Drove of Oxen
Trillium Brewing Company

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

The beer poured a syrupy and viscous, deep mahogany hue. Even with a fairly aggressive pour, there was no head initially. After the beer settled in the glass, a thin, frothy, saddle brown crown rose above the liquid. The head then broke into a thick, clingy, bubbly collar. After each sip, a blanket of spotty lacing stuck along the glass.

The aroma was absolutely mesmerizing. Decadent caramelized sugar and toffee notes dominated initially. Super sweet and very vanilla forward. Crème brûlée definitely came to mind. Nice caramel malt presence as well. Loads of rich nuttiness and dark fruit character too. Raisins, prunes and dried figs specifically. There was a subtle savory-ness that nicely balanced out the sweetness. Bourbon notes were also quite apparent. Touch of booziness, but the alcohol was quite restrained given the high ABV.

Compared to the nose, the flavor profile seemed boozy, harsh, and lacking in complexity. Big caramel malt presence on the front end. Bourbon barrel notes were detectable and the beer seemed to be somewhat rough around the edges. Dark fruit notes were apparent in the center. Boozy bourbon notes again came through strong on the back end and in the finish. There was a subtle metallic note after the swallow. As the beer sat, the flavor profile became sweeter, smoother and much better integrated. The toffee and caramel notes really intensified on the front end, and the dark fruit character came through much stronger in the center. Big raisin and dried fig presence. Slightly savory. A bit nutty too. Good dose of fresh vanilla bean as well. Some roasted malts appeared on the back end and carried into the finish. There was a big, boozy, bourbony kick that lingered after the swallow.

The mouthfeel was syrupy and viscous. Rich and quite full bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, subtle carbonation that worked perfectly for the style. By the drink’s end, the sugars in the beer left a slightly sticky film on my lips.

Drove of Oxen is an impressive barrel-aged barleywine collaboration between Trillium and The Veil. Trillium have historically tried executing this style with some mixed results, but they really nailed it this time.

500ml bottle

Pours dark maroon red near brown with a dense creamy beige colored foam head. Smells like dark dried fruits, fig, raisin, prunes, black cherry, plum, rich caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted malts, maple wood, rum barrel, butterscotch, orange marmalade, hints of chocolate, vanilla, with floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Taste follows with big sweet dark dried fruits, black cherry, plum, raisin, fig, prunes, rich caramel, marshmallow, vanilla, toffee, charred brown sugar, hint of chocolate, toasted malts, maple wood, rum oak barrel, subtle butterscotch, mandarin orange, marmalade, tropical spice, with slightly bitter floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium-full bodied, slick with smooth low carbonation. Overall a really great barrel aged barleywine.

 

Look - basically black with a great foamy tan head and thick rimming and lacing
Smell and Taste - cherry toffee rasin with a nice barrel
Feel - full body with a medium light carb
Overall - pretty nice BA BW, a lot going on.

 

Bottle. Caramel brown color. Khaki tan head.

Crème brûlée, caramel, vanilla, fudge, molasses. Wet oak, tobacco, barrels, bourbon. Red apple skins and plums. Flavorful and a fun Collab .