Yankee Brew News Archive

Allagash Brewing Brings the Taste of Belgium to Southern Maine

Originally Published: 06/96

By: Tom Ayres

Allagash Brewing Brings the Taste of Belgium to Southern Maine

by Tom Ayres

Nestled in a brewery hub north of downtown Portland, Allagash Brewing is bringing the unique character of Belgian-style brews to Mainers more accustomed to the traditional, English-inspired beers that have dominated the state's microbrew market.

For Rob Tod, Allagash president and brewer, the largely one-man operation is a labor of love. Rob nurtured his brewing skills at Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury, Vermont, before making the move to Maine to open the new brewery last July.

"It's a niche that no one else had filled," he explained while leading a tour of his spartan brewhouse recently. "There are a lot of people brewing really great beers around here. I wanted to do something that was different but accessible.

Allagash's current offerings certainly differ markedly from those of two other, more established breweries based in the same suburban industrial park -- Geary and Casco Bay. At present, Allagash crafts two beers in its 15-barrel brewhouse, custom-built by Century Manufacturing.

Allagash Whie is Rob's interpretation of a traditional Belgian witbier. Unfiltered, it is crafted with Briess malts, a generous portion of unmalted wheat, and rolled oats, using a single-step infusion mash. The use of coriander and Curacao orange peel in the kettle reflects traditional practice. Rob also adds a "mystery spice" to the Allagash White. He won't say which spice, of course, but I detected a hint of cardamom in the brew, particularly in the nose. It also had a lot of the "bready" yeast character found in two other wits I've enjoyed in recent times -- Blanche de Chambly from Quebec's Unibroue and Dentergems from Riva of Belgium. Allagash White left lots of residual sweetness on the palate -- more than I'm accustomed to in this style, although not unpleasantly so. Not surprisingly, given its lean toward the sweet side, the beer was somewhat more full than its Belgian counterparts.

Allagash Double Ale, a dark-amber, medium-bodied dubbel made with seven different malts and added sugar in the kettle, showed a lot of the phenolic, banana-ester character found in many stronger Belgian ales. Rich and filling, it showed hefty dark caramel notes and, like its Allagash White brewery mate, also finished sweet, though not cloying.

Rob said the Double Ale is proving a popular wintertime seller in its limited Maine market, while Allagash White leads the way in warmer times. Although Allagash is presently offering its beers on draught only, the brewery expects to add a small bottling line this spring. Rob hopes to keep Allagash's growth "manageable," but said he does plan New England-wide distribution of his beers in the future.