Portland, Maine-based Allagash is best known for their Belgian-inspired wheat beer, but they don’t shy from experimentation with their broad portfolio of limited releases. A good example of this is Little Brett, which relies exclusively on the uncommon (and, for some brewers, unwelcome) Brettanomyces yeast, Allagash’s 2-row barley blend, and a healthy dry hopping of Mosaic hops. The experiment here is a simple enough brew (at least as far as ingredients go) that allows the Brett yeast to really shine on its own.

The beer pours a golden straw color with nice carbonation and a modest head that slowly dissipates. The Brett is immediately present on the nose with a grassy funk and buttery baked fruit notes that are almost peach cobbler except for the traces of pineapple and mango that are clearly there. The palate is refreshing with a bready and lightly bitter backbone. It’s at first dry but then turns briefly sour before finding a juicy balance between the two extremes, with subtle traces of the same tropical citrus notes discovered in the nose. I’m left wanting just a little more depth of flavor from the Mosaic hops, and maybe even from the Brett itself, but all-in-all, Little Brett is a worthy experiment from the folks at Allagash that seems particularly suited to outdoor day drinking.

4.8% abv.

B+ / $14 per 4 pack / allagash.com

Allagash Little Brett

$14

8.5

Rating

8.5/10