Beer Review 69: Allagash Ghoulschip

From one of the furthest northeast breweries in the country comes this wonderful pumpkin sour. Ghoulschip, is made by the fine brewers at Allagash located in Portland, Maine. Yes, the state known for Stephen King and clam chowder does provide us with of the most delicious beer made in the U.S. Ghoulschip, is an American wild ale in line with the coolship series beer's released by Allagash every now and then, and with this beer they tried to capture the essence of a seasonal pumpkin beer and make it a high quality wild ale. They succeeded  in their attempt, Ghoulschip is an extraordinary beer with good complexity and taste. I will be the first to say I was a bit skeptical at first about this beer seeing that there have been many attempts by other breweries to make this such style and failed. With Ghoulschip though, it was a massive achievement! Furthermore, Ghoulschip had a minimal release as it was only sold at the brewery last year and only 1,200 bottles were sold to the public making this beer quite unique and rare. Moreover, this wild pumpkin ale was sold at $10.00 dollars a bottle and packaged in a cork and caged 375 ml bottle. Ghoulschip clocks in at a very drinkable 6.9% abv and should be enjoyed from the proper glassware as to allow the multi-layered aromas of this beer come to life. I would recommend enjoying this beer out of a tulip or wine glass in 8 oz servings to allow for the beer to open up and develop over time.  No lie, this beer will pair wonderfully with braised pork ribs or lamb or if you just want snack on something any form of aged stinky cheese will do fine.

Color: Copper,orange, auburn hues glow from this beer. A dime sized white ring forms around the top of the glass.

Nose: Pumpkin, light molasses. toasted oak(which I love) slight sour funk and other seasonal spices: allspice, nutmeg(faint) and clove.

Palate: This is where Ghoulschip shines! The drinkability of this beer is insane good. The carbonation is just right and the abv is well masked all through this beer. This brew has a medium bodied feel on the tongue and it provides plenty of sour funk and oakiness. I love the feel of molasses at the back end and the spice profile on the finish. The pumpkin comes in waves to add some pleasant sweetness.

Finish: a nice sourness with good sweetness and subtle dry finish. Def a good American sour

Rating: 94/100