The terms craft brewing and craft beers are used frequently today when referring to small independent brewers not only here in the United States but throughout the world. But in the early to mid 1990s, the term was still in its infancy with a handful of small brewers plying their wares.
Trying to put myself back in 1995, I would have to say that Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer Company and Brooklyn Brewing Company are three of the craft brewers that had a foothold here in New York City. Today the number of craft beer tap handles that you can find throughout bars NYC is immense. One such company that started in the city of Portland, Maine during 1995 was the Allagash Brewing Company.
Trying to put myself back in 1995, I would have to say that Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer Company and Brooklyn Brewing Company are three of the craft brewers that had a foothold here in New York City. Today the number of craft beer tap handles that you can find throughout bars NYC is immense. One such company that started in the city of Portland, Maine during 1995 was the Allagash Brewing Company.
I recently had the pleasure of drinking an Allagash White at the Phil Hughes Bar (1682 1st Ave, New York, NY 10128 (212) 722-9415) in the Yorkville/Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Opened in the 1950s, the Phil Hughes Bar is an old school Irish pub/sports bar/dive bar that is hard to find in this section of NYC. Yelp reviews notwithstanding, the Phil Hughes Bar is exactly what it presents itself to be, a no frills neighborhood bar. Nothing fancy. To me its a place to get a beer, act like the proverbial fly on the wall and sit and listen to the old time regulars spin their tales. Hip it ain't, I don't think it wants to be nor does it have to be. And for those who complain about the bar, it is cash only. But back to the Allagash.
On tap they had the flagship Allagash White and I decided to order one. Haven't had an Allagash White before? According to the Allagash website:
Our interpretation of a Belgian-style wheat beer is brewed with oats, malted wheat, and unmalted raw wheat for a hazy, “white” appearance. Spiced with our own special blend of coriander and Curaçao orange peel, Allagash White is both complex and refreshing.
The hazy part of the beer was odd to drinkers when it first debuted back in the mid 1990s since mass market beers such as Budweiser, Miller and Coors was clear. Page 383 of the book The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth delves further into the haziness of the Allagash White:
When Rob Tod founded Allagash in 1995, he wanted to highlight Belgian beer styles, and the first product out of the kettle was White-still the brewery's flagship two decades on. It was inspired by Celis white, one of Tod's early craft beer encounters. At first, he says, "I thought there was something wrong with it." That changed as witbier became one of his favorite styles. Tod doesn't think of white beer as a summer confection, though, and he strives for a refinement eschewed by other wit makers. Using unmalted wheat, he brews one of the palest whites; it looks a bit like unfiltered pear juice. Tod's use of a highly attenuative yeast strain is the hallmark of the beer, which ends on a crisp, very dry note. Coriander and orange accentuate the effect, and White evokes the character of the best dry Rieslings.
Ok, the review is over. 😁😁😁 But seriously folks, that's one helluva description of the Allagash White. Beer advocate's listing for the Allagash White has it ranked as the number one Witbier. Craft Beer & Brewing gives the Allagash White a score 96 out of 100.
I personally like it, though I can't say that I have tried too many of them throughout the years. I found it to be pleasant, slightly sweet, and it is cloudy due to it being an unfiltered. I find the cloudiness to give it a nice silky feel to the mouth, especially when the beer is nice and cold like I had it. Though I think I would find them somewhat heavy on the palate after about three or four of them in a row. Allagash White has an ABV (Alcohol by volume) of 5.1% and an IBU (International Bitter Unit) of 13 out of 100. This mildly alcoholic and not bitter beer is highly recommended by yours truly. 👍👍
I'll keep my eye out for any additional Allagasah offerings while on my travels for beer nirvana. Any thoughts on the Allagash line of beers? Any recommendations? Hit me up. And if you are in Portland, Maine feel free to swing by the Allagash Brewing Company's home at 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103.
For the next post we'll be heading down to the state of Louisiana for a look at the Abita line of beers.
Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
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