I actually thought for a long time today about which beer should and would be the subject of my first review. Allagash White is the recipient of this inaugural honor.
I chose Allagash White for many reasons. I have been to the brewery in Portland, Maine about 6 years ago. Allagash was readily available in most states in New England, and thus available to me when I lived in Connecticut. However, this brewery's wares were difficult if not impossible to find here in Buffalo until the middle of 2014. I remember seeing Allagash available in the local beer store and immediately sending out a text message to fellow beer-geek with "LOOK! IT'S HERE!". Now, you can find Allagash White and other Allagash varieties in stock at Consumer's Beverage and on tap at many places including Blue Monk and Moor Pat.
A picture of Allagash White is shown below:
Beer facts:
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: low (10-20)
Allagash White pours a cloudy yellow with a nice lacy head. I did notice some yeast sediment on the bottom of my bottle which didn't make it into the glass. The aroma is a delightful spice and wheat odor, with orange and coriander present. This beer is very light on the palate but did result in a spicy effervescence on the tongue after a few seconds.
In many ways Allagash White was groundbreaking for me. It was really a "gateway" craft beer for me, and also one of the first beers I can remember drinking in my craft beer evolution. If you are someone who doesn't really drink a lot of craft beers, you will probably like this beer. However, this beer is thoroughly enjoyable for both novice and expert craft beer drinkers.
This is also the first witbier I have enjoyed. A gateway, indeed!
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