On tap at Ambulance, dry farmhouse-styled pale ale (with unique milky beige hue) utilizes French saison yeast to impart mildly acidic lemon-limed yellow grapefruit tartness and orange blossom honey souring above leathery horse-blanketed raw wheat base. Tertiary pineapple, tangerine and orange illusions gain sour yogurt snip.
On tap at Cloverleaf, French Oak Fourdres-aged sour ale brewed with New York apples picks up massively vinous green grape pucker and mild pomegranate-cranberry smidge. Centralized Granny Smith apple tartness becomes sourer as acidic limestone salting increases.
On tap at Cloverleaf, indecisive kettle-soured Hell Or High Watermelon with moderate lactose acidity lets melon rind adjunct lose out to vinous green grape pucker. French saison yeast adds sour lemon twist and oaken cherry mist. Wispy white wheat base evaporates.
On tap at Ambulance, worthy ‘dark sour ale’ spreads salt-licked lactobacillus acidity and bacterial brettanomyces funk across lightly bourbon-barreled oaken cherry, fig, plum and green grape tartness as well as leathery barnyard acridity for moderately vinous Flanders brown ale-like template.
Medjoul date sweetness nearly lost in briskly carbolic flow. Dewy earthen nuttiness, brown leafed fungi and vinous green grape esters seep into fig-dried date entry as lackadaisical Noble hop bittering contrasts wispy Vienna-styled carapils malting.
On tap at Ambulance, mild clear-yellowed light body lets dry corn-flaked pilsner malts affect lemon-rotted sourdough continuance and subtle floral-fruited Saphir hop bite.
On tap at Ambulance, pleasant moderation lets mild citrus zest, dainty floral bouquet and delicate spicing contrast earthen Noble hop peppering, earthen grain minerality and grassy hay astringency above bready pale malts for fine Bavarian pils rep.
CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS
One of the premier New England beer spots, TRILLIUM BREWING COMPANY first operated only out of its original Congress Street location in South Boston. But it’s new 16.000 square-foot red-bricked facility 30 miles due southwest in Canton truly proves to be an absolute Beer Destination for any true ‘brewpie.’
When Trillium’s original flagship brewery opened in 2013 (with no tap room but bottles-growlers available), it immediately grew way beyond its Fort Point boundaries in Beantown.
Married founders JC and Esther Tetreault’s dream of developing sterling farmhouse-styles ales, microbe-cultured wild ales and other flagship or one-off varieties certainly came true as dedicated beer snobs keep gushing over their delicious suds. In their first two-and-a-half years, Trillium’s turned out over 125 beers. Some are ‘variations on core beers’ and many are ultra hazy, complex and highly expressive.
An illuminated metal Trillium sign welcomes patrons to the large draught room counter in the cement-floored stucco-walled office building in Canton. Barreled tables and minimalist art run throughout the rangy open space, leading to the slate-countered distribution center, where bottles, cans, growlers and shirts are sold and the efficient canning line jets back to the large brew tanks.
During my Friday afternoon jaunt to the Canton site in May ’17, I buy nine different canned ales (reviewed in Beer Index) while imbibing on the fabulous Coffee Porter – Nitro. Its velvety smooth texture, up-front coffee bean roast, creamy dark chocolate syruping and bitter cocoa powdering led the way above tarry oats-charred molasses sap. Mild bourbon, raspberry and cherry illusions added further depth.
Highly recommended.
www.trilliumbrewing.com
Superb flagship offering brings moderate piney fruited Galaxy hop bittering to the fore. Even richer, juicier and more complex than Trillium’s impressive IPA fleet, maintaining a cleanly smooth mouthfeel as its beautifully expressive orange-peeled grapefruit, mango, peach and pineapple tang picks up lemon-sugared melon, cantaloupe, tangerine and clementine subsidy above pasty dextrine-starched wheat malts. A veritable fruit salad.
Politely vinous white-wined Chardonnay adjunct affects tropical-fruited Citra-Galaxy hops. Yellow grapefruit pith bittering slides into zesty orange peel sweetness as grassy herbal musk and dry lime snip play backup alongside recessive mango, pineapple and peach illusions.
Summery dry-hopped medium-to-full body utilizes balanced blend of tropical fruit juicing to ride above moderately creamed sugar-spiced crystal malting, grassy hop astringency, wispy pine needling and sour lemongrass herbage. Sweet orange-peeled grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, peach and mango tang stays brisk as lemony grape juicing teases the midst. Similarly styled to Trillium’s parade of IPA’s with subtle tweaking.
Bold medium-full body (with sly 7% ABV) brings tangy tropical fruiting to capacious sugar-spiced crystal malting, light piney hop bittering, dank floral tones and wheat flaked minerality. Mighty lemon zest, orange rind, pineapple, grapefruit, mango and tangerine kick retains juicy-fruited luster over earthen wood tones.
