De Proef, which is known for being the stellar contract brewing home of such varied characters as Mikkeller, Omnipollo and Green’s gluten free beer, has been brewing collaboration wild ales for 10 years under its “Brewmaster’s Collaboration” series. I wasn’t able to try this brew on my trip, but it will be hitting Vermont beer stores and bars soon via Farrell Distributing (the author's employer). Trillium partnered up with De Proef (Belgium) for this trans-Atlantic collaboration and brewed the beer over in Europe. I’m going to be remembering this one for a long time. In fact, my mouth is watering right now while I’m typing this, just remembering how crisp and refreshing it was. The oak seems to be rather neutral and the beer is all about sour peach flavors, making me pucker up for another sip. This taproom-only sour peach ale was delightfully tart and not at all funky. From there, fruits are added to the barrels to “‘soak for enhanced extraction of unique colors, aromatics and flavors.” A simple wheat ale is brewed and transferred into oak puncheon barrels and is dosed with Lactobacillus and their proprietary “Native New England” mixed yeast culture. “Soak” is Trillium’s series of barrel-fermented wild ales. Fans of Vermont-style double IPAs will rejoice with this offering. Wheat and rye often announce themselves pretty distinctly in a beer, but these grains are deftly integrated into this juicy modern American double IPA. The grain bill contains locally malted Danko rye, wheat and Triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye) from Valley Malt (Hadley, Massachusetts). The thing that really sets Mettle apart is the ingredient list, which adds subtle layers of complexity underneath all the super star hops (Amarillo, Citra and Columbus). It is juicy, almost dripping, with fruity flavors and aromas of peach, orange and as the brewers put it, “grape juice.” Assuming they intended white grapes, I’m inclined to agree. At first sip, Mettle seems to fit squarely in the style of IPA with which Vermonters will be most familiar. The brewery kept it on the brew cycle, though, as it garnered quite a following. ![]() This double IPA clocks in at 8.4 percent alcohol by volume and was originally brewed to celebrate Trillium’s inaugural year. I came home with half a cooler of these 16-ounce cans of liquid gold. But then Trillium went and dry-hopped it with Mosaic hops, layering on the juicy, sweet and bitter citrus flavors and tons of tropical notes. It is a dank and juicy modern American Pale Ale that is cloudy, pale gold and soft in bitterness. The standard Fort Point is already right in the wheelhouse of Vermont-style IPA drinkers. While there, I was able to try a slew of their beers, and here are some of my favorites.įort Point Pale Ale is named after the area of Boston where the original brewery is located. After a 40 minute wait, it was my turn to stock up on 16-ounce cans, 750mL bottles, growlers and beer swag. To the left, a line leading to the retail area. ![]() To the right, a short line ran up to the bar, where you can get five or 10-ounce draft pours to consume on site. I arrived a little after noon and found two lines right inside the door. But luckily for me Trillium has opened a production brewery in Canton, Massachusetts, only a 30 minute drive from where I was. I was staying in Jamaica Plain, so the prospect of driving through downtown on a Saturday morning was unappealing. The original brewery location is in the Fort Point area of Boston, not far from Harpoon Brewery and right next to the highly acclaimed Row 34 and Blue Dragon restaurants. ![]() ![]() My travels recently landed me in Boston with a little free time on my hands, so I decided to check out a brewery that I’ve meaning to get to since it opened in 2013: Trillium Brewing Co.
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