The first one I picked up was a four pack of the Allagash White. Allagash is based out of Portland, Maine, and is a very renowned brewery from New England. There version of the classic Belgian witbier has taken home numerous medals throughout the past years and is a great representation of what a white should be. That being said, it does have some noticeable differences from my homebrew, but we will get to that in a bit...
In the glass, the Allagash white is a very pale yellow with the signature white haze of a witbier (from the wheat). A fairly thick and creamy head dissipated quickly, but there was no shortage of bubbles to keep a thin layer alive. The aromas are rich with cloves, and some notes of citrus and orange make it through as well. The first sip was dominated by cloves and coriander, which were quickly complimented by some orange and lemon citrus and breadiness from the malt. The finish is engulfed by a lingering spiciness of cloves and coriander with a slight hint of bananas. The ale is light-bodied, as it should be, but is livened up a bit by a high level of effervescence that gives the mouth feel a slight sharpness.
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| The small blue star marks Portland, ME |
In comparison to my take on the witbier, the Allagash White has a more prominent clove spiciness, which I am definitely looking to bring to my ale. The clove aroma and flavor are largely due in part to the yeast, so I may need to make a starter or pitch more slap packs. Other than that, they are fairly similar and share the same effervescence (bubbly-ness) that brings some excitement to the light-bodied mouth feel.
All in all, Allagash created a great example of a Belgian witbier that should not be passed by if it graces your local packy's shelves.
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