2 O'Clock Tasting: 
Trillium Brewing Co.

Updated on March 30, 2016

Trillium Brewing Co. is an inspiring love story that tells the tale of brewers and the town they brew in. For the past two years, husband and wife, JC and Esther Tetreault have brewed local beer in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

Their brewery captures Boston's palettes with native ingredients and artisan practices, balancing modern-day expertise with beers the company says "might have been made today, if a centuries old beer culture had naturally evolved in New England."

By embracing the local spirit, Trillium has established itself as a farm brewery, using mostly local hops and a Valley base malt in each of their 1,000 barrels last year. Due to the increased demand for Trillium's local ingredient-packed brews, the Tetreault couple is moving their operation to a larger location in Canton, Massachusetts. Though the increased production will occur outside the company's home city limits, they plan to keep the Boston-local and down-to-earth Trillium vibe alive with a brewpub at their Fort Point base.

We managed to get our hands on three styles of Trillium's ales at the brewery earlier this spring: the Pot & Kettle Oatmeal Porter, PM Dawn American Stout, and Day & Night Blonde Barleywine. Let us know if you've tried any of the three, or any others from the New England-inspired brewers, with a comment below.

1. Pot & Kettle Oatmeal Porter

   7.5% ABV

   Pouring a dark body akin to blackstrap molasses, this bubbly brew had a muscovado sugar-colored head. The Belgian yeast aroma was present, while notes of 70 percent dark chocolate and sweet coffee liqueur dominated the nose. With a strong cacao flavor, the beer finished dry, having a slightly salty aftertaste that counterbalanced the sweeter notes. This is the perfect beer for settling into the night after a long, hot summer's day—or in any season.

2. PM Dawn American Stout

   9% ABV

   This American Stout was brewed with cold brewed coffee, which certainly made its presence known. The beer poured extremely opaque, the color of a dark roast coffee bean. Sweet aromas of mocha, cold brew and rich coffee dominated the nose (one taster said it took him back to Café du Monde in New Orleans' French Quarter). The mocha became more pronounced in the flavor, alongside sweet hints of marshmallow and even—according to another taster—Girl Scouts' Thin Mints. Needless to say, for all those sweet stout fanatics, this one is for you.

3. Day & Night Blonde Barleywine

   10% ABV

   Like PM Dawn, Day & Night is brewed with cold brewed coffee, making its light marigold color with a barely off-white head rather surprising. Contrary to its presence in the aforementioned stout, the cold brew was not at all apparent in the nose here. Instead, many described the nose as "German" and spicy with notes of pickled jalapeños and curry ketchup. The beer’s true nature as a barleywine became more apparent after the first sip, which was reminiscent of a blonde roast coffee, as well as imparting some oxidized wine and honey flavors. The sweetness was a pleasant balance to the aromatic spiciness. As suggested by its name, this is a beer we could definitely drink day or night.

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