Crates
Trillium Brewing Company

 

Stark black with a short but dense tan head settling to a flat sheet and a bubbly collar.

Viscous cacao, char, roasted walnut, and cracked black pepper meet a warming hint of molasses and some dark, damply funky oak threads for days.

 

 

Bomber poured into chalice

Brewers Notes: Collaboration with Private Press Brewing

Out of the bottle, Crates pours a viscous, pitch black, leaving slow-falling legs after the glass is swirled. The aroma is luxuriously rich, offering notes of nutty dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow, oaky vanilla, and molasses. As the glass warms a kiss of light smoke and bourbon-soaked caramel add layers of depth. Crates finishes round and full on the palate, displaying remarkable softness thanks to its extended time in oak.

Dark cola liquid , pencil thick layer of brown foam quickly fades to a ring

Bourbon aroma, tobacco

Bourbon taste , cocoa powder, caramel

Thick syrupy , velvety smooth , sweet

Good beer

 

 

 

 

 

A: Frost black in dispense, with a brownish tinge that suggest Galloway Cattle. The uplift in collar exhibits a stain of antique white, while the breakneck fold crops hazel wood, before being cut to a sepia brim. Resultantly, a limitation on retention that’s quiet on the initial threads, but active to the formation given timed turbulence. Some heated curtains to follow, as a mugginess gets emitted from the adjured thermal behavior. All in all, a reflective discharge to the body’s formation, while the etching takes timely endeavored provokes

S: A footing that drives chocolate malt near barrel compressions, with a hop presence that taillights sharp treed logics. The setting has a mildly tar overture to Baby Ruth fixations, as schemes pull molasses taffy along toasted rye, before igniting the languages of bark near charred oak surfaces. Cask involvement works to push vanilla underneath, with forestry mosquitoes and a touch of mallo cups, while roasted dark fruit dips to interweave the spreads above. From there, a warming progression for melted milk duds plus Toblerone, which offer distant aerodynamics for bourbon pillared platforms, while drier notations build quietly and proficiently. Such cyphers play on barrel acts, with a wooded terrain that chords hickory staves besides birch bark. In the process, a cultivation of timely heat to permit late (lapsed) intervals, which press figs and prunes on whole leaf tobacco, as patchy leather fumes a grit for hard-bitten Scottie dogs

T: The backing on front motions are practical to the applications behind roasted barley. In such a way, bitter dark chocolate gets implicated as a situated placemat, for the slow heated/wood-dry coffee. The process becomes malty rich with sticky snags near tamari, yet steadily attuned by a cut sweetness, from the hops earthy incisions. On this footing, notations track sharp pine cones along the nutty and bready malt bids. Voyaging thru the intervals is a clinch on dark fruit, and a neighbor in sorghum caramels, while forestry char impales the push outs. Sequentially, oak matures to the mainstay as a clasping agent, for barrel density to energize toasted almonds over dried cocoa pods. Such density soldiers on firewood maple, and short-circuits some of the distance flanked by brandied cordials, as the outer layers on grape skins cling on. Thereafter, a balminess to suit progressed ventilation, as peddling drives Cognac wasps to reverberations in wilted figs and nicotine passed bugs, while further stimulating the mellifluous tannins

M: Annealed thin-thickness on surfaced sweetness, with climbing heat that dodges causticity. An approach that takes carbonation aptly to the piercing feel, while barrel warmth curbs a dynamic cycle. The succession comes with native-aged oxidation that, while minor at kick-off, is furthered by the emissions of aeration. To that end, a dry roasted bite, from light mordancy, for the wooded spice attributes to prize tannin in the coda

O: The blend cements a sticky sweetness, with an elderly force to thick resins, while poking umami boards. Yet, maintains a graced poise, by the influencing (bittering) hop extract. Unquestionably, wooded hop senses fluctuate and backpedal, with a touch of esters in the blind-spots, while rich malt squads’ cask obscurities for unremitting enrichment. In any event, the technique puts additives aside for practicality opts, where Brad’s skillset deeds deftly to the partnered amenability

 

 

Drank from a 25.4 fl oz (750 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Boston, MA
12/11/20
Served in a tulip

I figured what better occasion than Record Store Day to pop this beer. As for the beer, it poured a fuller bodied, dark brown/black hue, not too dissimilar from motor oil. A thin cap of saddle brown froth topped the body but quickly dropped to a fine halo. After each sip, a wall of streaky, spotty lacing cascaded along the glass.

The aroma was really impressive. Super malty and robust. Roasted malts were most apparent. Nice amount of sweetness from the caramel malts as well. Bourbon barrel notes also came through strong. Big vanilla presence too. Good dose of toasted marshmallow and dark fruit character. A touch of cocoa powder appeared as the beer warmed.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose but not quite as rounded. Roasted malts dominated up front. Bit of caramel malt sweetness too. Boozy bourbon notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate. The barrel lent the beer some dry, tannic notes. Hint of sweet vanilla and cocoa powder as well. More booze, oaky tannins and roastiness on the back end and the finish.

The mouthfeel was a bit thinner than I anticipated. Medium bodied perhaps for the style. The liquid contained a finely beaded, greater-than-average effervescence that seemed a touch excessive. By the drink’s end, the sugars in the beer left a sticky film on my lips.

Non-adjuncted imperial stouts are somewhat of a rarity these days, and it was great to enjoy one that fired on all cylinders. If you are searching for a no frills but well crafted BBA imperial stout, this should definitely do the trick.

 

 

Usually, I post these reviews soon after drinking a beer, but not this time. This one was an old school throwback to what I loved about barrel aged stouts from 2014. Barrel, booze, dark fruits above chocolate, this one hearkened back to those days, and I'm glad I have more.

750ml bottle dated 12/11/20

Pours dark brown black with a tan brown foam head that leaves a thin ring around the glass as it slowly recedes. Smells super rich like warm toasty dark brown bread, dark dried fruits, raisin, fig, prune, dates, dark caramel, molasses, charred toffee, vanilla, nutty oak barrel, bourbon, rich dark chocolate, roasted malts, mild smoke, with some mild earthy hop balancing. Tastes rich and sweet, a little boozy and viscous, real complex and deep, dark dried fruits, raisin, fig, fig newton, dates, prunes, hint of blackberry, warm toasty dark brown bread, rich dark chocolate, dark caramel, molasses, charred toffee, maple, dark brown sugar, vanilla, marshmallow, bourbon oak barrels, roasted malt, wisp of smoke, some nuanced pecan nuttiness, subtle tobacco leaf spice, cinnamon swirl, with mild earthy hop notes. Feels medium-full bodied, fairly viscous and thick, creamy with smooth moderate low carbonation. Overall a really great bourbon barrel aged imperial stout.