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Interlude

Allagash Brewing Company
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🌍 United States · Brett Saison · One of 4 Brett Saisons in hopIQ

Interlude is a strong Belgian-style ale from Allagash fermented with two yeasts: a saison strain lays the farmhouse base, and the brewery's house Brettanomyces adds pear, apricot, graham cracker and bread crust. Caramel malt, red wheat, Pilsner malt and turbinado sugar build the body, with Nugget and Strisselspalt as hops. Part of each batch ages in red wine barrels, bringing a vinous plum character and tart red grape, and a small share of older Interlude is blended back in. The finish is dry and almost tannic.

ABV
9.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
golden6

AWARDS

Silver · 2006
Great American Beer Festival
★Silver — Great American Beer Festival
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Substantial body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Moderate bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Very crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

Very crisp and dry.

A direct pour that closes clean — trim and sharp, working together to keep things moving.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Brett Saison.
Malt character
bready
caramel
Fermentation & yeast
fruity
tart
sour
funky
Distinctive notes
dark fruit
oak
spicy

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Interlude

◎ Appearance

Interlude presents a pale golden hue with excellent clarity and a fine, persistent head that clings to the glass with delicate lacing. The carbonation is gentle and refined, appropriate to the beer's contemplative character. Light plays through the beer with a luminous quality that suggests both the saison's brightness and the wine-barrel aging's influence.

pale goldenclearfine headelegant lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose is complex and layered, opening with stone fruit notes of pear and apricot from the Brett, followed by warm graham cracker and toasted bread crust. Beneath these primary notes, subtle vinous undertones of plum and red grape emerge from the red wine barrel aging, mingling with the farmhouse character of the saison strain. A restrained herbal hop presence rounds out the bouquet without dominating.

stone fruitBrett characterbread crustvinousherbal

◐ Taste

The palate opens with the fruity, peppery entry typical of saison, evolving into a nuanced mid-palate where the Brett's fruit complexity and barrel-aged tannins converge. Caramel malt and red wheat provide a subtle sweetness that balances the tartness of red grape and the wine-like grip on the finish. The bitterness, restrained at 28 IBU, emerges gradually and never overwhelms the delicate interplay of fruit, spice, and wood.

fruity entrytannicfruit-forwardbalanced sweetnessrestrained bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is notably dry and almost tannic, with a lingering peppery spice and gentle grip on the palate that invites contemplation rather than immediate quenching. The aftertaste carries echoes of plum skin and bread crust, fading to a clean, mineral dryness.

drytanniclingering spice
86
hopIQ score
Aroma
88
Taste
87
Appearance
85
Finish
83
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Interlude

Serve at 6–9°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 8–12°C. Saison is refreshing but complex — cold works, but slightly warmer shows its farmhouse character.

Pint glass
Recommended for this style

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Drink within a year. Farmhouse character is liveliest when the beer is relatively young.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Interlude

About Brett Saison

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Brett Saison?

Saisons are Belgian farmhouse ales with 5–8% ABV and IBU 20–35. Spicy, fruity yeast — pepper, citrus, hay — with high carbonation and a dry refreshing finish.

Finding a similar Brett Saison

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same dry, fruity, bready character as Interlude will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Brett Saisons in hopIQ

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