Category Archives: Style

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit, Trillium Brewing Company, USA

Trillium Double Apricot Stonington

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit
Other Notes: New England Wild Saison with apricot aged in oak barrels. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Valley Pilsner, Valley Danko Rye and Valley Wheat. Adjuncts – Apricots

Brewer Description: (from website) The base beer for Double Apricot Stonington was brewed with 100% Valley Malt and fermented by our native New England mixed culture which was collected from grape skins at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT where JC & Esther Tetreault were married. This New England Saison is aged in French oak Chardonnay casks for sixteen months to layer in a bright vinous character before being blended back into stainless to carry out a secondary fermentation on 4.5 pounds of apricots per gallon for three months.

Out of the bottle, Double Apricot Stonington pours a hazy orange color, immediately announcing itself by swirling a bevy of stone fruit aromatics with undertones of bright white wine, lightly toasted oak and a mild funk. The amplified quantity of fruit used intensifies flavors of apricot nectar, yellow peach, overripe pineapple and tart, freshly squeezed orange that meld together and crash over the palate in bold waves. Balanced by a light biscuity malt backbone, Double Apricot Stonington is splendidly sour with a crisp, semisweet finish accentuated by an elegant floral note and bellini-like effervescence.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 1st November 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange juice orange colour, with a very thin off white head that disappeared almost immediately, and left no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, intense apricot, with notes of peach and oak.
Taste: Sharp, intense sour, tart, apricot, with a hint of oak and white wine.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: While the flavour wasn’t bad, it could not hide the balance which was off, as the sourness was just too sharp and intense that it distracts from, and hides the other flavours. It also felt rather uncomfortable at times, and just wasn’t easy to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit, Trillium Brewing Company, USA

Trillium Lineage Wheat – Double Raspberry

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit
Other Notes: American Wild Saison with raspberry aged in oak barrels. Lineage series. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Pilsner, Valley Wheat and Flaked Wheat. Adjunct – Raspberries

Brewer Description: (from website) The latest edition of our New England Wild Saison series features a double dose of raspberry and a generous amount of local wheat from Valley Malt in Hadley, Massachusetts. The beautiful red hue gives way to aromas of fresh raspberries, dark cherries, and a touch of funk from our Native New England mixed culture. The amplified quantity of fruit we used in the process intensifies the notes of raspberry jam and tart cranberry that highlight the single raspberry version of this beer. Slight floral character and a light, drinkable body give Double Raspberry Lineage Wheat added nuance and approachability.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 5th July 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy maroon red colour with a two finger slightly pinkish head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, jammy, raspberry, with slight cherry notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, probably overly so. Raspberry, jammy, cranberry, red currant, acidic, with a touch of citrusy lemon on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, sharp, intense, medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Loved the jammy aroma, and although the taste had notes of this jammy flavours coming through, it was overwhelmed by sharp and intense, sour and tartness, that made it uncomfortable on the palate. I preferred the regular Lineage Wheat – Raspberry, which had the same jammy notes, but was much more balanced than this Double Raspberry.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit, Trillium Brewing Company, USA

Trillium Lineage Rye – Orange Muscat

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit
Other Notes: American Wild Saison aged in oak casks. Lineage series. Hops – US Goldings and Aged Hops. Malts – Pilsner, Valley Danko Rye and Flaked Wheat

Brewer Description: (from website) Our series of New England saisons continues with Orange Muscat Lineage Rye, a wild ale featuring Valley Malt Danko Rye. This Polish rye grain provides a soft earth and spice malt backbone to compliment the complex characteristics derived from aging in oak barrels with our native New England mixed culture and well aged hops. The Orange Muscat version of Lineage Rye has a light straw hue and engaging floral and vinous aromatics on the nose with a hint of kiwi and mild brett-derived farmhouse funk. The palate develops the nose further, emerging with orange zest, young white wine and a suggestion of honeysuckle nectar. Mature, soft oak melds with a faint rye spice on the finish with a refreshing light acidity and a zippy, tight carbonation.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.68
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 17th May 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Vinous, oak, grape skin, citrus zesty, funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, vinous, orange, orange zest, white wine grape, oak, spicy, light funk.
Mouthfeel: Rich, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were not bad, but the richness of the vinous and orange was a bit overwhelming for my palate, and just not so easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Trillium Brewing Company, USA

Trillium Lineage Wheat

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.9%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: American Wild Saison aged in oak casks. Lineage series. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Pilsner, Valley Wheat and Flaked Wheat

Brewer Description: (from website) The first edition in our Lineage series of farmhouse ales features local wheat from Valley Malt in Hadley, Massachusetts. Bright, clear, and straw-yellow in appearance, Lineage Wheat invites with a complex nose of grassy funk, crisp citrus rind, pepper, and floral white wine. Starting mildy tart, yet not sour, this approachable saison follows through with flavors of earth, musky funk, woody-oak, light wheat, and some balancing, tangy, citrus character. Lineage Wheat is beautifully light in body and dry on the palate.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 13th April 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw yellow colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention but settled to a thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, oak, vanilla, apricot, and light citrus rind notes.
Taste: Lightly tart and tangy, citrusy, grapefruit, lemon, funky, oak, with notes of yellow stone fruit and wheat.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking, not exactly Saison like, but it has nice aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Fated Farmer – Concord Grape

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Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel fermented wild ale. Hops – Aged Hops. Malts – Valley Wheat and Valley Pilsner. Adjunct – Concord Grapes

Brewer Description: (from website) Our Fated Farmer Series is a landmark step toward realizing our foundational vision for Trillium: Build a place that intuitively celebrates the intersection of New England farming, agriculture, brewing, and integrated community experience. The grist of each of the dynamic Fated Farmer wild ales is set on the structure of Valley Malt and is barrel fermented in 500L puncheons with our Native New England Wild Culture and aged for 5-7 months, before refermenting on freshly harvested fruit.

Presenting a gorgeous burgundy color with crimson highlights, Fated Farmer: Concord Grape offers a bold and lucid aroma of Welch’s grape juice. As the glass opens up, notes of Merlot, raspberry jam, and hints of blueberry offer supporting roles. Finishing dry, with a well-rounded acidity that rides upon a light and effervescent body, this is a distinct addition to our Fated Farmer lineup.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 21st January 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy copper amber colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, bubblegum grape, mixed berries, oak, with some light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, bubblegum grape, oak, raspberry, blueberry, with light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high prickly carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable aroma and flavours as I love bubblegum grape, but the high prickly carbonation was distracting as the mouthfeel was a little uncomfortable.