Cellar Review Thread (2025)

Trillium - Wild Sinister Kid w/ Black Currants (2018)

Bottle dated 04/05/2018, pours a deep dark maroon ruby red color with a dense light tan khaki colored foam head. Smells like fresh fruity tart black currants, slightly minty forest berries, hint of red wine, bourbon oak barrel, subtle leather, spice, molasses, dark toasted malts, caramels, toffee, red fruit, dried fruit, dark fruit, black fruit, some barnyard cheesy funk, and mild earthy grassy floral herbal hops.

Tastes real interesting and complex, a little sweet, vinous and sour with notes of wild forest berries, fresh juicy tart black currants, red fruit, black fruit, dark fruit, dried fruits, raisin, fig, dates, plum, red wine, bourbon oak barrel, dark toasted malts, caramel, toffee, molasses, chocolate, peppery spice, subtle leather, some barnyard funk, and mild earthy grassy floral herbal hops. Feels medium plus bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation and moderately high acidity.

This one is a beaut right now drinking almost like a fine old world wine. I might just be in the mood for this right now but the black currants are providing a real nice and unique complexity to the wild dark strong ale that’s almost hard to describe. Earthy slightly minty dark forest berries are probably the best way I can describe the flavor, and pairing with the dark toasted caramel malts and candi syrup worked really well in this one. The acidity helps uplift the beer and keep it from being too sweet or heavy, and the fruit and barrels do wonders for the beer. Overall a really great wild Belgian strong dark ale aged in oak bourbon barrels with black currants. Cheers!

 

Trillium - Wild Sinister Kid w/ Sour Cherries (2018)

Bottle dated 03/29/18, pouring dark maroon ruby red with a quickly receding creamy frothy light tan khaki colored foam head. Smells like a rich cherry pie, fresh sour cherries, tart red fruit, dark fruit, dried fruits, raisin, fig, prune, plum, dates, apple, caramel, molasses, toffee, dark toasted malts, pie crust, some chocolate, hint of vanilla, clove, cinnamony baking spice, hay, straw, oak barrel, with dusty earthy grassy floral herbal hops.

Tastes real tart and acidic, slightly acetic and vinous with fresh sour cherries, cherry pie notes, tart red fruit, dark fruit, dried fruits, raisin, fig, dates, prune, plum, apple, lemon, balsamic, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, chocolate, hint of vanilla, pie crust, dark toasted malts, walnut, leather, clove, cinnamony baking spice, bourbon oak barrel, hay, straw, and dusty earthy grassy floral herbal hops. Feels medium plus bodied, slick and smooth with moderate carbonation and moderately high acidity.

Overall a real nice wild Belgian strong dark ale aged in oak with sour cherries. Right now at 7 years aged I actually prefer the Black Currant version, and normally I’m a big fan of cherries. The sour cherries are real nice, fresh tasting, rich and cherry pie-like in this beer, but something about it just doesn’t wrap together as well as the other variant. It almost drinks a bit thinner and maybe more sour, less malty tasting, not sure. Either way this is still an interesting beer to drink with the dark toasty caramel malts, sour cherries, wild fermentation and oak aging. Another nice one from Trillium. Cheers all!

 

Trillium - Cuvee de Tetreault (2018)

Bottle dated 05-Jan-2018, pours dark maroon red with a dense creamy pinkish tan colored foam head. Smells like tangy lactic yogurt, red wine, fresh black grapes, juicy black currants, dried dark fruit, peppery spice, toasted bready malts, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon oak barrel, light roast, tobacco, leather, and mild earthy floral grassy herbal hops.

Taste follows, juicy, tart, acidic whilst also malty and rich, complex like a fine red wine, fresh Cabernet Sauvignon black grapes, black currants, slightly acetic red wine notes, bourbon oak barrel, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, vanilla, light roast, toasted bready malts, dried fruit, dark fruit, subtle tobacco, leather, peppery clove spice, and mild earthy floral grassy herbal hops. Feels medium-full bodied, creamy slick with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a really great and unique barrel aged wild ale with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and black currants. This is probably the closest beer I’ve had that I can compare to a bold full bodied red wine similar to a Cabernet. Really nice beer that I’m convinced can age as well as the best of them having had a few vintages at different ages. Cheers everyone!

 

Trillium - Bees (2019)



Done with the large format 750ml Trillium bottles for the year (only some duplicates left), time to dig into the small format 330ml bottles now starting with Bees, a wild ale with honey!

One of the first wild ales brewed by them back in 2015, they rebrewed and packaged this batch on 28-Feb-19. Right now this pours a mostly clear golden yellow color with a dense creamy white foam head. Smells super funky and complex like a honey lambic or gueuze blend with strong notes of toasty hay, straw, barnyard horseblanket, peppercorn spice, fresh lemonade, lime, orange citrus, grapefruit, white flowers, wild honey, some bready biscuity light caramelized graham crackery malts, and floral earthy herbal grassy hops.

Tastes real nice and refreshing, crisp yet rounded and smooth with notes of bready biscuity wheaty light caramelized grainy graham crackery malts, peppercorn spice, tart citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, toasty hay, straw, barnyard funk, wild honey, white flowers, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels lighter medium bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate carbonation and moderate light acidity.

Overall a really great American wild ale with honey. 6 years later and this is only drinking better in my opinion with a little less fresh lemon sourness and smoothed out acidity with a bit more complex wild barnyard funk. Glad to still have 1 bottle left of this one to age a bit longer and drink when the time is right. This is a real nice simple, elegant and lightly tart wild ale. Cheers everyone!

 

Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru (Aged in Oak Barrels) 2016 vintage. Rstrd 4.04
A good wild aroma and taste, but even 375 is too much, must share. Some complexity, no flaws, but it is a sipper. some caramel colour.

 

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Winter 14-15 vintage. Drinking really nicely despite some subpar storage in 68 degree basement. Sturdy with plenty of dark chocolate, roast malt, and medium caramel. Bitterness is enough to balance it out. Great cellared beer.

 

Returning from a hiatus after going full steam during Cellaruary. I enjoyed @StoutElk_92 's Trillium series of impressive stouts, and all the other reviews posted in the interim.

This is the first of eleven I am trying to clear to get down to seven cases of cellar beer, before Summer and my mostly seasonal hiatus of cellar beers beyond Lambic and Quads.

I don't have a formal review of this particular vintage to compare to, so I will just provide brief comments for each of the five review points.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2019)



Bottle Notes: Cellared for most of the journey, then refrigerated until opening this afternoon. Bottled 10/14/2019 @ 12:57 PM. Best by 10/14/24, so just over 1/2 year beyond recommended enjoyment. 14.7% ABV.

Appearance: Dark brown near black base, nice creamy tan head (my photo a few minutes after opening) leaving a creamy rich ring around the base, and the thinest of cover over about 1/3 of the base.

Aroma: Gave this 15 minutes to approach appropriate drinking temperature, yielding a nice bakers chocolate, caramel, and a growing bourbon and oak flavor which complements well.

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, bakers chocolate, caramel, toffee, bourbon backs and lighter than anticipated, but a nice subtle complement which works well.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, rich, smooth, decadent. Drinks slightly below the ABV. Leans sweet, but good balance. Base really coming through 5 1/2 years out, held up well. Bourbon barrel felt more than tasted until about the 30 minute mark, as it rises to meet the strength of the base malt base. Very nice.

Overall: This held up very well beyond the recommended 5 year best by target. Have one bottle left, looking forward to enjoying this Spring.

Cheers!

 

Trillium - Double Apricot Stonington (2018)

330ml bottle dated 01/Nov/18 pours chunky hazy apricot orange with a quickly receding white foam head. Smells like fresh peachy stone fruit, apricot cobbler, some baking spices, pie crust, slight leathery vinegary funk, oak barrel, straw, hay, light toasty wheaty bready crackery malts, white wine, lemon, and mild floral earthy herbal grassy hops.

Tastes really sour and acidic with intense fruity fresh apricots, tart peachy stone fruit, lemon, cobbler spice, pie crust, light toasty wheaty biscuity bready crackery malts, straw, hay, oak, white wine, slight leathery vinegary funk, and floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation and high acidity.

Overall a really nice white wine oak aged wild saison with apricots that still holds up well after 6+ years despite being pretty sour and acidic. The fruit is still fresh and intense tasting and the wild saison base has developed nicely with shades of the French oak Chardonnay white wine barrel throughout. Another interesting beer produced by this brewery. Cheers!

 

Trillium - Double Raspberry Lineage Wheat (2018)

330ml bottle dated 05/July/18 pours chunky cloudy near opaque berry red color with a creamy white foam head. Smells like super concentrated intense fresh jammy raspberries, candied red fruit, leathery barnyard funk, oak barrel, toasty caramelized graham crackery wheat malts, hay, straw, mild peppery spice, and floral earthy herbal grassy hops.

Tastes real jammy, acidic and sour with fresh tart fruity raspberries, dark berry jam, slight acetic leathery barnyard funk, oak barrel, hay, straw, peppery spice, toasty caramelized graham crackery wheat malt, and floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium plus bodied, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation and moderate high acidity. Overall a real nice oak aged wild saison with wheat and double the raspberries. Still tasty, intense and fruity after 6+ years, a bit acidic and tart, fairly leathery and super jammy. Cheers all!

 

Trillium - Orange Muscat Lineage Rye (2018)

Bottle dated 17/May/18 pours a remarkably clear burnt orange color with a creamy fluffy white foam head. Right now with the nearly 7 years on it the aroma has transformed into something different, a bit more sweet and caramelized, like an old oxidized white wine or a funky orange/amber wine with notes of stewed apricot, orange marmalade, cinnamony baking spices, oak, light toasty bready rye grain, hay, straw, mild barnyard funk, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy hops.

Tastes similar and maybe more complex with notes of oxidized orange amber wine, orange marmalade, stewed apricots, orchard stone fruit, some tart kiwifruit, lemony citrus, toasty bready wheaty malt, peppery rye grain, cinnamony baking spice, oak barrel, hay, straw, subtle barnyard notes, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium plus bodied, rounded and smooth with moderate carbonation and fairly low to moderate acidity.

Overall this is an interesting beer that has developed somewhat unexpectedly towards more sweet caramelized fruit and oxidized wine flavor. This is missing some of the intricate subtle farmhouse barnyard funk notes that were in some of the other wild saisons aged in oak, this one is higher abv though at over 10% and with the addition of Orange Muscat grapes I was expecting something a little different than the others. Definitely similar to an orange wine or even an old overly aged oxidized white wine or champagne that lost carbonation over time, in a good way. Cheers!

 

Trillium x The Veil - Stroka (2018)

330ml bottle dated 24/May/18 pours cloudy opaque dark maroon red with a creamy pinkish off-white foam head. Smells bold and intense, wild and crazy with savory fruit notes, fresh vinous Pinot Noir wine grapes, black currants, notes of toasty hay, straw, pink peppercorn spice, barnyard farmhouse funk, wildflowers, tomato plant, musky cranberry bog, strawberry, raspberry, tart red fruits, wheaty bready honey malty grain, some citrus, and herbal earthy grassy dusty hops.

Tastes like tart red fruits, tannic Pinot Noir red wine grapes, fresh black currant, notes of cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, red plum, subtle heirloom tomato, hibiscus, rose hips, wildflowers, pink peppercorn spice, toasty hay, straw, malty bready wheaty honey doughy grain, mild barnyard farmhouse funk, and herbal earthy grassy dusty aged hops. Feels medium bodied, rounded and smooth with moderate carbonation, some wine grape tannins and moderate acidity. Overall a really nice and interesting wild ale aged on black currants and Pinot Noir grapes.

6+ years later and this is still drinking pretty well. It has an aroma like a lambic at this point, a smooth rounded spelt malt base and a real nice red wine integration with the Pinot grapes and black currant addition. Interesting how this beer has the red wine grape addition yet the malts are pale and plain, in comparison to most of the rest of their red wine influenced beers like the Cuvee and Wild Sinister Kid variants which have a more sweet darker and caramelized malt base. This one being aged in the coolship with multiple yeast strains definitely brings out that wild lambic-esque character really well and I’m enjoying it. Cheers everyone!

 

Dug something out well suited to this overcast day - cheers!

3.7/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Received in trade many moons ago (whoever from has my gratitude) - 2009 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter.

Murky rose taupe body with a fleeting thin bone collar. No lacing; poor retention; moderate legs.

Apple butter, figs, prunes, persimmon, and a hint of leather in the nose. Maybe a touch of sherry, but no off notes really.

Abrasive palate entry, sweet yet tart and bitter. Baker's chocolate, potent malt, marsala, port, biscotti. Raisins, cherry pits, green olives. Earthy bitter finish with some residual fruit, kettle caramelization, and burnt sugar. Some oxidation perhaps.

Medium-full bodied, carbonation is just sufficient, alcohol is neither overbearing nor subtle.

An interesting aged barleywine, it probably would have "held up" longer, but I don't think age has done any real favors to this beer.

 

Trillium x Carton - Brimming Bin (2018)

330ml bottle dated 20/Dec/18 pours hazy amber orange with a dense creamy lasting white foam head. Similar to what I remember when fresh, for me this has a super herbal savory aroma almost like oregano or tomato leaf, with white wine grapes, apricoty stone fruit, lemony orange citrus, pear, gooseberry, white flowers, chamomile, rustic toasty bready malt, farmhouse funk, and big herbal earthy dusty grassy aged hops.

The taste right now is actually real nice and complex, smooth, lightly tart, fruity, rustic with toasted bready grainy malt, white wine grapes, apricoty stone fruit, lemony orange citrus peel, pear, pome fruit, gooseberries, white flowers, chamomile, farmhouse funk, peppery spice, and big herbal earthy dusty grassy aged hops. Feels medium plus bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate carbonation and moderate low acidity. Overall a real nice and interesting well balanced wild ale aged on Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc grapes.

This one is working real nice right now and drinks rather balanced and less sour with lower acidity than most of the other wild ales I’ve been drinking. I notice it has C-20 caramel malt and Crystal Oats along with the malted oats, Pilsner and wheat, so that probably helps balance it out with some more toasty sweet flavor and a rounded smooth mouthfeel. Really liking this one right now maybe even more so than when fresh. Real interesting collab from Trillium and Carton Brewing. Cheers!

 

Trillium x Monkish - Oenobier (2018)

Bottle from June 2018 pours hazy cloudy yellow gold with a quickly receding and then restabilizing creamy white foam head. Smells super funky and fruity, complex and lambic-esque with notes of sweet Muscat white wine grapes, zesty tropical citrusy stone fruits, tart lemon, orange, candied nectarine, peach, pineapple, yellow mango, apple, pear, toasty hay, straw, wild barnyard funk, caramelized crackery bready grainy malts, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy aged hops.

Tastes fruity like tart zesty Muscat white wine grapes, notes of sour lemon, orange citrus, candied nectarine, peachy stone fruit, pineapple, tropical mango, apple, pear, caramelized crackery bready grainy malts, toasty hay, straw, some barnyard funk, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy aged hops. Feels medium bodied, rounded and smooth with moderate carbonation and moderate acidity. Overall a real nice vibrant and fruity wild beer aged on Muscat white wine grape juice.

Over 6 years later this is drinking as good as ever imo and still certainly vibrant and fruity. The acidity on this is moderately low compared to some of the other higher acidity wild ales produced around this time. This was a really nice white wine hybrid beer collab produced by good friends Trillium and Monkish and the result is great. Cheers!

 

Trillium - Oenobier: Viognier Juice (2018)

330ml bottle dated 30/Aug/18 pours hazy amber gold orange with a creamy white foam head. Smells a bit sweet and oxidized like old white wine, juicy Viognier white wine grape juice, wildflowers, honeysuckle, starfruit, apricot, peachy stone fruit, pear, yellow apple, orchard fruit, citrus melange, cinnamony baking spice, straw, light toasty bready caramelized crackery grainy malt, hint of wild funk, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy hops.

The taste follows with a bit of sweet oxidation, fresh tart juicy Viognier white wine grape juice, starfruit, apricot, peach, pear, apples, lemon, orange, wildflowers, honeysuckle, straw, cinnamony baking spice, light toasty caramelized bready crackery grainy malts, subtle wild funkiness, and dusty floral earthy herbal grassy hops. Feels medium bodied, slick with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a real nice wild ale with Viognier juice.

6+ years may have been too long for this in the end since it does seem a little flat tasting and not as bright as I expected it would be with some sweet caramelized oxidation notes. It’s still good enough to drink though a little past it’s prime for critiquing. Still a real nice and interesting wild ale with low tartness and acidity at this point and nice fruity white wine flavor. Cheers everyone!

 

I know those old up, but wowsa!