"New" Brew Thursday: 'Dusk Trill Dawn' from Trillium and Evil Twin

The year is 2016, after months of studying and three days in hell I finally finished taking the bar exam. I have about one more month living in Boston and now with ample free time, I do not know what to do with it. While going for Pokemon Go walks, hitting the gym, sleeping, and just generally relaxing were my day-to-day musts, it was hitting up some of my favorite spots that really made me happy. One of those spots was Trillium. In their old space there was no room for on-site pours, so it was a strict to-go operation. It was there, in the dead of the August heat, I visited to pick up two imperial stouts. A bottle of ‘Outside The Lines’ and a howler of ‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ because that was the only way it was being offered. I remember it being one of the best stouts I had ever had and always wanted to try it again. Nearly five years later… I got my wish.

‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ pours into the glass a dark, almost obsidian black with a brown head. It has extraordinarily strong notes of coffee, chocolate, and malt that all blend and play off one another as well. The taste is just how I remembered, amazing. A thick and luxurious mouthfeel that coats the entire palate with an initial hit of chocolate that then gives way to an overpowering coffee flavor that lingers on the tongue well after it is gone. Despite being 12.6% ABV it is not overly boozy and hits just right.

In all, ‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ was just the thing I needed to satisfy my Boston nostalgia. Reminding me of one of my favorite stouts from one of my favorite breweries.

New Brew Thursday: 'Nitro Rover' from Big Alice Brewing

Happy *belated* St. Patrick’s Day everyone! While I have been trying to cut back on the beer so that I can get back into some old clothes, #EarnYourBeer I decided to open one beer to celebrate both New Brew Thursday and St. Patrick’s Day. Luckily, my purchase of the last case from the New York City Brewers Guild arrived over the weekend and had the perfect answer for me. While I had never heard of Big Alice Brewing I was pumped when I saw that they contributed an oatmeal stout and A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y thrilled when I saw it was a nitro stout.

‘Nitro Rover’ is best enjoyed by a hard pour that allows for the activation of the nitrogen and allows for the bubbles to run up the glass. Once the bubbles give way, you are left with a dark and rich black color with a thick, bright white head. It has notes of oats and roasted malt with just a subtle hint of dark chocolate. The taste is fantastic. With big flavors of roasted malt and oats with an almost shockingly light mouthfeel, it is perfectly creamy due to both the oats and nitrogen. With a deceptively clean finish that then gives way to a lingering back-of-tongue bitterness that begs for another sip you’ll be halfway done with the pint before you even know it. Much like its contemporaries, the head clings to the side of the glass with each sip and clocking in at 5% ABV you won’t feel it at the end of the glass. Definitely a great St. Patrick’s Day Stout for next year and a reason to try more offerings from Big Alice Brewing.

Cooking With Beer: Chili

While the Super Bowl this past Sunday saw Tom Brady win number seven (not a Buccaneers fan but happy for my guy) I was able to make chili. Now, whenever I make chili, I do tend to experiment a little with my spice paste and with the beer.

Finished Product

When it comes to beer in chili I have seen people use Mexican style lagers and saisons but I have always had great success with stouts and porters. Typically, I stay away from pastry stouts as I think their sweetness would have an adverse effect with the meat. I also stay away from stouts and porters with certain flavors like peanut butter, marshmallow, coconut, and vanilla. I look for stouts and porters that feature chocolate, coffee, and oatmeal. I did recently experiment with a milk stout that produced an exceptional batch of chili, my theory is that the lactose in the stout acted similar to the milk/cream that is added when making a Bolognese sauce to make it creamier. It did produce a richer chili. I also try to go with imperial stouts as the flavors are more intense. This time I used an oatmeal stout from Beer On Earth called ‘Stout’s Meal’ that produced a slightly lighter chili that was still quite delicious. Here is the recipe so you can try it for yourself.

Spice Paste:

2 dried ancho chilis

3 dried pasilla chilis

5-6 dried arbol chilis (these are for spice, add/reduce to increase/decrease spiciness)

¼ cup dried Dominican Oregano (Mexican or Italian is fine)

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

 

Chili

3lbs chuck roast (or 1lb chuck roast/1lb of 80/20 ground beef)

2 medium sized onions (I prefer vedalia)

1 jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 large cloves of garlic

1 16 oz beer

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans

1 bay leaf

Salt and Black Pepper to taste 

Method:

For the chili paste, cut/tear the chilis into small pieces and remove the seeds. Place them into a dry pan and lightly toast them until they are warm and fragrant. Then add about two cups or enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and let go for about two minutes. Kill the heat and then let them steep for at least ten minutes. In another pan toast the cumin seeds and black peppercorns until they are fragrant. Next place them into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Combine the chilis, water, black pepper, cumin, oregano, thyme, cocoa powder, and cornmeal into a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

For the meat, I typically take a three-pound chuck roast and cut it in half and grind the fatty portion into ground beef and cut the leaner half into half-inch pieces. If you do not have a meatgrinder get 80/20 ground beef and a 1lb chuck roast and cut that into half-inch pieces. Next, roughly chop the onions and jalapeno pepper and set aside. In a very hot dutch oven or pot add the oil and pieces of the chuck roast to sear adding salt and black pepper and once seared, remove from the pot and let sit. Next, add the ground beef pressing hard to the bottom of the pot to get a hard sear. Add salt and black pepper and once well browned remove from the pot. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and jalapeno and sauté until they are slightly translucent and grate the garlic into the pot and cook for roughly one minute. Now add the meat back to the pot and thoroughly combine with the spice paste and cook for another minute or so. Next add the beer to the chili and bring to a boil stirring so it does not burn. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release all of the fond and reduce until only about four ounces are left. Now add in the tomatoes, one can of water, and the beans with the bay leaf and stir thoroughly. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about two to three hours stirring occasionally. If you like a thicker chili then let it reduce further or if it gets too thick then add some more water.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, green onion, and sour cream to enjoy. Feel free to experiment with your choice of beer and let me know what works for you.

Rhode Trip: Tilted Barn Brewery

(The next part in a multi-part series as we complete the Rhode Island Brewer’s Guild Passport. To learn more about the passport and download the app click HERE)

While it has been a while since the last #RhodeTrip entry I can assure you that I have been frequenting many of our fine breweries but more on that in future posts. Those who know me know that I have been preaching the good word of Tilted Barn since I first tried ‘The Chosen One’ back in 2016 and my love of this brewery has only grown since then. I had made multiple trips to the old barn and with them only doing to-go cans during the pandemic I eagerly awaited the opening of the new barn, plus seeing it take shape with each trip down only heightened this anticipation. When it opened and the pictures were posted online my expectations grew even higher.

Now, I have a history of being let down due to having unrealistically high expectations. I had been trying to lower these expectations as the pictures gave Tilted Barn a “Tree House” type vibe, which is an INSANELY high bar but with each picture I just could not help myself. Let me be the one to tell you though, Tilted Barn’s new location is one of the most beautiful breweries I have ever been to.

Located on top of a hill that overlooks the farm, the outdoor patio area has a breath-taking view of the entire farm. Inside there is a picture-perfect wooden bar with a dozen taps and refrigerators full of cans. The front facing windows let in the sunlight that showcases the white tile floors, light brown wood, and open atrium for an absolutely gorgeous entryway. I was seated on the second floor that has artwork of their cans and a view of the actual brewery. 

The woodwork on the second floor is stunning. While my knowledge of the subject is very limited it looks like the various joints are fitted with pegs and not screws which really fits into the rustic feel of the barn. Even more exciting are all of the tanks on the lower level which filled my head with joy for the beers that are about to come down the line… and speaking of beer.

While they are not doing flights they are doing six ounce pours of all offerings and I was allowed to order two at once. I was able to try a few offerings as my girlfriend ordered something different than I did. However, my two standouts were ‘DDH Cactus’ which was juicy, hoppy, and full of flavor. There was also ‘Lawn Boy’ which was the first Tilted Barn Lager I have had. It was crisp, clean, and perfect for a hot day… or in this case a supremely cold one. I hope it is brewed again once the weather turns. Also there was 'Tupelo' an Imperial Stout named after one of the brewery dogs. It had great notes of both chocolate and coffee and is a perfect cold weather beer. 

In all, the new barn is amazing. It is sad losing the old barn as it was a cozy and intimate setting, but this new location really raises the stakes and will certainly allow for more experimentation and collaboration from one of Rhode Island best breweries. Plus, I’m pretty sure Matt is happy to have everyone off his front lawn.

Tilted Barn is located at 1 Hemsley Place. Exeter, RI 02822. For more information about the brewery, their beer, and to book a reservation please click HERE

Part one: Long Live Beerworks

Part two: Buttonwoods Brewery

Part three: LineSider Brewing Company

Part four: Taproot Brewing Company

Part five: Community Bruin (CLOSED)

New Brew Thursday: 'Barrel Aged Color & Grain' from Trillium Brewing

It is that magical time of year again folks. The days are getting a little shorter and colder with that unmistakable crispness in the air. We all know what that means, we have officially entered into Stout Season (or Szn as the kids say). While I have always been an avid supporter of not letting the season dictate the style of beer you drink, I would be hard pressed to say that I do not enjoy stouts just a bit more this time of year. I recently went back to my parents house where I keep a small box of cellared bottles (more on that in a future post) and picked out one of the perfect bottles to kick off Stout Season, ‘Barrel Aged Color & Grain’ from Trillium. To be completely honest, I forgot exactly when I bought the beer, but I think it was in the cellar for about a year and a half. While I might have let it go just a bit too long, it is still an awesome beer.

‘Barrel Aged Color & Grain’ pours into the glass pitch-black with a darkish brown head. Its notes are mostly just boozy chocolate with a slight hint of vanilla and toffee on the back end. I expect the chocolate, vanilla, and toffee notes would have been more pronounced when first purchased. However, after over a year in the cellar they have been slightly muted. The flavor is purely decadent. A soft, velvety mouthfeel with a rich chocolate and toffee taste that lingers just long enough on the front of the tongue. While the listed ABV is 13.9% after over a year in the cellar it is probably close to 15%. This gives the beer a boozy, but not overpowering kick that is just enough to remind you that you are drinking a barrel aged, imperial stout. While no longer in production, if you’ve got one in the cellar now is the perfect time to open it up.