Double Dry Hopped Pittsburgh Street
Trillium Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pint can - dated 10/01/19 - poured into an ale tulip at 45F.

Pours a very murky bright glowing apricot hue, topped with a finger of bone-white head that quickly recedes to a thick collar of foam, with just a short smear of lace.

Nose: A very unique-to-Trillium pale malt base with a detectable level of crackery white wheat. Lots of ripe honeydew and cantaloupe, with undertones of black pepper, rye spice, horned melon, papaya, raspberry, unripe passionfruit, and a thread of herbaceous grassiness. Very unique, perhaps even a bit unusual. The hop profile is unlike any of the typical mainstream hops that many of us are used to. Trillium has a unique strain of ale yeast that seems to shine a bit brighter in this.

Palate: The malt base is clean, simple, and perhaps even slightly grainy, though not in a negative manner. Just a hint of sweetness at the very start of the sip, before being completely dried out by these unusual hops. The unique melon-like notes from the nose are immediately evident and amplified in flavour. There is a very "unripe" quality to this, with lots of green, herbaceous notes. In addition to the primary flavour of horned melon, there is green honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon rind, starfruit, cilantro, white grape, lime, and unripe passionfruit. I'm realising that many of the hoppy characteristics are those that are found in Nelson Sauvin hops, though they are by far strikingly similar. No - this is like a combination of several varietals, leaning in no particular direction, but rather borrowing equal parts from each one. The green grassiness is very similar to Mosaic, there's a pinch of the exotic flavours of Nelson, the unripe fruit character of Ekuanot, and a bitterness I have never before encountered before. It isn't pithy, piney, resinous, or tannic. The bitterness is EXACTLY like the bitterness found in raw bitter greens, such as kale, mustard greens, collard greens, and various types of lettuce. It's green, plant-like, and again, very "unripe". The beer finishes with this bitterness, which comes in fairly firmly, and lingers persistently.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer holds its 7.2% fairly well, and with such a clean, simple, wheaty malt bill, the body is relatively light and fluid, with no real heft of fluff. It is by no means thin, and the bombardment of hops keep this from being a fast-drinking beer. The effervescence is very lively, almost seltzery.

Overall: This is not your typical, everyday beer shop IPA. I have no prior experience with Enigma, so I cannot accurately place this among other Enigma-hopped IPAs. I can say, however, that it's unlike anything else I have reviewed. I enjoy the Nelson-like flavours of the hops, though I dislike the intensely green, bitter, unripe characteristics of it. I can't help but wonder if this would be more enjoyable if it wasn't as hopped-up as it is, or even as a pale ale, perhaps. It's a bold, striking, and interesting beer, that isn't for everyone, though I am sure there are some out there who will be blown away by it. If you haven't had Enigma hops before, then reviews will only describe it so well. Try it and see.

 

 

Big cantaloupe, mango, red berry, subtle raspberry, red currant, grapefruity orange citrus, hint of biscuit, earthy dank herbal flowers, medium-fuller bodied, creamy smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very cloudy with a dirty gold color. Moderate head but it leaves a good blanket of lace.

Bittering hop with lots of pine resin up front in the smell. I pick up sage and background earthiness.

Said earthiness is dominate in the flavor with the bitterness kicking in with the swallow. Chewy with a low carbonation level. The finish is not harsh but is certainly bitter. Long dry aftertaste.