I hear a lot of complaining about the prices of beer, and only some of it is justified. It does feel like some places intentionally inflate their prices, I am amazed how many 4 packs of local IPA break the $20 mark. In fairness, a lot of popular breweries could pump up their prices even more. For example, how high would Tree House prices need to go before those lines started to dwindle? One beer style that typically demands a premium price is barrel aged beers. This makes sense, there is a substantial cost involved in acquiring the appropriate barrels and then storing the beer to age, and the best examples of these styles require significant expertise. I am usually hesitant to drop big money on unfamiliar barrel-aged bottles, unless I have heard rave reviews from trusted sources. There are a few exceptions, breweries that have earned my trust to the point that I’ll try pretty much anything they release regardless of style and price. The number one example of this is Allagash Brewing, their barrel aged and special release beers are usually stellar and always worth the money. A great example is Interlude, released every late fall/early winter. Interlude is a blend on a beer fermented with traditional saison yeast, another fermented with Brettanomyces and a portion aged in red wine barrels. the ability to mix the proper amounts of each beer in a way that lets all of the flavors come together is an art, and few places do it like Allagash. Allagash Interlude 2017 is available in 750 mL bottles while they last.
Allagash Interlude 2017 pours deep red-gold with a small white head, The aroma is complex, fruit, funk and a bit if acidity. The flavor is even more complex, there is a lot going on in this beer. The fermentation adds notes of cherry, sour apple, pear and pepper along with a light tart bite. This is complemented by the flavors imparted by the barrel aging, hints of oak, plum, raspberry and red grape. The malts add a backbone of hay and cereal, and there is minimal hop character. Interlude 2017 has a medium body and drinks incredibly easy for a beer with 10.6% ABV. The finish is crisp and tart with a lingering fruity and funky flavor. This is a stellar beer, amazing flavor and drinkability, releases like this set Allagash apart. Worth every penny. Hoppy Boston score: 5.0/5.
Previous Allagash Reviews:
Allagash Coolship Red, Allagash Hibernal Fluxus 2016, Allagash Sixteen Counties, Allagash Tiarna, Allagash Confluence 2015, Allagash Curieux, Allagash White, Allagash Dubbel, Allagash/Maine Beer/Rising Tide Prince Tuesday, Allagash Saison, Allagash Black
Allagash Coolship Red pours deep pink-red with a small white head. The aroma is fruity and funky, lots of scents from the fermentation and barrel aging process. The wild yeast takes center stage in the flavor too, solidly tart with notes of pear, sour apple and barnyard. The raspberries complement this flavor, you get plenty of the fruit without overpowering the flavors imparted by the microbes. Coolship Red is light and easy to drink, not too boozy at 6.2% ABV. The finish has some acidity along with lingering fruit flavor. This is a really good beer, my taste for sour beers is a little slow in developing but this is complex and delicious. I am glad that I bought multiple bottles. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Allagash Hibernal Fluxus 2016 pours deep brown with a solid mocha head. The scent is a mixture of expressive Belgian yeast and roasted malts. The malt leads the flavor, notes of chocolate, raisin and coffee. This is complemented by plenty of flavor from the fermentation, hints of pear, clove and apricot. The figs add some complexity but are mild, I don’t know that I would have specifically identified them without reading the bottle. Hibernal Fluxus is a full bodied sipper, and packs a little punch at 8% ABV. The finish is dry with some lingering sweet malt and yeasty esters. This beer is worthy of a special occasion, and perfect for sipping on a cold winter night, grab some before it’s gone! Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Allagash Sixteen Counties pours a hazy copper with a huge off-white head. The scent is mostly the fruity esters produced by the expressive Belgian style house yeast strain. The yeast also leads the flavor contributing notes of apple, clove and pear. This is complemented by solid hop flavor, touches of grass, herbs and lemon. The malts round out the profile with hints of whole grain bread, crackers and plenty of body from the oats. Even with the medium to full body and 7.3% ABV the beer drinks very easy. The finish is crisp and dry with a complex mixture of flavors in the aftertaste that makes you want to keep exploring the beer. Sixteen Counties is a great example of what Allagash does so well, expertly melding diverse flavors from a number of ingrdients to create complex beers that are still approachable and delicious. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Allagash Tiarna pours crystal clear pale yellow with a massive white head and vigorous carbonation. The scent is a little like a dry champagne along with a touch of acidity and some fruity hops. Like many of Allagash’s barrel aged beers the flavor is complex but everything seems to work together. The yeast adds some apple and pear along with funky Brett and a mild tartness. The hops are present with notes of pineapple, orange and white grape. Their is also a touch of bready malt and a little oak flavor from the barrels. Tiarna is light and bubbly and drinks very easy for 7.1% ABV. The finish is dry and crisp with lingering flavors from the expressive blend of yeast strains. If you are a fan of wild and barrel aged ales I don’t know that anyone does them better than Allagash, and this is another impressive offering. Buy some and drink it now! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
