Style: Imperial New England-Style IPA

ABV: 8.0

96/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	20
Mouthfeel:	4

Trillium Vicinity

What the brewers say

“Appearance is bright and straw-colored. Spicy, earthy aromas of tropical fruit notes abound. Complex flavors of grape juice, light citrus, and lychee emerge on the palate. The Pilsner malt provides a cracker crisp malt character and clean, mineral finish.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Lots of fruit and juicy notes of tropical fruit, including mango, pineapple, and passion fruit. Fruity hops offer up a compelling aroma—the citrus and earthy tones tickle the nose.”

Flavor: “Lots of flavor, and the pineapple, orange, mango, and tropical fruits hit with a burst of juiciness. They carry through a creamy body to a nice, refreshing finish. Well blended with the sweet berry and fruit flavors that mix with the bitterness of the hops flavors. Finishes dry and bitter.”

Overall: “Great juicy character—a palatial blend of intense citrus juiciness braced by a spicy bitterness that’s just enough to keep it from cloying. It’s easy for beers this big and intense to lose focus, but every character is well developed and the whole is tightly edited into a delicious whole.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: Best in Beer 2016 (View All Issues)

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Trillium Summer Street

__Aroma:__ “There’s a lot going on in the nose—juicy pineapple, mango, orange, and citrus notes, with pine up front and light lemon in the background. The citrus combines with the spice and resinous pine tones, and the overall effect is inviting and intriguing.” __Flavor:__ “Pineapple and a little spicy pine hit up front, with a light vanilla note mixed with melon and earthy hops. It’s juicy and sweet, but not too sweet, with orange, grapefruit rind, and a little lemon. Good carbonation and a delicate body, with great hops complexity and fruit notes that carry through to the finish.” __Overall:__ “This is incredibly good—a great treat to the nose. Chewy body, moderate carbonation—a refreshing, juicy, fruity IPA with a slight bitterness in the back that makes for a delicate and distinctive blend of flavors.”

Trillium Congress Street

__Aroma:__ “Moderate fruitiness, with notes of pineapple, orange, grapefruit, lemon, and mango, as well as some spicy hops notes that jump out and welcome you. Juiciness on the nose.” __Flavor:__ “Tropical fruits—mango, pineapple, grapefruit, clementine, and orange—hit right up front with sweet juiciness. A medium spicy hops bitterness carries and cuts off some of the sweetness, giving off big pine hops and slight coffee notes. Full and fluffy mouthfeel, luscious and smooth, with nice carbonation. Finishes semidry with a touch of sweetness.” __Overall:__ “There’s so much happening in this beer—it’s a field day for taste buds. The complexity of the citrus and tropical fruits is enticing, while smartly braced and balanced by slight hops spice. Put simply, it is very good.”

WeldWerks Saison D'Amitie

Aroma: “Classic saison aromas: orange, banana, light peppery phenols with grassy hops, bubblegum, and just a bit of bready malt in the background. Subtle but distinctive.” Flavor: “Pepper, orange, banana, clove, bubblegum, grainy malt, balanced, smooth finish that’s a bit on the sweeter side for the style, but certainly not sweet. Aftertaste of spice lingers pleasantly.” Overall: “Everything is super well-balanced; it’s just pint (or rather taster)-sized. A superbly executed classic saison.”

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