Trillium Brewing Company: Cacao Day & Night

Trillium Brewing Company: Cacao Day & Night

Style: Blonde Barleywine

Special Notes: Brewed with Barrington Coffee Roasting Company cold brew coffee, and Goodnow Farms cacao nibs.

Hops: Hop extract

Malts: Pilsner, Abbey, Turbinado Sugar

ABV: 10.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Columbus

@untappd says: 4.03/5

Now I’m gonna have Kid Cudi stuck in my head all day.

Have you ever had a coffee barleywine? I’ve purchased two in my life—counting this year’s Bourbon County Brand release—but Trillium Brewing Company’s Cacao Day & Night is the first one I’ve actually ever tried. It’s definitely unique, but if you can get over the fact that you’re not used to tasting coffee in a beer outside of a stout, you’ll find a really robustly flavored barleywine that’s really enjoyable to sip.

Trillium Brewing Company: Cacao Day & Night
Cacao and coffee? Not in a stout? OK, baby! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

I picked this one up on my trip to Trillium’s canton location couple of weeks ago, but I lost it in the back of my fridge. Don’t you hate when that happens? Anyway, it’s from the Day & Night series of coffee barleywines that Trillium has been putting out for a minute now. However, the variants of this brew usually involve different types of coffee. The coffee used in this one comes from frequent contributor Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, but the key ingredient is the cacao nibs from Goodnow Farms. This one is wonderful on the nose, and the flavors really push through too. Like I said, it’s a little weird when coffee isn’t in a deep dark porter or stout, but I really liked this one.

Head over to Instagram to check this out now!

Trillium Brewing Company: PM Dawn

Trillium Brewing Company: PM Dawn

Style: Imperial Stout

Special Notes: Brewed with coffee from Barrington Coffee

ABV: 9.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.30/5

Stout Season is still going strong on the Windowsill today!

This is another Trillium Brewing Company brew from my trip in September, the PM Dawn. It’s one of many beers—of all styles—that the Boston-based brewery has made in collaboration with their Fort Point neighbors, Barrington Coffee Roasting. You might have tried some of the others, like the Night & Day, the Day & Night, the Coffee Cake and the Affogato.

Trillium Brewing Company: PM Dawn
Why show one, when I can show two? (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

This is the first Stout I’ve ever tried from Trillium, and I can absolutely guarantee you I’m going to be looking for more of them when I go to their Canton location in February. It’s brewed with cold brewed coffee, which, in my opinion, is way better than regular coffee brewed hot. Why? First of all, it contains more caffeine than regular coffee. It’s also easier on your stomach, as the heat used in brewing a regular cup of Joe can add to the drink’s acidity.

Enough about the Java though. The PM Dawn is divine. The nose hits you with some solid earthy, roasted coffee and chocolate. The flavor follows suit with more chocolate, vanilla and rich and creamy coffeeness. One thing I like in my stouts is a heavier mouthfeel and, although it’s not quite motor oil, the PM Dawn is fairly heavy and thick. Very balanced, and just plain awesome.

Head over to my Instagram page to celebrate Stout Season with amazing craft beer!