Mettle Alloy
Trillium Brewing Company

 

 

16 oz can from Evan DA MAN!! into newly acquired liqueur Rastal glass (it says cream liquor or some random thing - I just like the shape).
Canned on 5/7/21.

New England juice, need I say more? Deep thick juicy blonde with a tall 2 finger head that recedes to a fuzzy half finger and leaves lots of lace. That's so predictable yet never boring.

Aroma of hot liquor tank, super hot yeast doing its thing - though not as eclectic as Kviek - with supplemental hints of diesel and drunk flower bed; notes of orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon zest, and an added funky twist of papaya and slight beet. From the swirling glass it's more straight OJ and GfJ, with a hint of spoiling caramel malt. I find I always get a more accurate nose straight from the can, inhaling deep, so that's what I'm going with.

Flavor is iron-handed and authoritative with hot diesel yeast farts, grapefruit juice, crisp romaine, flower bed (earthy), liquor tank wall, slight black tea, slight papaya, slight drunk mango, and a finish of more crisp romaine and heavy herbal bitterness with a twist of fruit punch that keeps me sipping. Super edgy, never sweet in the slightest. I usually like NE IPAs that lean fruity and this one is nowhere near that threshold, but I think the juicy resinousness keeps me coming back. It's a lot like chomping into a handful of pine and dirty autumn leaves once it warms a bit, complete with smoke and woods.

On that note, heavy alcohol here, with heavy creaminess, lots of buzzing carbonation, lots of resin, lots of juice...lots of stuff.

Overall, a huge beer, tastes like one, drinks like one, you could spoon it probably. If you look at it as a spoon-able earthy IPA with mild orange juice notes (sounds like about a dozen other Trilliums, does it not?) you will have a good idea of this beer. This has nothing on original Mettle which blows the roof sky high. This on the other hand, is certainly not my favorite from them, but as with all Trillium beers, I'll have it again. Typical Trillium high quality juice, just could use a bit of a softer edge and more fruitiness.

 

 

Really impressive nose, even from the pour, absolutely inviting a closer inspection. Sadly, that closer look doesn't yield a ton of fruit (pun intended). It's still pleasant, but it's difficult to pick apart the individual tones. Tropical fruit are forefront, with some bright and dank herbs in the background. Reminiscent of Mosaic hops.

If the palate is similarly muddled in a fruity and slightly herbal melange, the redeeming factor is the mouthfeel. It's creamy yet lively, smooth yet drinkable. For the ABV, this is super smooth. Flavors are, however, still a bit muddled. Pineapple, mango, guava (minus the earthy pungency), mandarin orange, ruby red grapefruit, and some bright herbs; low dankness and moderate bitterness, at least at this age.

 

 

Picked-up a four-pack of cans at Trillium in Canton for about twenty dollars. My can says 8.4% ABV. My nineteenth brew from these guys. Pretty good, but very pungent.

 

Canned 01/04/2021. Enjoyed on 01/21/2021.

Doesn't compare as favorably with other Trillium offerings

Solid, but not a first choice from Trillium.