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Trinity Brewing Company

working through some old dark stuff from my cellar, moved bottles from one area to another and realized i have a lot of beer that probably doesnt need any more age on it, this 2017 bottle is one of those, and im glad i opened it now before its too far gone, already quite faded unfortunately. this is not at all the kind of thing i know these guys for, this is a saison place that i have long loved, but picked this up a long time ago out of curiosity, these guys always make good stuff, and the bottle has me intrigued, like theres a ton of info on here, the full grain bill, a statement about being vegan, a series identifier, a proper glass shape and temperature, a food pairing (funeral pie whatever that is), abv and ibu, and they also talk about double mashing and bottle refermentation, have the independent seal, and then mention it was aged a year before release already, they must have been mighty proud of this when it came out. i think its cool they call it a naked stout, like no barrel and no adjuncts and all that frilly stuff, i wish it had held up a bit better or that i had drank it sooner, its well past its peak. pretty viscous still, fills my teku well, with an inch of mocha colored bubbles that were eager to lead this out of the bottle, some shine, no sediment at all, good density, into it. the nose is oxidation first with a serious cardboard thing and a little umami before the roast kicks up, good grain depth to this for sure, its just all collapsed, hints of brown sugar and molasses without it being too sweet at all, raisin and fig and date, soy sauce and black dark unsweetened chocolate, very adult, a little musty and yeasty and maybe faintly astringent, not unappealing, but probably came across as way more robust when it was newer. the flavor is exactly the same as the nose, its very long, has very little alcohol to it even at temperature, and i think i like it more as it sits, trace rum and port wine, coconut, cocoa powder, old charred oak, and even vanilla, like its off dry but there is richness still intact, and this is weird overall, faded and dying, but still cool to me and rather original, some real fermentation character still apparent as well, im into that aspect. lively feeling for what it is, a lot of beer in this little bottle, super cool packaging. i think they sold, not sure they are still doing the same stuff but i would love to try this fresher in the future. a semi casualty of the cellar this time around, but neat anyway. still love these guys, or what they used to be anyway, good times!

 

Super dark beer / black / with slight tan foam - light head with low retention
Slight charred wood and coffee - very low on aroma
Tastes heavy on the wood and charred grains - slight microbial tang (like some bugs from the barrel) - some coffee and tobacco - slight caramel and dark brown sugar - not really strong flavor - a bit watery - high ABV not noticeable
Feels pretty thin for an Imperial Stout
Overall this has the potential to be a good beer. It just tastes like it has a slight infection. I wouldn't buy this again. Maybe I'd try it on tap in the taproom (if offered on tap).

Got in a trade with beergoot. 375 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 2017. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a small dense and creamy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Light carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 12%, with no booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding imperial stout. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; fantastic soft feel. Tastes a bit Belgian to me, but works really well. Perfectly balanced between rich English malts/oats, and fruity yeast; with solid earthy hop presence. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and very impressive style example.

Inky black body with a very creamy, dense, light tan head; patches of foam and lacing coating the glass. Excellent aroma of dark chocolate and mild alcohol; nice offsetting esters. Rich and robust dark grain flavor; mild char blending with notes of cocoa and bitter chocolate. Heavy body; rich and velvety; coats the palate; semi-sweet feel throughout.

This relatively rare beer from Trinity is one tasty sucker. It brings some outstanding rich and heavy flavors and feel to the palate and nicely masks its high ABV. Well-balanced, deep and complex with excellent finesse throughout.