Trillium Brewing Company: Blueberry Soak

Trillium Brewing Company: Blueberry Soak

Style: Sour Wheat Ale

Special Notes: Aged in oak barrels and brewed with blueberries.

Hops: US Goldings

Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Flaked Wheat

ABV: 6.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.33/5

Who’s ready to get soaked on the Windowsill today?

Have you ever had one of the brews from Trillium Brewing Company’s Soak series? I hadn’t, until my trip to their Canton location this past Saturday. Starting in 2016 with the Blackberry Soak in 2016, Trillium has released many versions of this sour wheat ale: Peach, Plum, Raspberry, Apricot, Black Currant, Cranberry, Sour Cherry, Piña Colada and Blueberry. (Not to mention a couple of Super Soak imperial versions that have come out, too).

As part of my haul—which you saw most of in yesterday’s post—I picked up three bottles of their Blueberry Soak for my wife. I got home at 10 p.m. or so, and my wife immediately popped this bottle. I grabbed a glass, poured it for her and took the photo.

Trillium Brewing Company: Blueberry Soak
Soak in this classy label! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

The way this beer is made is truly a work of art. I’ll let Trillium’s own words tell the tale… “We ferment the base beer with 60% wheat in large oak foeders for several months. Fermentation duties are shared gracefully between our house lactobacillus strain and our Native New England mixed culture. Loosely inspired by the cold-maceration process used in winemaking, we referment fruit in the base beer after primary foeder fermentation to ‘soak’ for a deep extraction of unique colors, aromatics, and flavors.”

Everybody got that? What does it all mean? It’s a bit above my paygrade, but the blueberry flavor was really nice in this ale. It’s light, refreshing, crisp and a little tart. And look at that color!

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. Trillium Brewing Company: Blueberry Soak . Who’s ready to get soaked on the Windowsill today? . Have you ever had one of the brews from Trillium Brewing Company’s Soak series? I hadn’t, until my trip to their Canton location this past saturday. Starting in 2016 with the Blackberry Soak in 2016, Trillium has released many versions of this sour wheat ale: Blackberry, Peach, Plum, Raspberry, Apricot, Black Currant, Cranberry, Sour Cherry, Piña Colada and Blueberry. (Not to mention a couple of Super Soak imperial versions that have come out, too). . As part of my haul—which you saw most of in yesterday’s post—I picked up three bottles of their Blueberry Soak for my wife. I got home at 10 p.m. or so, and my wife immediately popped this bottle. I grabbed a glass, poured it for her and took the photo. . The way this beer is made is truly a work of art. I’ll let Trillium’s own words tell the tale… “We ferment the base beer with 60% wheat in large oak foeders for several months. Fermentation duties are shared gracefully between our house lactobacillus strain and our Native New England mixed culture. Loosely inspired by the cold-maceration process used in winemaking, we referment fruit in the base beer after primary foeder fermentation to ‘soak’ for a deep extraction of unique colors, aromatics, and flavors.” . Everybody got that? What does it all mean? It’s a bit above my paygrade, but the blueberry flavor was really nice in this ale. It’s light, refreshing, crisp and a little tart. And look at that color! . ABV: 5.5, IBU: N/A, Rotating availability . @untappd says: 4.33/5

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Trillium Brewing Company: Amarillo Dry Hopped Sunshower Super Saison

Trillium Brewing Company: Amarillo Dry-Hopped Sunshower Super Saison

Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Special Notes: Brewed with a high original gravity for a heftier ABV.

Hops: Amarillo, Columbus

Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Flaked Wheat

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.02/5

Dug to the back of the fridge and pulled out a flower!

For real, this is the last can of Trillium Brewing Company beer left over from my trip in September. Anyway, before we get into the Amarillo Dry Hopped Sunshower Super Saison, let’s talk about gravity!

No, I don’t mean the kind of gravity that caused Newton to get conked on the head by an apple back in the 17th century. I’m talking about gravity when it comes to brewing. According to Craftbeer.com, “A gravity reading refers to the total amount of dissolved solids in water. Since we’re talking about beer, those dissolved solids are sugars.” Basically, yeast needs to eat. Wort with higher original gravity (OG), or more sugar, means the yeast eats more, and produces more alcohol and other good things. So, the higher the gravity of a brew, the higher the sugar in it, which usually means a higher ABV. It can also mean a deeper, more intense flavor.

Trillium Brewing Company: Amarillo Dry-Hopped Sunshower Super Saison label
Love that flowery label. Can you see the rain? (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

OK, now that class is over, let’s get to the Sunshower! It’s a high-gravity farmhouse ale which, according to Trillium, is inspired by the “ethereal refreshing mid-summer moments when we experience both rainfall and the heat of the sun in New England.” If you’re from New England, you know exactly what that means, and there’s no better way to describe it. The higher ABV (caused by the higher gravity, if you recall our lesson), makes an otherwise light and effervescent brew pretty punchy, which is a nice change of pace.

Although my leftover Sunshower can wasn’t exactly straight from the cannery—I had the rest of the ones I bought right after I bought them—the beer within was still pretty nice and quite tasty. The dry hopping with Amarillo definitely brought a little more complexity to the flavors, too. Really enjoyable. Need to review a fresh one next time!

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. Trillium Brewing Company: Amarillo Dry Hopped Sunshower Super Saison . Dug to the back of the fridge and pulled out a flower! . For real, this is the last can of Trillium left over from my trip in September. Anyway, before we get into the Amarillo Dry Hopped Sunshower Super Saison let’s talk about gravity! . No, I don’t mean the kind of gravity that caused Newton to get conked on the head by an apple back in the 17th century. I’m talking about gravity when it comes to brewing. According to @craftbeerdotcom, “A gravity reading refers to the total amount of dissolved solids in water. Since we’re talking about beer, those dissolved solids are sugars.” Basically, yeast needs to eat. Wort with higher original gravity (OG), or more sugar, means the yeast eats more, and produces more alcohol and other good things. So, the higher the gravity of a brew, the higher the sugar in it, which usually means a higher ABV. It can also mean a deeper, more intense flavor. . OK, now that class is over, let’s get to the Sunshower! It’s a high-gravity farmhouse ale which, according to Trillium, is inspired by the “ethereal refreshing mid-summer moments when we experience both rainfall and the heat of the sun in New England.” If you’re from New England, you know exactly what that means, and there’s no better way to describe it. The higher ABV (caused by the higher gravity, if you recall our lesson), makes an otherwise light and effervescent brew pretty punchy, which is a nice change of pace. . Although my leftover Sunshower can wasn’t exactly straight from the cannery—I had the rest of the ones I bought right after I bought them—the beer within was still pretty nice and quite tasty. The dry hopping with Amarillo definitely brought a little more complexity to the flavors, too. Really enjoyable. Need to review a fresh one next time! . ABV: 8.5%, ABV: N/A, Rotating availability . @untappd says: 4.02/5

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Clown Shoes: Don’t Fear the Blender

Clown Shoes: Don't Fear the Blender

Style: Tropical Fruit Smoothie IPA

Special Notes: Brewed with guava, mango, pineapple puree and lactose sugar

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.87/5

My Milkshake has brought you all to the Windowsill today! Damn right!

So what’s a Milkshake IPA, anyway? According to Denver Westword, it’s an IPA made with milk sugar and lactose, which gives it a creamy, milkshake-like mouthfeel and appearance. The style also typically includes “the kinds of sweet treats you would find in a Milkshake: strawberries, peaches, chocolate, vanilla, mangoes and the like.” Most milkshakes are also spinoffs on New England-style IPAs, because they’re inherently tropical and low on bitterness. The exact inventor of the style is hard to nail down, but Westword says that Milkshake IPA, a 2015 collaboration between Tired Hands Brewing Company and Omnipollo, is often credited as the first.

Clown Shoes: Don't Fear the Blender
The reaper’s having a beer with us! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Cut to four years later, and milkshakes have been popping up all over the place, and in great abundance. The one on my Windowsill comes from Massachusetts’ Clown Shoes. They bill it as a Tropical Fruit Smoothie IPA, but a milkshake by any other name, is still a milkshake. This one is made with guava, mango and pineapple puree. Solid fruity flavors and good mouthfeel to boot. I enjoyed it very much!

In case you’re wondering about that badass label art, it’s designed by Michael Axt and depicts the following, according to Clown Shoes: “The Grim Reaper has grown weary of being Death. Here we find him festive, semi-retired, and at the beginning of a craft beer journey.” We’ve all been there, Grimmy. Welcome to the craft beer community!

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. Clown Shoes: Don’t Fear the Blender . My Milkshake has brought you all to the Windowsill today! Damn right! . So what’s a Milkshake IPA, anyway? According to @denverwestword, it’s an IPA made with milk sugar and lactose, which gives it a creamy, milkshake-like mouthfeel and appearance. The style also typically includes “the kinds of sweet treats you would find in a Milkshake: strawberries, peaches, chocolate, vanilla, mangoes and the like.” Most milkshakes are also spinoffs on New England-style IPAs, because they’re inherently tropical and low on bitterness. The exact inventor of the style is hard to nail down, but Westword says that Milkshake IPA, a 2015 collaboration between @tiredhandsbrewing and @omnipollo, is often credited as the first. . Cut to four years later, and milkshakes have been popping up all over the place, and in great abundance. The one on my Windowsill comes from Massachusetts’ Clown Shoes. They bill it as a Tropical Fruit Smoothie IPA, but a milkshake by any other name, is still a milkshake. This one is made with guava, mango and pineapple puree. Solid fruity flavors and good mouthfeel to boot. I enjoyed it very much! . In case you’re wondering about that badass label art, it’s designed by @axtimusprime and depicts the following, according to @clownshoesbeer: “The Grim Reaper has grown weary of being Death. Here we find him festive, semi-retired, and at the beginning of a craft beer journey.” We’ve all been there, Grimmy. Welcome to the craft beer community! . ABV: 7.0%, IBU: N/A, Rotating availability . @untappd says: 3.86/5

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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!

Trillium Brewing Company: Permutation Series: Number Fourteen

Trillium Brewing Company: Permutation Number Fourteen

Style: American Wild Ale

Special Notes: Brewed with locally sourced apple juice

Hops: US Goldings

Malt: Pilsner, Valley Wheat, Valley Triticale, Maine Grains Flaked Triticale, Maine Grains Flaked Rye

ABV: 6.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.99/5

You guys liked the DDH Stillings Street so much, that I dug up another Trillium Brewing Company brew from my lost photos archive for you: The Permutation Series: Number Fourteen!

Trillium Brewing Company: Permutation Number Fourteen
There’s nothing quite like a big ol’ bottle of delicious Trillium beer. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Have you heard of Trillium’s Permutation Series? Well, any good brewery worth its salt makes sure to do a lot of experimentation. You mess with recipes, ingredients, boil times and styles. If something sticks, or turns out really well, you give it to the people. Trillium describes their Permutation series like this: “Permutation is our experimental series of small batch offerings, showcasing the unique visions and innovative concepts developed by our brewing and cellar crew.” Thus far, there have been over 70 of these limited brews.

The Fourteen is an American Wild Ale brewed with apple juice from Lookout Farm in Natick, MA. It’s brewed with several types of malts and grains—Valley Wheat, Valley Triticale, Maine Grains Flaked Triticale, and Maine Grains Flaked Rye—and US Goldings hops. Flavors of apple and white wine really shine through on this funky, sour, wild brew. A solid experiment, for sure!

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Trillium Brewing Company: Double Dry-Hopped Stillings Street

Trillium Brewing Company: Double Dry-Hopped Stillings Street IPA

Style: Double dry-hopped Imperial IPA

Special Notes: The DDH is done with Nelson Sauvin hops. Named after a street near Trillium’s Fort Point Location

Hops: Nelson Sauvin, Columbus

Malt: American 2-row Barley, White Wheat, C-15, Dextrine, Dextrose

ABV: 7.2%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.44/5

One from the back of the fridge on the Windowsill today!

The Double Dry-Hopped Stillings Street is named after one of the streets surrounding Trillium Brewing Company’s Fort Point Boston location. This is nothing new to any of you who are familiar with the Boston-based brewery. Their “Street” series includes several different New England-style IPAs, all named after streets in the area: The Sleeper Street, the Summer Street, the Congress Street, the Melcher Street, the A Street, the Farnsworth Street and the Pittsburgh Street. I think it’s a great way to pay homage to your home, don’t you?

Trillium Brewing Company: Double Dry-Hopped Stillings Street IPA
You can see the respect Trillium has for its city of origin in the map that adorns this label. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

For this beer, Trillium took its Stillings Street IPA and, you guessed it, double dry-hopped it with New Zealand’s Nelson Sauvin hops (to go along with Columbus and more Nelson Sauvin already used in the kettle). What else can I say about this beer? Once again, Trillium has knocked it out of the hazy, juicy ballpark. The smell and flavor are knee-shakingly delicious. I’m only disappointed that I left it in the back of my fridge for so long!

What about you, Windowsillers? Do you have any goodies in the back of your fridge?

As always, head over to Instagram for more great craft beer now!

Springdale Barrel Room: ¡Parcha!

Springdale Beer: ¡Parcha!

Style: Oak barrel-aged Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Special Notes: Passion fruit juice added. Aged in oak barrels for six months.

ABV: 5.4%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.91/5

Passion fruit on the Windowsill? Oh yeah!

Who knew the passion fruit had such an interesting backstory? First of all, the name comes from the fact that it’s one of the many species of passion flower. In the 1700s, the plant was named by missionaries in Brazil who were trying to convert natives to Christianity. It was also known as “flor das cinco chagas,” which means “flower of the five wounds.” It was specifically used to teach the natives about the crucifixion of Christ.

Springdale Beer: ¡Parcha!
An upside down exclamation point? ¡Español! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills

In Portuguese, it’s known as the maracuyá, which comes from a Guarini word meaning “nursery for flies.” Sounds kind of gross, no? In the Dominican Republic, it’s known as chinola, which originates from China, which is where the orange originated (they’re similar looking). Finally, in some other Spanish speaking countries, it’s known as parcha… which is where the name for today’s beer, from the Springdale Barrel Room, comes in!

The ¡Parcha! Is a nice little concoction that I am pretty passionate about (see what I did there?). Springdale took a saison, added passion fruit juice to it, and then aged the entire thing in oak barrels for six months. The resulting brew is a little more tart than most saisons, almost like a wild ale. That being said, the sweetness from the passion fruit provides some solid balance of sweet and sour. Aside from the sweetness, the passion fruit flavor really stands out, unlike some other passion fruit beers I’ve had. Pretty enjoyable bottle of parcha infused ¡Parcha!

Head over to Instagram to check this one out!

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. Springdale Barrel Room: ¡Parcha! . Passion fruit on the Windowsill? Oh yeah! . Who knew the passion fruit had such an interesting backstory? First of all, the name comes from the fact that it’s one of the many species of passion flower. In the 1700s, the plant was named by missionaries in Brazil who were trying to convert natives to Christianity. It was also known as flor das cinco chagas, which means “flower of the five wounds.” It was specifically used to teach the natives about the crucifixion of Christ. . In Portuguese, it’s known as the maracuyá, which comes from a Guarini word meaning “nursery for flies.” Sounds kind of gross, no? In the Dominican Republic, it’s known as chinola, which originates from China, which is where the orange originated (they’re similar looking). Finally, in some other spanish speaking countries, it’s known as parcha… which is where the name for today’s beer, from the Springdale Barrel Room, comes in! . The ¡Parcha! Is a nice little concoction that I am pretty passionate about (see what I did there?). Springdale took a saison, added passion fruit juice to it, and then aged the entire thing in oak barrels for six months. The resulting brew is a little more tart than most saisons, almost like a wild ale. That being said, the sweetness from the passion fruit provides some solid balance of sweet and sour. Aside from the sweetness, the passion fruit flavor really stands out, unlike some other passion fruit beers I’ve had. Pretty enjoyable bottle! . ABV: 5.4%, IBU: N/A, Rotating availability . @untappd says: 3.91/5

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Trillium Brewing Company (w/ Cloudwater Brew Co.): Exchange Student

Trillium Brewing Company and Cloudwater Brew Co.: Exchange Student

Hops: Citra, Galaxy

Malt: White Wheat, Pilsner Malt, Flaked Wheat

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited (brewed once)

@untappd says: 4.18/5

Tree House last week… Trillium this week?!

Last September, I stumbled upon a collaboration release on my trip to Trillium Brewing Company’s Fort Point location. Lo and behold, when I visited this past September, another collab release was on the docket. This one was with Manchester, England’s Cloudwater Brew Co. Although I’ve seen Cloudwater all around the internet, I hadn’t yet tried anything of theirs. Glad I’m able to cross them off the list!

The Exchange Student isn’t just a collaboration of breweries, it’s also a collaboration of two separate styles. What the two breweries did was brewing a traditional German hefeweizen and a double IPA—styles familiar to the respective collaborators—and then blending them after fermentation. The result was a nice blending of fruity, juicy and hoppy flavors that was really pleasant for all my senses.

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Tree House Brewing Company: Bright (Citra)

Tree House Brewing Company: Bright with Citra

Hops: Citra

ABV: 7.8%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.37/5

It’s gonna be a Bright (Citra), Bright (Citra), sunshiny day on the Windowsill!

I like when a brewery has the confidence in its recipes to not worry about playing around with them. Knowing the malt base for the Bright series is solid, Tree House Brewing Company has released several varieties of this (mostly) single-hop brew. Several months ago, I was lucky enough to try the Mosaic version, and there have also been others: Nelson, Simcoe & Amarillo, Galaxy, Baby Bright (a more session-able Bright) and the BBBright (a hopped up version of the Mosaic original).

Today, we have another of the Brights on the sill—the Citra. Like the others, it’s created with a simple malt bill and fermented with ale yeast. Like most Citra brews, this Bright is all about the citrus aromas and flavors. Orange juice, grapefruit, tangerine… you name it. Soft finish with decent bitters from the hops. Really bright and delicious!

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Tree House Brewing Company: Doppelgänger

Tree House Brewing Company: Doppelgänger

Hops: Mosaic, Amarillo

ABV: 8.2

IBU: 88

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.51/5

Still going strong with Tree House Week on the Windowsill!

Once upon a time, Tree House Brewing Company made a beer called the Alter Ego, an American IPA brewed with Mosaic and Amarillo hops. It was a very solid IPA, but it needed to be “doubled” up to an Imperial version.

That’s where the Doppelgänger comes in. More Mosaic. More Amarillo. Kettle and dry hopped. More deliciousness, too. It’s juicy, dank, citrusy and mean. You’ll definitely want more than one. So good! Make sure you try this one, the Alter Ego and the even more hopped up version… The Doubleganger.

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