Trillium Brewing Company (2020)

Is it me, or has Trillium had a surprisingly small number of releases over the past couple of weeks?

If their twitter is accurate, they've done 4 releases this year: Guidepost, Permutation Imperial Coffee Stout, DDH Vicinity, and the Firestone Walker collaboration. I haven't followed them too much lately, so I'm not sure what their norm is... are they in the process relocating the Canton operation? On vacation? Hungover from NYE? Or is 2 beers a week their standard output?

 

Teased a likely tomorrow release on Instagram a few hours ago—looks like BA Coffee Cake. Probably not a coincidence they posted a photo saying they rigorously lab test their beers a few days ago considering the speculation that BA Cinnamon Raisin was infected BA Coffee Cake.

 

but but rullllllllllllez were not followed!!!!

 

Isn’t it ironic that they test so rigorously but obviously released the infected BA Coffee Cake? Bet this is just a quick makeup batch with some Jim Beam dumped in ferm!

 

Didn't consider that, interesting thought. Haven't been particularly impressed with the recent stout offerings, but might pick up a bottle, assuming it is indeed BA Coffee Cake.

 

How are their flagship ipas nowadays? Last time I went I got a case of PM Dawn coconut (fantastic), and a mixed 12 of ipas that were all terrible (sweetbread, boozy, separated, garlic) compared to what they once were. Is this still the case?

 

I still prefer the old fermentation profile. IMO all of their beers are a little sweet these days. I tend to only buy a few cans of the intriguing releases and collabs, and often after tasting I think to myself that they are good but nothing mind-blowing... It's becoming increasingly hard to justify the price point.

Then again, the whole NEIPA style is beginning to lose a little luster for me. At this point no brewery can really push the envelope that much more, all of the notable breweries are putting out delicious beers. I guess we're just spoiled with delicious hops. I've been seeking out pilsners and other styles a bit more which might help bring some of the magic back into my IPA marriage.

 

Is coffee cake worth it? Been disappointed by their latest stouts but I'm sitting on a gift card from Xmas, love a good stout, and reading all your comments some of you seem excited. But I had that cinnamon raisin and it was awful. And some of their other bottle offerings like threads also didn't impress me.

 

I would say if you didn’t like the bourbon, vanilla or cinnamon in BA Cinnamon Raisin then you probably won’t like the Coffee Cake, but if it was just the dark fruity overly raisin taste from the malts that you didn’t like, then you might still enjoy BA Coffee Cake. Pretty similar beers though, just a difference in the malts that provided that raisiny taste.

 

Welcome.

 

I think there's a lot of envelope-pushing to be done in terms of packaging these delicious hop flavors into beers that are actually drinkable. The current trends are definitely starting to feel stale.

 

Agreed. The envelope needs to be pushed in terms of overall execution and drinkability. There’s literally no reason to ever experience hop burn. It’s so easy to prevent/eliminate.

 

One of my things I like about Vitamin Sea is that they make some really flavorful IPAs in the 6% range

 

Does anyone know how to change credit card info in Shopify? It has an old card stored for me and I can't find a way to update it, and there is apparently no end-user Shopify app/portal? Really annoying to have the useless popup every time I buy something from Trillium online

 

Do you have the same handle on Untapp'd? Looks like you gave cinnamon raisin a 4.5 if so. Maybe you're remembering another beer.

As far as Threads, old ales are polarizing as people either like or dislike. I tend to fall under the latter category. I wouldn't use Threads or any of it's variants as a gauge for recent Trill bottles.

Did you end up purchasing any bottles?

 

That is indeed me. Odd though because I definitely didn't like it, had it on tap at Fenway. Don't hate raisins but don't love them, and that one just tasted weird.
That was probably my third drink that day so maybe I shouldn't drink and rate.
I bring up Threads because a lot of their bigger beers I've had in the last few months all seem to have this same background taste that I can't place. I love a good bourbon barrel aged beer so it's not that itself.

 

Wouldn't it be great if they transitioned their bottled stouts to the smaller format they package their wilds/sours in, as they suggested they would do over a year ago?

 

I appreciate the feedback. I hear you about lagers, but I am a dual citizen Czech American and just got back after two years in lager land.

 

Same boat. Lagers, pilsners, and maybe a few more balanced hoppy beers like Sea Hag or Sip of Sunshine. Bringing back a new appreciation for Notch, Jacks Abby, and Schilling (when I can find them). Even been going back and looking for imported German beers. Mars Haus Mastodon is fantastic and just had Benediktiner Hell that I thought was great.