. This is exactly what I expect in a witbier.
Just like the aroma, the flavor here is a sweet and spicy mixture of orange citrus and light peppery notes. A clean, refreshing taste across the tongue with hints of lemonade or orange juice, but without any tartness or acidic character. The finish imparts subtle clove or black pepper seasonings. Not much in the way of bitterness or specific hop character, though that’s fine because this is exactly to the style specifications. It’s satisfying to be sure, though I can’t help but wish it was a little bit more robust.
Allagash White: Drinkability
Allagash White is so damn refreshing it almost seems to do it a disservice drinking it in colder weather. The mouthfeel is rather full and energetic for what is technically a smaller bodied beer. Refreshing and crisp with a clean aftertaste – it’s difficult to not quaff it all down at once. At only 5.1% ABV it’s tempting to throw back several of these in a row.