Allagash Ghoulschip 2014

Allagash Ghoulschip is an American Wild Ale brewed with pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds and molasses, then aged in oak barrels. The name is a spooky pun on the coolship vessel they use to create most of their sour ales. Enormous thanks to Dee Dee at Allagash for sending us a bottle of this brewery only release to review, which we were happy to do!

Pours a slightly cloudy orange, with a thin head that was gone quickly. This is really a fantastic sour, with some lovely subtle nods to pumpkin ales. The taste starts with a quick blast of sourness, nothing too intense if you are used to drinking sour ales. This is followed by a subtle bit of pumpkin flesh and toasted pumpkin seed flavor. A mild, but much appreciated, bit of molasses comes out in the finish. As the beer warmed a bit of vanilla and oak from the barrel itself appeared in the flavor as well. (It’s all very subtle, and everything is subjective when it comes to beer. Andrew, who is not a big sour drinker, really never got past the tartness to find the other flavors, and if I had tried this when it first came out 3 years ago I’m sure I’d have had the same reaction)

I am so happy Allagash did this again, it was one of those beers I thought I had missed out on ever getting to try. It did not disappoint either, fantastic!