Allagash’s ‘Interlude’
If anyone is qualified to experiment with the saison style, it would be Allagash, who already has a great track record of brewing Belgian styles. For their ‘Interlude’, they ferment the ale with Brettanomyces yeast and age the results in red wine barrels. The finished product is a beer that doesn’t cling too tightly to the saison’s stylistic trappings, but nonetheless stays true to its ‘farmhouse’ aesthetic roots.
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‘INTERLUDE’ – ALLAGASH – Saison aged in red wine barrels – 9.50% ABV (Eye Choir’s Top Choice)
Appearance: Poured a tawny moderate orange with bright copper highlights and a one-finger, off-white head. There is a little haziness, though the mild to moderate carbonation is still easily visible. 5/5
Smell: Bold pear and red delicious apple in the opening, along with sour cherries and hints of stone fruits. This is supported by a somewhat milder aroma of red wine vinegar, based in a plummy Pinot Noir complete with a subtle oakiness. This new found acetic character blends with a wet-leaf barnyard funk. Gradually as the fruits relax, a little bit of spiciness comes in, along with a mild toasted bread malt. 4.5/5
Taste: Strong, vaguely tannic tartness brings out a strong vinous character which is a great compliment for the sour funkiness and showcases lots of depth within the juicy grape and cherry notes. A mild sweetness eventually shows through bringing a hay-like character to the yeast as well as a honeyed malt character, though as the beer dries, it transmutes into a stolid Nilla wafer. In its mildly to moderately bitter finish, a surprising burst of yeasty white pepper and clove accompanies a profoundly dry herbal hop. 5/5
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied, with a sharp biting carbonation that augments the tartness and heightens the dry, astringent quality of the mouthfeel. Some slight alcoholic heat in the finish blends nicely with the lingering spiciness. 5/5
Overall: Truly excellent, balancing the hallmark saison crisp and dry character with a bevy of unique and subtle flavors. 5/5
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‘SWING SESSION SAISON’ – VICTORY – Saison brewed with peppercorn and lemon zest – 4.5% ABV
Appearance: Poured a mild, light golden-yellow with a three-finger, off-white head. The body has only the faintest, fine haziness, but copious carbonation actually makes visibility difficult at first. 4/5
Smell: Aroma is quite strongly spicy, featuring peppery coriander and ginger, which blends interestingly with a surprisingly strong herbal hop character redolent of rosemary. Yeast character is not as prominent, but one can detect mild phenolic citrus as well as an afterthought of whole grain bread. Quite unique, but perhaps unusual for a saison, and ultimately a tad unbalanced. 3.5/5
Taste: Mild to moderate tartness brings the fruit character out a bit, showing off lemon, lime and green apple. Mild sweetness also highlights the doughy, lightly toasted malt, but the finish is ultimately dry and mildly to moderately bitter, with a slight spicy yeast mustiness. The spice and hops are definitely the stars of this beer, and though they are fairly complex, pleasant and pair with the milder yeast and malt flavors well, the balance is still just a bit too far towards them. 3.5/5
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, with a crisp, perhaps even slightly slick mouthfeel which along with the refreshing tart and surprisingly bitter flavors makes this beer easy to drink, and as intended, sessionable. No alcoholic heat to speak of. 4/5
Overall: Has a lot of interesting, even deep flavors, but it is weak in the ones which would normally substantiate the backbone of a saison. Despite a moderate lack of balance, it is still tasty and light enough for its intended purpose. 3.5/5
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SAISON – ST. FEUILLIEN – Saison – 6.5% ABV
Appearance: Poured a pale-orange yellow with a one-finger, off-white head. There is a moderate amount of fine particulate haze, and though this doesn’t impair visibility, virtually no carbonation is visible. 3.5/5
Smell: Fairly yeasty aroma, featuring primarily pungent black pepper and light funk along with some bubblegum and pear fruit notes. The light but detectable hop flavor is citric, herbaceous and even spicy in a way that links up quite well with the yeast. This is supported by a mild bready malts with a touch of honey. Very well-balanced and complex. 4.5/5
Taste: Begins with a surprisingly dominant moderate to light sweetness which really highlights the pastry character of the malt as well as some honeysuckle floral notes from the hops. A mild to moderate tartness helps produce lemon peel, though the fruit character is still overall somewhat subdued. The finish produces a mild bitterness which pairs interestingly with some remaining hay and pepper notes. Unique construction, though a little busy at times and perhaps a bit too sweet. 4/5
Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with even a slightly creamy mouthfeel that is balanced by mild to moderate carbonation. Very smooth, despite a hint of lasting piquancy from the yeast, though the heaviness of these attributes make it unexpectedly less sessionable than other saisons. 3.5/5
Overall: The way certain flavors are brought forth from the yeast and hops is certainly fascinating, though at times the balance could be better. Cutting back on the malt could make this beer significantly better, though the malt character itself is also fairly complex. 4/5
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SAISON – STONE – Saison brewed with lemon zest, lemon thyme, and lavender – 6.00% ABV
Appearance: Poured a somewhat light tawny yellow-orange with bold brassy highlights and a two-finger, eggshell head. The body has a moderate haziness, but moderate carbonation can still be seen. 4/5
Smell: A strong herbal and floral palate is primary, with aromas of lavender, grassy thyme, and coriander. Some slight funky yeast notes offset this freshness with details of clove and a chalky soil. This meets up with a subtle fruit quality consisting of banana with traces of citrus. In the background, a subtle cereal grain malt supports things, with a toasted bread sort of bent. A little unctuous but certainly interesting and unique. 3.5/5
Taste: Mild sweetness supports the grain and bread malt, which in turn meets up with the banana to give a distinct banana bread flavor. A mild to moderate tartness quickly sets in though, bringing out notes of lemon and orange which segue nicely into the citric coriander. This leads into herb and lavender profile of the moderately bitter finish, where a slight spearmint flavor combines with the citrus to give the impression of a Ricola cough drop. Finally, some lingering earthy funk shines through. Fairly well-balanced for the complexity, with great dynamics. 4.5/5
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, with a nice spritzy carbonation that builds up the citrus flavors and the mild dryness of the finish, along with a faint wisp of alcoholic heat. Quite appropriate for the flavor profile. 4/5
Overall: Although the aroma is a bit punchy, the citrus and minty herb profile does a good job integrating the lavender, a task not easily accomplished by other beers. 4/5
Eye Choirs 