Small Bird Series: Pipsqueak Penguin
Trillium Brewing Company

An incredibly drinkable American Pale Ale. Pours a vibrant gold color with minimal head and slight lacing on the glass. The overall taste is smooth and citrusy with nice carbonation on the tongue. Smells like a very hoppy IPA but the taste is so fresh and smooth. Drank a whole 16oz can in under a half hour! Reviewed on Ep. 25 of the Foam and Lace Podcast.

 

Pale, hazy yellow-orange beer, opaque; thin, frothy, white head that soon regresses to thin, patchy covering with a slightly thicker ring encircling the inside of the glass. Tremendous tangerine and orange smell; very fresh; grapefruit flavor primarily. Rather bland citrus and citrus pith taste; a bit of oat-like malt presence in the background. Medium bodied; sharp and acidic.

A passable beer but pretty weak and muddled with the taste. The aroma is world-class, but the rest of the beer is mundane at best.

ABV: %; pouring temperature: 43.9 °F; canning info: 11/25/25
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)

 

 

16oz can dated 11/25/25.

Pours cloudy yellow with a quickly dissipating head of white. Hard peaches, orange pith, and dried mango in the nose.
Light bodied with a thinnish mouthfeel.
Pithy and dry on the palate with minimal malt and a firm bitterness. Mango, unripe peach, orange zest.
Finishes dry and pithy.

 

 

On tap, it pours cloudy gold color with a small white head that faded in average time, leaving minimal lacing. Nose is mellow with lemon zest, grapefruit, tangerine, yeast, coriander and mild floral notes. Flavor is like the nose with red grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, orange peel, yeast, biscuit, coriander, tea leaf, mild peppery spices, floral notes and lime as it faded off very dry.

 

 

It pours hazy (duh) with a relatively small head of minimal lacing. The aroma is fairly muted. Slight tropical notes, maybe a tiny suspicion of citrus. The flavor is dominated with what I perceive as apricot/peach and other stone fruit. The bitterness is there but it is only transient with no evidence of it after 2-3 seconds. I can see this being an easy beer to drink with food but on its own is very forgettable.

 

 

 

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours hazy orange yellow with a small white head. Smells of bright citrus and tropical fruit. Tastes of grassy and citrus hops. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

 

 

A milder version of an NEIPA. Cloudy and orange/tan, light lacing. Juicy and citrusy. Bit more bitter than I expected, and it’s good. Crisp, light, very mild alcohol presence. Slightly tangy.