Interlude
Allagash Brewing Company

InterludeInterlude
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From:
Allagash Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Saison
Ranked #138
ABV:
10.6%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,706
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 9.98%
Reviews:
463
Ratings:
1,469
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
Jan 15, 2006
Wants:
  353
Gots:
  295
Two yeast strains were used to create this unique Belgian-style ale. The first, a Saison yeast, establishes the flavor foundations of a classic Belgian-style ale. The second, our house strain of Brettanomyces yeast, contributes myriad flavors including pear, apricot, graham cracker, and bread crust. A portion of Interlude is aged in red wine barrels, which imparts a distinctive vinous, plum character and a dry, almost tannic, finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DaPeculierDane:
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Many thanks to SCThaden and Brewbaca who have both sent me samples. This one was cellared for about 6 months at aroudn 52 degrees.

What carbonation! The cork flew off with such force that it dented my ceiling, catapulted itself to the floor and then rebounded almost all the way back to the ceiling for a second go. How Champagne like!

Appearance: Nearly perfect and truly stunning. Body is a mandarin light brown, glowing and sharp. Carbonation is really terrific. Gaseous like Champagne with a 3/8 inch white, creamy cap that lasts and lasts.

Aroma: Tart or unripe fruit. Constrained and purposeful barnyard characteristics. Not overly funky but with a subtle sourness, and damp hay/rotten wood/lemon rind qualities. Rising spiciness and a touch of earth.

Mouthfeel comes before taste because it is very important in this beer. Tartness and carbonation strike the tongue before any discernable flavors. Then a vinous quality, part grape and part wood hits the palate and is followed by tart pear or apple and perhaps a touch of peach. Woodiness continues and spiciness grows in the relatively dry finish.

Drinkability is very good, partially because the funkiness is so subdued. Bret is ever present and plays a major role in the beer but it is never outlandish or overpowering of the other flavors and aromas. It's also balanced and well rounded with a medium body. I would consider this a very approachable wild sort of ale and a good choice for someone just embarking on the funky beer journey. I particularly enjoyed the Champagne like body and assertive carbonation. Well done beer.

March 29th, 2008 update: This beer has cellared well. I just cracked a Jan 07 bottle. The carbonation was initially explosive but then mellowed out. The beer is soft and lovely with a healthy sourness and remains wonderfully complex and drinkable.
Sep 18, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.26 by not2quick from Missouri

Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by doctorgary from New York

May 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by bruindre from Massachusetts

Feb 08, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottled April 2022

Yet another bottle I grabbed when me and my buddy did the cellar tour there last month. On paper, red wine barrel aging and mixed fermentation is everything I want in a Saison, but this is a style for me that needs to do a lot to impress me. That being said, I trust Allagash to deliver though, so I’m excited to try it

Pours a slightly cloudy orange gold with 2 fingers of off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

There’s really not too much funk in the nose, but the earthy vibe is still keeping me intrigued. I’m picking up on aromas of bready malt, tannic red wine, wildflower honey, stone, wet hay, lemon yogurt, light earthy hops, and pear skin

It’s sharper up front in taste which I appreciate, but returns to the yeasty vibe on the back end. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart red grape, lemon juice, doughy malt, earthy wheat, sharp oak, honey, tart plum, and pear skin. The swallow brings notes of earthy wheat, wildflower honey, lemon yogurt, stone, wet hay, bready malt, and tannic red wine

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a tannic and beer. Finishes dry with a great balance

This is really solid stuff. It’s not quite as funky as I prefer for the stylr, but it’s close. Plus for what it is, Allagash killed it
Jan 15, 2023
 
Rated: 3.92 by Sound_Explorer from Washington

Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.32 by brandoneast from Texas

Sep 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Jul 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.3 by scottyshades from Florida

Apr 29, 2022
Photo of hopley
Rated by hopley from Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3000th Beer Rating on BA!!!!!!!!

2012 bottle, 9.5%, cork and cage 750 ml bottle, drank out of a bulbous wine glass on 12/23/21. Just spectacular!
Dec 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Nov 26, 2021
Photo of DucksFan16
Rated by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

4.46/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2016 vintage
Nov 25, 2021
 
Rated: 3.76 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Sep 15, 2021
 
Rated: 3.96 by Burg from New Hampshire

May 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by BeerRay from Rhode Island

Apr 10, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.91/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Shared 750(?) ml corked bottle at local tasting, vintage 2007, bought at Ølbutikken or Høkeren, Copenhagen, May 2011. Ale aged in oak barrels, ABV is 9.5%. Clear orange colour, moderate white head. Aroma of brettanomyces, sour fruits and apple cider vinegar. Medium sour flavour, brettanomyces galore, woody finish, decent hops. Interesting and unusual.
Mar 20, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.39/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
What is this, a double saison? 10.4% and a 4.24 average, this outta be interesting.

Pours a darker color than almost any saison, guessing this took some barrel notes with it to the extent that it literally turned the saison beer darker. Or maybe its just a maltyboi. Or both. Anyways, its this mixture of dark amber and brown. Not much for head retention, maybe 1/4" white at its peak, but really settles a lot less than that. The aroma had more of a belgian quad than it did saison vibe. But there was a bit of fruitcake like breadiness in the nose, seems this one has an ample amount of brett character/nose.

Taste brings all the dark fruit in the world into a beer with no dark fruit, no doubt the wine barrel brings a lot of that, but also this belgian yeast that doesn't seem like a saison yeast at all (more qua, bspa or bdsa). Mouth feel has a grip load of alcohol heat to it, not something I want in a 'saison'. But this isn't much of a saison, its more like a wine barrel aged quad. Not sure I really 'get' this saison.
Sep 17, 2020
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2017 vintage. Poured from a Cork'n'Cage bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy pour... brown/amber color (looks like apple cider) with thin fizzy/barely there head. Modest ring of lacing.

S: Tart and fruity. Red wine and the cellar it's stored in.

T.F: Modestly tart... red wine and oak, grape must, funk, and plum. Dark fruits... leather, baking cherry, and black pepper. Medium bodied... light carbonation and sticky on the tongue. Complex... more red wine and fruit to finish.

O: An absolutely fantastic red-wine barrel aged brew. Great complexity and flavor... easy drinking despite some tartness and brett. Outstanding.
Jul 30, 2020
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Bottled on 07/27/16

Notes of funky red wine, oak barrel, mild leather, slight acetic vinegar, barnyard farmhouse, hay, straw, spice, toasted bready malts, graham cracker, caramel, toffee, vanilla, dried fruit, tart apple, pear, apricot, cherry, plum, pineapple, with floral earthy herbal hops
May 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.24 by JeffSK from Wisconsin

Mar 27, 2020
Interlude from Allagash Brewing Company
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 1469 ratings