I think it is important for breweries that have a substantial distribution footprint to still make brewery-only beers. People who take the time to visit the brewery should have something special or unique to try, and it allows the brewery to run some small-batch experiments and get feedback from regular customers. If any of these brewery-only releases become popular, then it’s a great opportunity for the brewery to build a little buzz ahead of a wider release. A good example is Haunted House, a hoppy dark ale from Allagash. Haunted House features the dark roasted malt of a porter, Crystal, Chinook, and Saaz hops and fermentation with their expressive Belgian-style house yeast strain. Allagash has brewed Haunted House for the last three years but this was the first year that it was canned and distributed. Allagash Haunted House is available for a limited time on draft and in 16 oz. cans.
Allagash Haunted House pours nearly black with a massive light brown head. The aroma features rich roasted malts and some floral hops. The flavors are complex but well balanced. The malts add notes of dark chocolate, toffee, and espresso. The hops contribute touches of grass, earth, and herbs along with a mild bitterness. The Belgian style house yeast is pretty mild by comparison, adding some subtle hints of bubblegum and peppercorn. Haunted House is medium-bodied, drinks very easy and has a frighteningly precise 6.66% ABV. The finish is dry with some lingering malt flavor and hop bite. This is an excellent beer, perfect for cool evenings in the fall and winter. I am really glad this is available in distribution now, I will enjoy a few this fall! Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Previous Allagash Reviews:
Allagash River Trip, Allagash Farm to Face, Allagash Interlude 2017, Allagash Coolship Red, Allagash Hibernal Fluxus 2016, Allagash Sixteen Counties, Allagash Tiarna, Allagash Confluence 2015, Allagash Curieux, Allagash White, Allagash Dubbel, Allagash/Maine Beer/Rising Tide Prince Tuesday, Allagash Saison, Allagash Black
Hoppy Boston 