Trillium Brewing Company is a small farmhouse style brewery located right in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston. They are near and dear to me. I even served their “Trillium Farmhouse Ale” and “Fort Point Pale Ale” along with my homemade mead at my wedding. So while this isn’t exactly a mead, it does use a good amount of wildflower honey. And really, I wanted to pay tribute to the great people behind the company and the carefully crafted libations they are producing.
The Artaic, now called “Cutting Tiles” is a double IPA brewed entirely with Mosaic Hops including two “massive dry hop additions” – Hence the naming convention. Artaic is a company I founded around the same time as Trillium was getting started, which produces large-scale tile mosaics using robotics. The image on the label is a beautiful artistic rendering of the first Artaic mosaic robot. The drawing and label design was done by the talented Kevin Cimo of Fair Folk.
Local raw wildflower honey keeps the body light and drinkable but provides a floral, earthy backbone. Juicy, candied peach and nectarine up front backed up with a nuanced white wine on the nose that continues straight through in the flavor profile. Pillowy soft mouthfeel, with a restrained bitterness on the finish. Artaic is an innovative Fort Point business that creates dynamic mosaics only possible through innovative robotics.
It pours a deep copper color clean, and clear with a thick, soft, white head. The aroma is outstanding. So fruity right from the pour – citrusy tangerine and grapefruit, peaches, mango. A medley of tropical sweetness, dank hops and a touch of floral honey.
The taste is exactly what is expected from the aroma. It drinks like hop juice – rich tropical fruitiness from the mosaic hops which also impart a little bitterness up front. On the finish, the floral honey shines through, adds sweetness and really balances the flavors nicely. At 8.5% ABV, it is way too drinkable. No real trace of the alcohol and a smooth, soft mouthfeel.
The Trillium brand is equally well developed as this beer. Their logo, the trillium name and the label designs speak to the “Farmhouse” brewing. They use locally sourced ingredients and locally sourced beer names inspired by the neighborhood around them. JC Tetreault, Founder of Trillium, expressed the basis of their brand,
Our beers are what we envision might have been made today, if a centuries-old beer culture had naturally evolved in New England. We take inspiration from artisanal ingredients and practices and apply what is now known about brewing world-class beers. Brewing is a craft, for sure… and has nearly limitless opportunities for creativity and expression.
The heritage revival, modern craft style is prevalent in all that they do, from the hand-drawn labels to their Fort-point brewery and bottle shop which they renovated themselves using reclaimed material including repurposed dairy equipment. Trillium is a great example of what focusing on core brand attributes can look like.
I will refrain from my usual rating system on this one because:
- It’s technically not a mead
- Though I try not to be, and other reviews back me up, I’m most likely biased.
Now that Trillium has expanded into a second location in Canton, MA with 16,000 sqft, hopefully more people will get to experience this beer.
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