Way Outside the Lines - Barrel Aged
Trillium Brewing Company

 

 

Bottle. Tan head. Black color.

Very unique beer. Lots of cacao and chocolate. Vanilla and barrel. Wet oak, some char. Warming heat in the finish. Coffee seems mute. The cardamom gives it an interesting flavor. I’d have guess this to be trillbomb. Thick.

Drank from a 1 pint .9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Boston, MA
Served in a tulip

Glossy, pitch black appearance. Dense and viscous looking in the glass. Used motor oil definitely came to mind. The liquid was topped by a small, mocha colored crown that quickly transformed into a lasting, medium sized collar. There was no lacing however.

The aroma was impressive. Really interesting and complex. Cardamom and cinnamon notes came through big time and worked surprisingly well. Loads of sweet vanilla too. Mocha notes were also apparent. Nice melding of medium roast coffee and a touch of milk chocolate. Moderate roasted malt presence as well. A touch of booziness appeared as the beer warmed, but the barrel presence was hardly noticeable.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose but not as rounded. Malty and robust. Big roasted malt presence up front. Good dose of sweet caramel malts too. Brown sugar was also noticeable. Cinnamon and cardamom came through strong in the center. Loads of vanilla and chocolate fudge as well. Hint of lactose-like creaminess. Dark roast coffee appeared on the back end and carried into the finish. Lots of roasted malt character too. A sharp booziness lingered on the swallow. There was also a metallic note here initially, but it dissipated after the beer opened up. Like in the nose, the bourbon barrel presence was almost undetectable.

Excellent dense, oily, full bodied mouthfeel. Creamy, slick and smooth on the palate. The liquid contained a super fine, mellow effervescence that worked nicely for the style.

All in all, Way Outside the Lines - Barrel Aged is a solid imperial stout with some nice spice notes that set this apart from your typical BA stout. My only knock against this was that the barrel presence was far too subtle, especially given the price point. Trillium X Omnipollo collaborations usually deliver, but this beer was merely middle of the pack.

Too much coffee.

 

Notes: An immensely robust, roasty stout base is dosed with colossal levels of Madagascar vanilla beans & Barrington Trillium Blend Coffee followed by the uniquely delicious addition of Cardamom. Seductive aromatics of chocolate cake, vanilla cream, cinnamon, and freshly brewed coffee beckons from the glass. For an additional layer of oaky complexity, we conditioned this beauty of a beer in bourbon barrels for 10 months. Full bodied with light sweetness and balancing bitterness.

Dark brown syrup , no foam

Taste is spice , cardamom, chocolate cake , licorice , umami

Syrupy, thick, mouth coating

Good beer

Pours dark, dark brown. Aroma is subdued yet nice blend of coffee, cardamom & bourbon. Taste follows nose with chocolate & vanilla hints. Nice full, thick mouthfeel - this is how a bold BA stout should feel.

 

 

 

 

 

500ml bottle

Pours pitch black with a lasting creamy dark brown foam head. Smells like dark chocolate, bold coffee, vanilla cream, sweet bourbon, oak, caramel, toffee, hints of cinnamon, mild hops, with a beautiful wave of floral cardamom. Tastes like rich dark chocolate, creamy vanilla, robust coffee, sweet bourbon, oak barrel, caramel, toasty toffee, mild hops, a hint of cinnamon spice, with a big beautiful cardamom addition. Feels medium-full bodied, creamy smooth with moderate low carbonation. Overall a real great bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with coffee, vanilla beans and cardamom.