Allagash Sour Releases

They frequently have coolship or wild type beers for sale at the brewery at a little stand right in front of the register. I don't think they announce it, but will tell you if you call.

 

Beers from the Coolship series and other sours (Farm to Face, Nancy, Pick Your Own, etc.) are typically limited releases. I wouldn't expect the brewery to have these available on any given day. Releases are usually announced beforehand. Some last longer than others (Resurgam lasted at least a few days, while Coolship Red sold out on its most recent release day, IIRC). They did just have their Wild Beer Roundup, which was obviously focused on sours. I think only a couple made it through the day--Golden Brett, Helena, Evora, maybe one or two others. Not sure if those are still around though. As parris said, your best bet is to call to see what they've got available.

 

Allagash just posted on twitter they currently have Evora, Cuvee D'Industrial, Resurgam, Golden Brett, Helena, and 2012 Interlude left over from the wild beer round up. Most of these will be sold out by the time you visit. The next big release is St. Klippenstein which is a BA Stout on 2/1, which is most likely what will be in stock.

They do announce all releases on Facebook and Twitter, but it can be as much as month in advance to as little as a day before.

 

I guess I must just pick lucky days to drive through Portland, they seem to always have something on that stand that empties my wallet.

 

Most releases hang around for a couple weeks, unless its the summer. The summer is always a sh*t show with tourists so everything sells out within a couple days no matter how big the release is.

 

On topic:
You have probably lucked out on the timing of your visit. Ordinarily, on any random weekend, you might hope to get one particular brewery-only release when you visit Allagash. But the Wild Beer Roundup is when Allagash sells off their stores of the past year's releases, and the unsold stock remains in the retail shop until it gone. As mentioned in the previous posts, they had Evora, Cuvee D'Industrial, Resurgam, Golden Brett, Helena, and 2012 Interlude still available in the retail shop after the Roundup.
Call them (207.878.5385; 800.330.5385). They answer the phone and give info on what's still available. And they're super-nice people. (And note, for your weekend scheduling, they are open on Sunday.)

Regarding the previous post that these beers will probably be gone by the weekend- I think that's wishful thinking. Certain releases (Little Sal, Coolship Red) have sold out quickly, but (sad to say) almost all the other releases have lingered for at least a week in the retail shop. I'm sure a number of these bottles will still be available at the Retail Shop on the weekend.

Comments on those releases-
Evora, since it was released on draft from the initial brew, has been my favorite Allagash beer. I am super-excited to see that it has moved, not only to brewery-only release, but into distribution. Hope the world loves it as much as I do.
Cuvee D'Industrial was a blend of so many barrels that if they tried to replicate it, they couldn't. And it is MAGNIFICENT. Buy it; drink it; cellar it; you will not be disappointed.
Helena appears to be available in solid quantities. Not going to distributed (this year), but it's the base beer for a number of their fruited sours, so it may be a recurring release in subsequent years.

On visiting the Retail Shop, Allagash is one on the few remaining breweries to offer a free flight of tasters of their beer (but no full pours to purchase or growler fills). Looks like you'll be able to sample Northman, which should be a treat. And, if not mentioned previously, ask if they have a fifth tap.

Off Topic:
I'm torn between thinking Allagash is criminally neglected on the Beer Advocate's New England forum, and thinking why waste the effort on an audience the won't appreciate the message.
In the last year, virtually none of the Allagash brewery-only releases have been mentioned on the forum.
The Wild Beer Round-up (the one-time chance to catch up on a year's worth of release) was not mentioned until after the fact.
Smuttynose has a recurring forum thread on releases, but not Allagash.
It's sad that the lack of attention represents a shift away from interest in diverse (ie non-16 oz canned DIAP) beer styles, but I'm hopeful that Beer Advocate doesn't represent the complete beer-buying community.

 

I think that in general you are correct that Allagash doesn't get the attention they deserve in the NE BA board, but I just want to temper a few of these statements. I think that at the time of the events there were threads about some of the limited releases and events like Wild Friendship Celebration and Goulschip, and there was a short thread about the Wild Beer Roundup last week. Smuttynose only has its own thread with a month label because one of their employees started it. And part of the issue might just be that Allagash has been around for quite a while and the newer breweries are the ones that get more hype. But really, other than lack of BA attention I think all signs point towards Allagash doing just fine.

 

Allagash does feel a little left out of the club when it comes to generating huge crowds for releases and selling out of the beer immediately. Per an employee, this is the reason for the case limits at some of the more recent releases, to try and sell out quicker and build hype.

 

Another reason for the lack of hype may be that one 375ml bottle of an Allagash sour costs as much, if not more than, a 4-pack of 16oz cans of IPA sold across the street.

I understand the pricing based on aging time, but I'm sure I would buy WAY more Allagash beers if they weren't as pricey. And I say that as someone who bought a big 'ol bunch of them at the Wild Beer Roundup.

 

I buy at least one (and often two if limits permit and/or I see them at multiple stores) of every single Allagash sour that hits distribution in Boston. I understand the pricing for these types of beers and don't mind it, but I'm sure that's a factor. The sours are literally 4 times as expensive as a lot of these four-packs of pint cans we're talking about. Personally, I have less of a problem paying $14 for a 375ml bottle of beer that spent that much time aging vs. some of the prices being charged for IPAs that are literally made start to packaging in a few weeks.

 

Why does the brewer's profit margin matter? Shouldn't it just be a matter of the price you're paying versus the product you're getting, regardless of what it cost to make?

 

It matters to me; maybe it's my way of justifying spending 15 bucks on a single beer by pointing to the time/effort required to make it. But yeah, I think cost/time comes into play for many consumers as we make judgments about value. I was at Jester King over the summer for my bachelor weekend and listening to the owner talk about the time and work that goes into all of those beers made me appreciate why the prices are what they are, versus a place that can crank out hoppy ales week after week. But I do agree that, at the end of the day, it's about the quality of the product.

 

Seems like it's kind of a chicken and egg thing. If beers don't sell out immediately then nobody feels the need to hover over dedicated threads about the specifics of releases, but without threads about releases not enough people know about it in the first place to talk about it.

Why not try starting one and see if gets any attention? I personally don't care much for most belgian styles myself (personal failing) but my general feeling is that, release threads or no, Allagash is spoken of in fairly hushed tones around here. Every single "where should I go in Maine" thread has them near the top, for instance. One can be respected without being hyped, and if they're selling out their stuff in a week rather than a day that would seem like a problem a lot of breweries would love to have.

 

Im much more interested in Allagash sours than 16 oz cans of IIPAs. I also feel much better paying $15 or $16 for a 375 of a beer that takes a lot more time and skill than 4 16 oz cans of hop bomb, which are tasty, available from any number of dozens (hundreds?) of places that are all pretty close in quality.

 

I think the reality is that the casual beer fan doesn't really appreciate Allagash because they just see their mass distributed beers which, while good for their styles, are not anything you would see anyone drive for. I think more sophisticated beer fans appreciate Allagash sours, but may not be that into their regular offerings (myself included). It's unfortunate because I am sure their White, Saison, Black, etc. provide a crucial revenue stream for them to manage cash flow in order to create the superb traditional Belgian sours that they brew.

 

It doesn't matter what Allagash charges (prices are comparable to other 375 mL sours), or how little attention they get here, or who would buy them at a cheaper price point. The fact is Allagash sells. Their sours sell out. Their shelf offerings sell. The brewery has expanded dramatically in the last few years. They are doing just fine.

A lot of these monthly threads revolve around breweries that cater to IPA fans and growler fills, none of which Allagash offers. Special releases are monthly, not every freaking week like Hill Farmstead. What they have at the brewery is never a secret. This is a totally different (and very successful) animal.

 

No St. Lam and the bar is closed until the 4th for renovations