2 O'Clock Tasting: 
Trillium Brewing Co. (Part 2)

Updated on July 01, 2016

Like all great breweries, Trillium Brewing Co. was built out of love. However, their love wasn’t just for beer, but also for each other! Trillium was founded by a husband and wife duo that thought, "Hey, what better way to celebrate our marriage than make our own celebratory craft beer?" Founders JC and Esther Tetreault wanted to share their creation and build a passionate community within their Boston neighborhood, and with Trillium, they have accomplished just that.

The Tetreaults have created a loyal community of beer lovers who line up around the block on release days for their limited edition beers. Trillium boasts a wide variety of unique brews, from their simple, straightforward offerings to beers like their Dialed In Double IPA (brewed with Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer juice). Anyone looking to discover a worthy new brew can find it at Trillium (while supplies last).

1. Tiny Chicken

   5.6% ABV

   Our team began with the tropically awakened Tiny Chicken American Pale Ale, which, thankfully, did not taste like a tiny chicken. Our team admired the totally opaque brew, describing its color ranging from a raw honey to a Garfield hue (which, upon researching the two, were surprisingly similar). The nose exploded with tropical fruit – specifically mango, tangerine, and grapefruit. On the tongue, we found Tiny Chicken to be incredibly balanced and smooth with a sweet finish. The tropically fruity aroma came to fruition (pun definitely intended) in the taste, as well. All around, this lil' chicky was a crowd pleaser.

2. Sunshower Super Saison

   8.5% ABV

   Next up was the high-gravity Sunshower Super Saison, which Trillium says is perfect for those refreshing mid-summer moments of simultaneous extreme heat and rainfall – hence, “Sunshower”. We kinda wish that we had hopped a flight to go taste this bad boy in a monsoon, but opted to stay inside (for science). Sunshower had a slightly lighter color than Tiny Chicken, with a more husky corn shade, but was still quite cloudy. The smell coming off this brew was a pleasant, spice-driven lemon. At 8.5% ABV, this one packed a wallop in both heat and flavor. Strong layers of herbal sweetness, coupled with the full-bodied nature of the beer, were satisfyingly finished with a true Belgian vibe.

3. Artaic

   8.5% ABV

   Artaic is a unique double IPA brewed entirely with Mosaic hops (much like our own single hop variety!). The addition of raw wildflower honey is what kicks up the ABV but also what lends it a delicate sweetness, making this an incredibly drinkable brew. Our bottle of Artaic poured a marigold color with a slight haze and a creamy head. The first word that came to mind with the aroma was a very descriptive “nice," which in this context translates roughly to "a spicy floral aroma with grapefruit and pineapple undertones." Nice. The wildflower honey made its presence known on first sip with an earthy sweetness, which was not in the least bit syrupy. The honey combined with the hop resin was a winning combination - sticky, but not oppressive.

4. Uppercase

   9.0% ABV

   It’s rare that we find a double IPA we can drink all day and not know that it’s 9% ABV. Uppercase, however, did just that. This brew contained small, swift bubbles and an effervescent tint that shone more yellow than gold. If we could ever use the word “piquant” to describe a smell, now is the time – the aroma was funky and earthy, with a faint fragrance of scallions and citrus. The taste, however, differed greatly, with a light, juicy, "tickly" feel. An essence of preserves and a pithy citrus came through, and there was no indication of boozy heat, despite the high ABV. In short, Uppercase was an exceptionally - excuse us - UPPERCASE WAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY DRINKABLE AND WELL-ROUNDED DOUBLE IPA WITH WET AND VIVID FLAVOR.

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