Barrel fans and collectors will want to pay attention to today’s beer.

Port barrels that once housed oaky Scotch and a secret underground recipe have turned Allagash’s 9.3% ABV Pictavia Barrel Aged Scotch Ale into a new classic. Picture Frank Sinatra or Dino himself pouring a snifter right before he breaks into song. Or hits up a girl for her number.

So where’s the secret recipe come in? About a year before Allagash’s official opening, founder Rob Tod brewed three pilot beers and one of these was Pictavia. The recipe goes underground into the Allagash cellars and is never shared.

Almost twenty years later, Allagash procures Port barrels that used to hold Scotch. They use these to age the Pictavia base for four months. This duality creates a layering effect where the caramel and roasted honey notes are augmented with oaky vanilla from the Scotch and a tawny brightness from the Port.

One collector calls it a boozy barrel twist he can’t wait to build into a vertical flight. We appreciate the frenzy but he’s a little premature because this is just the second release.

2018 Pictavia is still very new to Untappd but its 3.93 is climbing. Even fans who claim no love for Scotch Ales are falling under this beer’s spell. One Facebook post (@Ndnda Zoidberg) shares this sentiment pretty succinctly: I've never much liked this style but loved this beer. Kudos!

Whether Scotch Ales are your jam or you’re just an Allagash fan or barrel junkie, Pictavia will slide right into your fireside routine. What do you mean you don’t have a fireside routine? Get on that. Maybe pour yourself a taster and the flavors will create an atmosphere so intense, the fireplace will just appear.

Packaged On October 3rd, 2018

Packaged On October 3rd, 2018