Oenobier
Trillium Brewing Company

 

 

Pours a cloudy golden color. A thin wisp of a head quickly fizzles out. Carbonation is visible.
The nose opens with light funky notes and lots of sweet grape must. Aromas of oak, lemon, cracker, and white raisins.
Although the taste has some sour qualities, it is mostly dominated by the sweetness of muscat grape juice. It drinks like a Moscato wine, which is frankly not my favorite. The tartness is relatively subdued, which somewhat detracts from my enjoyment of it. Notes of lemon, green apples, oak, bready malts and crisp cracker.
Medium bodied with a semi crisp mouthfeel. The finish is mostly dry. The carbonation is moderate.
A well made beer but overall not for me as I am not a fan of the muscat grapes. I feel it could have used a little more acidity.

2½yo (2018) bottle: straw, headless, blanket, light apple cider vinegar, wet grain, late harvest, light oak, sweet, tart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours light golden. Light musty grape. There's that familiar Trillium house culture character that provides an acidic feel. This is more dialed back than other Trillium sours. Oenobier is alright.

 

 

Drank from an 11.2 fl oz (330 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Canton, MA
05/10/18
Served in a Trillium Permutation Series glass

An inch-tall, bubbly, bright white crown topped the clear, pale straw yellow body. The head quickly fell to a lasting cap and a thick, frothy collar. A few long streaks of lacing cascaded down the glass.

The nose was really crisp and bright with an underlying earthy funkiness. Tart and lemony. Wheaty. Slightly musty. There was a dry, powdery yeast quality as well. Subtle white wine notes were apparent. Champagne came to mind. Touch of biscuity malt character. Hint of sweetness too.

The flavor profile was solid but a bit more simplistic. Super crisp and tart. Bright lemon notes dominated. Touch of earthy funk. The tartness and acidity increased as the beer moved along the palate. The beer finished quite sour and bone dry. Very similar to Champagne.

Fantastic mouthfeel. The liquid contained a larger bubbled, aggressive effervescence that felt light and lively on the palate. Like the aroma and the flavor, the Champagne comparison here was obvious.

While I love nearly all of Trillium’s hoppy beers and pastry stouts, most of their wild ales are far too tart and acidic for my palate. Oenobier, however, is fantastically well balanced and displays some interesting Champagne-like characteristics. Overall, a really impressive beer. I am excited to see how Stroka compares to this.