Surf House
Allagash Brewing Company

Appearance, mouthfeel: Fine, no complaints

Otherwise: Oof, I kind of hate this beer. Maybe like an onion thing going on?

I believe Allagash says this is made with a Belgian lager yeast. Is that relevant? Are we talking Stella or … something else? Maybe it’s just weird hops I’m tasting?

I’m especially mad because this kind-of-sort-of replaced River Trip—a gorgeous beer—in their lineup.

Any number of light-bodied Belgian ales would have been great. A Pilsner would have been great. But this … I don’t like this.

12 oz can pkgd 2/26/26 into a Becher glass.
L: Pours a lightly straw light yellow color with a 3/4 soft white rocky & slightly creamy head, light steady carbo, head looks like wax then slowly recedes to light frothy, medium 3/4 circumference complex soapy lacing.
S: Bread dough, grain funk, a fruity note.
T: Bread dough a, bright orchard fruit notes of pear, apple. A hint of honey, light lemon, a touch of yeast, a suggestion of corn.
F: Crisp and bright, medium-light bodied mouthfeel with a medium-long medium-dry finish. Soft water.
O: A hoppy Lager and I really like it. Easy to drink and quite well balanced overall. Very refreshing, gently fruity and a bit dry. I will reach for this beer more often. It is excellent.

 

 

A: crystal clear; pale yellow in color; 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap with a moderate tight collar; OK lacing;

S: clean; fruity Belgian yeast;

T: very mild citrus and tropical fruit up front; soft Belgian yeast in the middle; mildly tart grapefruit at the end;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; dry finish; crisp;

O: a pleasure to drink; refreshing;

With corn and rice used in the grain package, this beer has a very light look, more straw than gold. The head is fluffy and laces the glass nicely for a lager. Refreshing lemon citrus dominates the flavor, but it is balanced with a nice hop bite that gets you in an ale, rather than a lager, tasting mindset. In fact, the dry hop bitterness provides a rewarding finish. A hoppy lager, and very crushable.

Beer looked and smelled promising but unfortunately there was a weird metallic aftertaste left in my mouth.

 

12oz can, dated 02.18.2025, poured into a 16oz tumbler glass. Enjoyed on 05.08.2025, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a cloudy pale golden color, lemon hues, fluffy white head with great retention and nice soapy lacing. The aroma is pleasant, pale grain, light lemon citrus, mineral water, lightly floral, herbal green hop. The flavors are good, green hop, herbal and floral, grassy bitterness, pale grains, mineral water, with a bright lemony finish. The mouthfeel is good, coating, lively and crisp medium body, dry finish.

Verdict: A nice pale lager from Allagash. Crisp, citrusy, refreshing, very easy going.

 

Appealing pour with attractive head reasonably sized to it's ABV. Scents of lager yeast, fruity esters, and lemon/berry hops are plentiful. If this tastes like it smells, it's gonna be good. Sips reveal that is exactly the case. More hop forward in flavor, malts play their role but do not get in the way of the lemongrass, herbal, and tropical hop attributes. This leans to IPL territory, and happily so. Body is just a touch thinner than expected as malt is limited somewhat. This is an excellent dry hopped lager that is refreshing, crushable, and repeatable.

Poured into a wide mouth, grip shaped goblet: color is straw, slight chill haze, head is brighter white with fine to small bubbles, head presents 1 finger thick then dissipates to solid top with some lacing on the glass sides.

Smell is clean, crisp, light pilsner malt, subtle grass mixed with light citrus and earth.

Taste is more clean and crips malt more neutral than pilsner so guessing some rice in this, subtle grass and citrus with hint of tropical fruit like pineapple.

Mouthfeel is moderate/strong carbonation, low sweetness, low/moderate bitterness - crisper and hoppier than baseline style.

Overall a very good and very drinkable 'summer lager' - malt is limited so is sweetness but hop presence has some depth of aroma and flavor.

On draft - light, crisp, mild toasty bready biscuity crackery malts, tropical fruity notes like pineapple, peach, white grape, lemony orange citrus, grapefruit, lime, floral earthy herbal grassy hops, hint of white pepper spice, medium bodied, smooth, subtle apple/pear lager yeast esters

Pale straw yellow, slight haze but mostly see through. White, decently thick head. Nose is lime, sourdough, yeast, adjuncty on the nose. Taste is light, some citrus from the hops, light carbonation, slightly tart, champagne dryness. Not bad.

On tap at Sovereign in DC. Pours light golden orange with a big frothy head. Aroma is fruity and yeasty. Taste is similar, citrus, bitter and a little tart. Something in here reminds me of their White ale, perhaps the yeast. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, medium bodied. Pretty solid, although not a style I'd drink often.

Dull and hazy gold with a large whiteish head, plus sticky lacing. Hop fresh nose. A strong grapefruit tart bite straight away, bite that evenly dissipates leaving the mouth tingling. Pleasant citrus flavor forward. Mouthfeel is medium, this tarty sour flavor appealing. Good warming from a modest 5.5% ABV. very likeable beer, certainly gets a thumbs up! Semi dry on the finish.

 

Solid lager...

Another sessionable lager, this one with a light hint of lime or maybe lemon to round it out. Very clear, very light straw colored, kinda reminds you of a light beer - but it was anything but light. Crisp, refreshing, and definitely something to have with summer now upon us for 2025...

Very pale straw color on the pour with short head and some lace. Aroma is fresh bread, straw and flower hops. Taste follows -- biscuits, hops and slight lemony undertones. Very dry and crisp finish. A very nice lager.