Color & Grain - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Trillium Brewing Company
- From:
- Trillium Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 13.9%
- Score:
- 94
- Avg:
- 4.46 | pDev: 3.81%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 24, 2022
- Added:
- Mar 22, 2019
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
94
Outstanding
94
Outstanding
As we celebrate our sixth anniversary, we are proud to present Barrel Aged Color & Grain. After a year’s long rest in Bourbon oak barrels, Barrel Aged Color & Grain demonstrates our continued inspiration from wood’s natural beauty, lasting strength, and annual growth cycle.
Out of the bottle, this imperial stout pours an opaque, jet black with a light brown head and a touch of haze. Luxuriously aromatic, Barrel Aged Color & Grain intertwines enticing notes of light roast coffee, melting dark chocolate and molasses with oaky vanilla and pie crust. Bold chocolate flavors lead the palate calling to mind toffee-brownies and rich ganache while notes of ground walnuts, toasted oats, caramelized brown sugar and dried dark fruits highlight this beer’s depth and nuance. With a thick, full mouthfeel and decadent finish accentuated by a smooth and opulent wash of bourbon, Barrel Aged Color & Grain makes for the perfect bottle to share with loved ones and toast to life’s achievements.
ABV: 13.9%
MALT: Pale Malt, Caramel, Munich, Flaked Oats, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Wheat
HOPS: Hop Extract
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: Dark Brown Sugar, Chocolate
Out of the bottle, this imperial stout pours an opaque, jet black with a light brown head and a touch of haze. Luxuriously aromatic, Barrel Aged Color & Grain intertwines enticing notes of light roast coffee, melting dark chocolate and molasses with oaky vanilla and pie crust. Bold chocolate flavors lead the palate calling to mind toffee-brownies and rich ganache while notes of ground walnuts, toasted oats, caramelized brown sugar and dried dark fruits highlight this beer’s depth and nuance. With a thick, full mouthfeel and decadent finish accentuated by a smooth and opulent wash of bourbon, Barrel Aged Color & Grain makes for the perfect bottle to share with loved ones and toast to life’s achievements.
ABV: 13.9%
MALT: Pale Malt, Caramel, Munich, Flaked Oats, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Wheat
HOPS: Hop Extract
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS: Dark Brown Sugar, Chocolate
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by CraftFan5 from New Jersey
4.34/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
4.34/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
11 February 2020 - Beer #26
Received as a gift
Appearance: 4 - black black with a gorgeous dark head. Dinging it for the floaties. Ew.
Nose: 5 - oof! Kapow! Biff! Quunk! Hits you with chocolate right in the gullet. Chocolate then bourbon. Mostly chocolate.
Taste: 4 - plenty of flavor, but I mostly get booze. The chocolate comes in right there at the end, but the front is all booze with a bit of roasted malt.
Mouth: 5 - the consistency of a melted Hershey bar. Round and chewy. A masterpiece of craftsmanship. Not a single verb here, only sentence fragments.
Overall: 4 - if not for the booziness it would be just about perfect. Nonetheless a decadent treat.
Cheers!
Feb 12, 2020Received as a gift
Appearance: 4 - black black with a gorgeous dark head. Dinging it for the floaties. Ew.
Nose: 5 - oof! Kapow! Biff! Quunk! Hits you with chocolate right in the gullet. Chocolate then bourbon. Mostly chocolate.
Taste: 4 - plenty of flavor, but I mostly get booze. The chocolate comes in right there at the end, but the front is all booze with a bit of roasted malt.
Mouth: 5 - the consistency of a melted Hershey bar. Round and chewy. A masterpiece of craftsmanship. Not a single verb here, only sentence fragments.
Overall: 4 - if not for the booziness it would be just about perfect. Nonetheless a decadent treat.
Cheers!
Reviewed by gcamparone from Rhode Island
4.7/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.7/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750mL bottle poured into a trillium tulip glass. Drank at room temperature.
Black inky body with a dark brown head that reduces to leave spotty lacing and a bit of retention, some floaties in there too.
Aromas of straight bourbon vanilla chocolate cake, cookie dough, Hershey’s cookies and cream, molasses and bourbon glazed sugar cookies. Smells amazing.
On the tongue it’s a boozy, bourbon-pastry extravaganza of cookie dough, brown sugar, French vanilla, bourbon soaked sugar cookies, sweet milk chocolate fudge finished with bittersweet bakers chocolate. Mouthfeel is spot on, super rich with low carbonation.
This was a shockingly amazing winner from trillium. I think the secret was drinking it at room temperature, it let out all the boozy pastry goodness. Don’t sleep on this one.
Jul 11, 2019Black inky body with a dark brown head that reduces to leave spotty lacing and a bit of retention, some floaties in there too.
Aromas of straight bourbon vanilla chocolate cake, cookie dough, Hershey’s cookies and cream, molasses and bourbon glazed sugar cookies. Smells amazing.
On the tongue it’s a boozy, bourbon-pastry extravaganza of cookie dough, brown sugar, French vanilla, bourbon soaked sugar cookies, sweet milk chocolate fudge finished with bittersweet bakers chocolate. Mouthfeel is spot on, super rich with low carbonation.
This was a shockingly amazing winner from trillium. I think the secret was drinking it at room temperature, it let out all the boozy pastry goodness. Don’t sleep on this one.
Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts
4.17/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Drank from a 25.4 fl oz (750 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Canton, MA
Served in a teku
The beer poured a thick, oily, dark brown color and appeared nearly pitch black in the glass. A small, creamy, saddle brown film topped the liquid, but it quickly fell to a thin ringlet. No lacing whatsoever.
The aroma was interesting. Oxidative notes were quite apparent. Port wine came to mind. Tart cherry and raisin notes were also detectable. There was a savory, umami presence too. Malty and robust. Fairly roasty and a touch smoky. Oaky bourbon notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate and intensified as the liquid warmed. Bit of chocolate fudge too. Moderately sweet with pleasant brown sugar notes.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose but even more tart and fruity. Again, an oxidative, port wine-like quality came through strong. Dark fruits were apparent. Black currants and raisins specifically. There was an interesting umami presence here as well. Malty and rich. Moderately roasty. Fairly sweet with some brown sugar notes. More acrid roast on the back end and the finish. Oaky bourbon notes lingered after the swallow. Fairly boozy.
The mouthfeel was terrific. Fuller bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, moderate effervescence that felt oily and slick initially. As the beer sat on the palate, the liquid turned super frothy and plush.
Barrel Aged Color & Grain is an interesting and complex beer, though it does seem to be showing some signs of infection. The tart berry notes were quite overwhelming, and the chocolate was a lot more subtle than I anticipated. If you still have a bottle of this, I would recommend drinking it very soon.
Jun 19, 2019Served in a teku
The beer poured a thick, oily, dark brown color and appeared nearly pitch black in the glass. A small, creamy, saddle brown film topped the liquid, but it quickly fell to a thin ringlet. No lacing whatsoever.
The aroma was interesting. Oxidative notes were quite apparent. Port wine came to mind. Tart cherry and raisin notes were also detectable. There was a savory, umami presence too. Malty and robust. Fairly roasty and a touch smoky. Oaky bourbon notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate and intensified as the liquid warmed. Bit of chocolate fudge too. Moderately sweet with pleasant brown sugar notes.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose but even more tart and fruity. Again, an oxidative, port wine-like quality came through strong. Dark fruits were apparent. Black currants and raisins specifically. There was an interesting umami presence here as well. Malty and rich. Moderately roasty. Fairly sweet with some brown sugar notes. More acrid roast on the back end and the finish. Oaky bourbon notes lingered after the swallow. Fairly boozy.
The mouthfeel was terrific. Fuller bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, moderate effervescence that felt oily and slick initially. As the beer sat on the palate, the liquid turned super frothy and plush.
Barrel Aged Color & Grain is an interesting and complex beer, though it does seem to be showing some signs of infection. The tart berry notes were quite overwhelming, and the chocolate was a lot more subtle than I anticipated. If you still have a bottle of this, I would recommend drinking it very soon.
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts
4.5/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
FINALLY a Trillium imperial stout that is not overly syrupy sweet or gimmicky. This is what they should make more of. That being said , still a bit pricey for what it is -- reminds me of KBS/Lagunitas Willetized
90/100
Mar 30, 201990/100
Rated by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts
4.93/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.93/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Super chocolatey, loads of barrel, rich bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, raisins, dark brown sugar, medium plus bodied, smooth and thick
Mar 23, 2019
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