Allagash Brewing Company
On Friday, Steve and Amy wrapped up work a bit early, and we headed to Allagash Brewing Company for a tour and tasting. Allagash is known for its Belgian style witbier, especially its award-winning Allagash White. I was also curious about Allagash because it is a socially and environmentally responsible B Corp.
At the front of the brewery was a yard with an outdoor bar, picnic tables, and a festive, summer camp vibe. We walked past the bar and around back to The Cellars, the building that had housed the original brewery. It was a comfortable and welcoming space for our tasting.
We started with a “welcome glass” of Allagash White. Our knowledgeable and friendly host Lindsay showed us how to pour it. She confidently upended the bottle into the glass until the bottle was nearly empty. Then she swirled what was left in the bottle and carefully added it into the already full glass. Some fine sediment made the beer in the glass change from clear gold to hazy gold. And there was a perfect, tall head of foam that reminded me of a soufflé rising above the sides of its container. We tasted two more beers while Lindsay told how beer is made and how Allagash employees participate in envisioning and testing new beers. Then we walked through the brewery, tasting two additional beers (some of us tasted four), learning more about the process and hearing stories about the Allagash’s history.
After our tour, we relaxed in the yard with some snacks from the Bite into Maine food truck, a flight of four more beers, and some games. It was a lot of fun, and an intriguing inside look at a Certified B Corp company.
Tour highlights:
Rob Tod was fresh out of college and looking for something to do when he took at temporary job washing kegs for a small brewery and discovered his passion for making beer. After one year learning the basics, he rented a corner in a warehouse (now The Cellars), welded his own equipment, and brewed his own witbier. The rest is history! (Later I learned that Rob Tod won a James Beard Award in 2019. Pretty cool.)
Traditional beer is inoculated with brewers yeast and ferments predictably in just weeks. “Wild saison” ale is spontaneously fermented using yeasts occurring naturally in the air, and ferments unpredictably over a period of years. Allagash pumps wort into a “coolship” - a large metal holding tank - where it cools overnight and is exposed to the microflora in the air. The beer is then aged in wooden barrels and tasted periodically until it is ready (or rejected - it was fun to see the notes scribbled on the barrels by tasters).
“From Maine, with Love” is a limited series of experimental beers available only at the Allagash brewery. Many of these new beers come from ideas submitted by Allagash employees. Each FMWL beer is identified by a number; if it goes into distribution, it is given a name.
Tasting Notes:
Allagash White - Refreshing, flavorful, and interesting. Would pair well with just about any food. A crowd pleaser that we all enjoyed.
Two Lights - Inspired by an employee who loved sparking white wine, this summer ale is made with grape juice. Only Maria liked this one.
From Maine with Love #37 - A farmhouse ale with fruity notes, made with local honey that is caramelized. Nice, but we liked White more.
Cellars #9 - A blend of two barrel-aged wild saisons, aged on paw-paw fruit (the only tropical fruit that grows in the Northeast). A little bit tart. Steve and Amy loved this one, and it wasn’t too sour for Maria to enjoy.
Coolship Pomme - A spontaneously fermented ale made with fresh local apples. More funky and sour - okay with Steve and Amy, but not Maria.
Tripel - This was our host Lindsay’s favorite. A golden ale with notes of passion fruit and honey. Smooth and complex. Everyone liked this.
Curieux - This was our host Diane’s favorite - Tripel aged in bourbon barrels for seven weeks. Even more complex. Another unanimous thumbs up.
