12 Beers of Christmas 2024 – 7: Allagash Ski House

Allagash used to brew a Fluxus series of experimental beers that would sometimes edge their way into the regular lineup. We included one in our 2016 lineup, the Hiburnal Fluxus (but we’ve reviewed many Allagash beers over the years, found here).

One of the earlier, if not the earliest of the Fluxus brews was called Starling Wit, and while everyone seemed to like the beer, they weren’t wild about the label. The label had a starling on it, and the starling is not the favorite bird of, well, just about anyone.

The poor starling. It couldn’t help it that it was imported into the U.S. in the 1870’s-1890’s and then propagated like mad, until it eventually came to be thought of as an invasive species. Just the same, maybe not a great pick for a beer label.

Allagash contributed two beers to last year’s 12 Beers of Christmas, Gatherwell and Snow Report. Both were lovely brews, but as I suggested back then, we expect nothing less from the Maine brewery, as it’s reliably expert in anything I’ve ever tried from it. Just their burden to bear.

This year’s entry is a break from the dark beer run we’ve been on the last few days. Allagash Ski House is a so-called Winter White Ale, and my first sip of it suggested nothing so much as the brewery’s flagship White Ale. So I went out and picked up some White, as I’ve been known to do anyway on a semi-regular basis, and brought it home for comparison.

I used to think I wasn’t particularly high on Wit beers, with their typically peppery bite and clovey sensation from additions of coriander and Curaçao Orange Peel, not to mention the Belgian-style ale yeasts. Allagash White made me change my tune. It’s particularly pleasing in warmer seasons, but welcome anytime of the year for its distinctive flavors and refreshing bite.

It turns out that the White and Ski House are similar but not matching. The difference, in a word, is ginger. The White has none, the Ski House plenty of a Maine-grown variety.

The hops for the two beers are the same: Nugget, Crystal, Czech Saaz, as is the house yeast. And the malt bills are similar: Allagash 2-Row Malted Barley Blend, Red Wheat Malt, Raw White Wheat, Oats, Carapils. But the White also adds in some local Pale Malt. Both have the requisite coriander and orange peel. The ginger is the only other difference.

Put one against the other, that difference becomes obvious, both in the nose and in the flavor. Again, both beers are citrusy, with that scouring pepperiness and spicy flavors. But the ginger is most evident when tasting one after the other. It’s not overwhelming, by any means, but it’s there, and one’s tolerance for ginger may be a determining factor in enjoying the beer.

I tolerated it just fine, if mildly morose that my grandkids have headed homeward, and the tasting panel is down to me and, if coerced, my wife. I gave her a pass tonight.

The photo may show that the Ski House has a slightly darker yellow cast that the paler White. It also has a bit more heft, 7.5% ABV to White’s 5.2%. Enough to give it a pass as a warming winter ale.

Name: Ski House
Brewer: Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine
Style: Spiced Wit Beer
ABV: 7.5%
Availability: Seasonally throughout the Allagash footprint in 19 states and D.C.
For More Information: www.allagash.com