Barrel-Aged Spice Cake
Trillium Brewing Company
- From:
- Trillium Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Pastry Stout
- ABV:
- 15.8%
- Score:
- 93
- Avg:
- 4.31 | pDev: 6.73%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 27, 2024
- Added:
- Dec 24, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Deep black with tawny highlights, the room is filled with a bouquet of holiday spice as soon as the beer is poured. This beer is an exercise in nuance and complexity, never leaning too hard in any one direction. We taste cinnamon and zesty ginger up front, which quickly gives way to nutmeg, baker's chocolate, and a deep roast character. As it warms, we uncover toasted pecan, allspice, and a gentle creamy vanilla note that rounds out each sip. Full-bodied, with a slight warming, spiritous character built for cold New England winter nights, we hope you make Barrel-Aged Spice Cake a part of your holiday celebrations.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by TheeWarPig from Michigan
4.37/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.37/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very nice.
Oct 18, 2023
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts
4.56/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.56/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Chilled bomber poured into a Spiegelau stout glass
Pitch black motor oil capped by a dense reddish brown two finger foam cap that has good retention. Settles to a thin ring with skinny islands , skimpy lacings
Aroma is roast malts, char, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg , anise. Nice rich spice cake aroma
Taste is cinnamon without the heat or burn, nutmeg , vanilla , allspice, hint of chocolate . Cinnamon taste without the burn is well crafted
Lush rich mouthfeel, syrupy, dense sudsing , sweet . The abv is well hidden , smooth finish
Good beer
Jun 04, 2021Pitch black motor oil capped by a dense reddish brown two finger foam cap that has good retention. Settles to a thin ring with skinny islands , skimpy lacings
Aroma is roast malts, char, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg , anise. Nice rich spice cake aroma
Taste is cinnamon without the heat or burn, nutmeg , vanilla , allspice, hint of chocolate . Cinnamon taste without the burn is well crafted
Lush rich mouthfeel, syrupy, dense sudsing , sweet . The abv is well hidden , smooth finish
Good beer
Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts
4.48/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Drank from a 25.4 fl oz (750 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Boston, MA
12/16/20
Served in a tulip
The beer poured a fuller bodied and oily looking, dark brown (bordering on black) hue. Even with a fairly aggressive pour, only a small cap of saddle brown bubbles topped the liquid, but it dissolved almost instantly. No lacing whatsoever.
Outstanding aroma. The spice cake notes were front and center. Baking spices came through strong. Cinnamon specifically. Bit of nutmeg too. Ginger appeared as the beer warmed. Vanilla was also noticeable. Raisin notes were detectable as well. Fairly sweet overall, though not excessively so. There was a moderate amount of booze too. The vanilla intensified later.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose but significantly boozier. Rich and malty up front. Big roasted and caramel malt presence. Moderately sweet. Cinnamon was noticeable as the beer moved along the palate. Some spicy ginger notes too. Good amount of vanilla as well. Dark fruits were also apparent. Raisins for sure. More spiciness on the back end. The beer finished with a big boozy kick and some lingering roastiness.
Nice rich, creamy, fuller bodied mouthfeel. Oily and slick but a bit thinner than I anticipated. The beer contained a super fine, moderate effervescence that fluffed up nicely on the palate. After a few sips, the sugars in the beer deposited a thick, sticky film on my lips.
Barrel-Aged Spice Cake is an impressive beer with punchy, yet not overdone, spice cake notes. Although fairly boozy, it drank surprisingly well for 15.8%. My only real gripe was that the barrel notes were practically undetectable.
Mar 20, 202112/16/20
Served in a tulip
The beer poured a fuller bodied and oily looking, dark brown (bordering on black) hue. Even with a fairly aggressive pour, only a small cap of saddle brown bubbles topped the liquid, but it dissolved almost instantly. No lacing whatsoever.
Outstanding aroma. The spice cake notes were front and center. Baking spices came through strong. Cinnamon specifically. Bit of nutmeg too. Ginger appeared as the beer warmed. Vanilla was also noticeable. Raisin notes were detectable as well. Fairly sweet overall, though not excessively so. There was a moderate amount of booze too. The vanilla intensified later.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose but significantly boozier. Rich and malty up front. Big roasted and caramel malt presence. Moderately sweet. Cinnamon was noticeable as the beer moved along the palate. Some spicy ginger notes too. Good amount of vanilla as well. Dark fruits were also apparent. Raisins for sure. More spiciness on the back end. The beer finished with a big boozy kick and some lingering roastiness.
Nice rich, creamy, fuller bodied mouthfeel. Oily and slick but a bit thinner than I anticipated. The beer contained a super fine, moderate effervescence that fluffed up nicely on the palate. After a few sips, the sugars in the beer deposited a thick, sticky film on my lips.
Barrel-Aged Spice Cake is an impressive beer with punchy, yet not overdone, spice cake notes. Although fairly boozy, it drank surprisingly well for 15.8%. My only real gripe was that the barrel notes were practically undetectable.
Reviewed by joberlander from Massachusetts
4.23/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aroma is fantastic with cinnamon, nutmeg and a little vanilla. The taste is as follows with a hint of vanilla. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall a solid pastry stout from these guys.
Jan 07, 2021
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts
4.91/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.91/5 rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle dated 12/16/20
Pours a deep dark black with maroon red highlights around the edges, and a medium sized frothy light brown foam head that sticks around the glass with decent retention. The aroma on this is amazing as soon as it's poured. Huge sweet layers of fruitcake, spice cake, cinnamon raisin buns, rich, sweet, luxurious, decadent, not too spicy, on the sweeter side, chocolate notes, roast malt, mapley caramel, baked toffee, dark raisin fruits, some nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, almond, charred oaky barrel, bourbon sweetness, pastry, dessert-like, really great. The taste is a little more bold with the spice additions right now, emphasizing fresh zesty ginger, sweet cinnamon, ground nutmeg, blending beautifully in a rich sweet decadent liquid raisin fruit spice cake flavored stout, luxurious dark chocolate, creamy vanilla, toasty almond, dark dried raisiny fruits, roast malt, coffee, marzipan, cinnamon buns, mapley caramel, baked toffee, molasses, bourbon barrel, French toast aftertaste flavors, no booze detected, extremely smooth and tasty. Mouthfeel is medium plus bodied, fairly thick, viscous, dense, creamy smooth with moderate low carbonation. The way the spices are used to refresh and cut down the sweet richness in here is almost making this a little too easy drinking for me, given the high abv. Overall a really great barrel aged spice cake imperial stout.
Jan 01, 2021Pours a deep dark black with maroon red highlights around the edges, and a medium sized frothy light brown foam head that sticks around the glass with decent retention. The aroma on this is amazing as soon as it's poured. Huge sweet layers of fruitcake, spice cake, cinnamon raisin buns, rich, sweet, luxurious, decadent, not too spicy, on the sweeter side, chocolate notes, roast malt, mapley caramel, baked toffee, dark raisin fruits, some nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, almond, charred oaky barrel, bourbon sweetness, pastry, dessert-like, really great. The taste is a little more bold with the spice additions right now, emphasizing fresh zesty ginger, sweet cinnamon, ground nutmeg, blending beautifully in a rich sweet decadent liquid raisin fruit spice cake flavored stout, luxurious dark chocolate, creamy vanilla, toasty almond, dark dried raisiny fruits, roast malt, coffee, marzipan, cinnamon buns, mapley caramel, baked toffee, molasses, bourbon barrel, French toast aftertaste flavors, no booze detected, extremely smooth and tasty. Mouthfeel is medium plus bodied, fairly thick, viscous, dense, creamy smooth with moderate low carbonation. The way the spices are used to refresh and cut down the sweet richness in here is almost making this a little too easy drinking for me, given the high abv. Overall a really great barrel aged spice cake imperial stout.
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