Allagash Brewing

WANT: Allagash Coolship Red

Allagash just beer teased the world via Twitter a few minutes ago, when they mentioned Coolship Red is about go on sale.   This beer has been 4 years in the making.  A spontaneously fermented beer, brewed with raspberries.

Over 4 Continue Reading →

Allagash Fluxus 2011 Arrives

Allagash Brewing’s Fluxus, 2011 edition is available for your drinking pleasure.  This year, the style is a French farmhouse style ale.  Previous editions include  a saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops (2009).  2010, an imperial stout brewed Continue Reading →

Allagash Collaborates Abroad

Brasserie De La Senne is actually credited with doubling Brussels, Belgium’s brewery count – from 1 (Cantillon) to 2.   The duo that started brewery in 2006, outgrew the tiny brewhouse and has been contracting at larger breweries around Belgium Continue Reading →

Allagash Bottles Coolship Lambics

Allagash Brewing is bringing to market beers from their  “koelship” this year.  The brewery christened their “coolship” in 2008.  The coolship is basically a vessel to allow wort to cool, and expose it to wild yeast for making Continue Reading →

Allagash Invades The Porter

Allagash Brewing takes over the taps at The Porter Beer Bar on Friday (6/10/11)with an extensive tap lineup including a rare, never before seen beer to Georgia – Larry.

Black
Tripel
Curieux
Dubbel
FOUR
Vrienden
Odyssey
Victor
Victoria
Confluence
Continue Reading →

Allagash Fluxus ’11 Style = Farmhouse

Fluxus: (fluk-suhs) -noun, Latin.

a flowing or flow
a continuous change, passage or movement

That is exactly what Fluxus is — a beer of continuous change.  2009 was saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops.  2010, an imperial stout brewed with Continue Reading →

Posted in Allagash Brewing

WANT: Allagash Coolship Red

Allagash just beer teased the world via Twitter a few minutes ago, when they mentioned Coolship Red is about go on sale.   This beer has been 4 years in the making.  A spontaneously fermented beer, brewed with raspberries.

Over 4 years ago, Allagash built a coolship – an open fermentation vessel on site in Portland.

In the summer of 2008, we decided to build a coolship at our brewery. A coolship is a large shallow pan used to cool wort overnight using outside air temperature. During the cooling process, naturally occuring yeast from the air innoculates the wort. In the morning, the cooled wort is transferred into barrels where the fermentation process begins. The beer is then aged for an undetermined amount of time, until we deem it “ready”. We have yet to sell any of these beers but have poured them at some special events and are planning to release them. Eventually.

Today we know.  Bottle release is extremely limited, and only to the shop in Portland, Maine. $15. 400 bottles total.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, New Releases, Seasonal Return

Allagash Fluxus 2011 Arrives

Allagash Brewing’s Fluxus, 2011 edition is available for your drinking pleasure.  This year, the style is a French farmhouse style ale.  Previous editions include  a saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops (2009).  2010, an imperial stout brewed with cacoa nibs.

Style: Farmhouse Ale
Taste Expectations: Peppery, spicy, & slightly funky.
Availability: 750 ml bottles, Corked/Caged. Seasonal release, style changes each year

8% ABV

Pic: @AleYeahBeer

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Coming Soon

Allagash Collaborates Abroad

Allagash Collaborates Abroad

Brasserie De La Senne is actually credited with doubling Brussels, Belgium’s brewery count – from 1 (Cantillon) to 2.   The duo that started brewery in 2006, outgrew the tiny brewhouse and has been contracting at larger breweries around Belgium ever since.  Finally, De La Senne opened it’s doors at the end of 2010.

Brasserie De La Senne is teaming up with Allagash for a Belgian – American collaboration.  Very Speciale Belge is soon to be stateside, imported by the Shelton Brothers.   This Belgian beer was brewed on site in Brussels, April 12, 2011.

Very Speciale is a Belgian-American blonde ale, clocking in at a low 5.2% ABV.

Availability: 11.2% ABV

Arrival & Distro Area: TBD

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Coming Soon

Allagash Bottles Coolship Lambics

Allagash Coolship Cerise

Allagash Brewing is bringing to market beers from their  “koelship” this year.  The brewery christened their “coolship” in 2008.  The coolship is basically a vessel to allow wort to cool, and expose it to wild yeast for making lambics.  Simply enough right?

Making a lambic isn’t as easy as you’d think.  Working with wild yeasts and long fermentations isn’t easy.  If the process is the same as the their 2008 brew day, here is what to expect from these beers – when and if you can get your hands on them.  The lambic is composed of raw wheat malt, and Belgian pilsner malt.  The plan is for a very long fermentation.  The wort is 4x-5x thicker than Allagash’s uses brews.  In 2008, the brewery was working with both Hop Union for aged/special perservative hops and Cantillion Brewery in Belgium on this project.  Cantillion creates some of the worlds best lambics.   Geek notes on the mash – initial temperature is a cool 118 degrees. Total water= 450 gallons.

After transferring to boil – a long 4 HOUR boil, the beer is pumped into a special house that holds the coelship (pictured below.)  There the beer cools over night, exposing the wort to wild yeast that will fall into it, spontaneously fermenting the beer.

Allagash has been aging some lambics in house for over 2 years.  They mentioned a little while back that they will be release these spontaneous beers at random.  There are 2 fruit lambics headed out into the wild (nice play on words right?) Coolship Cerise (Cherries) and Coolship Red (Raspberries.) Both are aged in oak.

Availability: 375ml bottles, corked & caged.  Draft.  Distribution TBA.

8.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Tap Takeovers

Allagash Invades The Porter

Allagash Brewing takes over the taps at The Porter Beer Bar on Friday (6/10/11)with an extensive tap lineup including a rare, never before seen beer to Georgia – Larry.

Black
Tripel
Curieux
Dubbel
FOUR
Vrienden
Odyssey
Victor
Victoria
Confluence
White

Larry – 9.5%.  Belgian Golden fermented exclusively in french oak with an Ale yeast, two strains of Brettanomyces and Lactic Acid Bacteria.  Aged in oak for 2.5 years.

A couple of surprise taps are in the works. I’m sworn to secrecy.

The Porter Beer Bar – 6/10/11, 6pm
1156 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307
@PorterBeerBar

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Coming Soon

Allagash Fluxus ’11 Style = Farmhouse


Fluxus: (fluk-suhs) -noun, Latin.

  1. a flowing or flow
  2. a continuous change, passage or movement

That is exactly what Fluxus is — a beer of continuous change.  2009 was saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops.  2010, an imperial stout brewed with cacoa nibs.  2011 will have you thirsty for a French-style farmhouse ale.

Availability: 750ml bottles, corked & caged. Draft

Arrival: Typically June. One time brew.

Cellar? Yes, up to 2 years (per Allagash)

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, American Craft Beer Week, Bell's Brewing, Dogfish Head, Founders Brewing, Great Divide, Heavy Seas, New Belgium, Terrapin Beer Company

Cypress Street Celebrates American Craft Beer Week

Here is your exclusive look at Atlanta’s Cypress Street tap lineup for American Craft Beer Week 2011.  Each of these beers are a little hard to come by.  Each beer flows at opening each day.

Monday, May 16th – Dogfish Head Brewing’s Hellhound On My Ale, Namaste

Tuesday, May 17th – Bell’s Brewing’s Consecrator Dopplebock, Smoked Vienna Lager (Rare Taproom only offering)

Wednesday, May 18th – Allagash’s edition of “Vreinden” collaboration with New Belgium

Thursday, May 19th – Great Divide Brewing’s 17th Anniversary Wood Aged IPA

Friday, May 20th – Terrapin Brewing’s Indiana Krunkles Wheat IPA

Saturday, May 21st – (CASK) Heavy Seas Peg Leg Stout aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels

Sunday, May 22nd – Founder’s KBS (I won’t even link to it. You know what’s up)

by Reid Ramsay