Trillium PM Dawn

The Stats
Style: American Stout
ABV: 9.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.37/5
- RateBeer: 3.83/5 (mean)

An American Stout with cold brewed coffee, PM Dawn may not be a a hip-hop group from the early 90's, but it promises to be rich and decadent. How much further can you take a non-barrel aged coffee stout? Let's find out.

Pours pitch black with less than a finger of a light brown head.

The first thing (and rightfully so) is the coffee. It smells more like a richer, cold-brewed coffee with even some cream. Maybe even a richer, espresso type of coffee, but it smells very nice. Small hints of milk chocolate and roasted malts close everything out.

What sets the taste apart from your run-of-the-mill coffee stouts is a nice pop of vanilla to go along with the espresso qualities. This makes the beer rather sweet compared to a lot of bitter coffee stouts. There is a roasted character to this, but the vanilla and creamer flavors help combat any underlying bitterness that came from the coffee. Call me crazy, but I pick up a small hop bitterness near the end of my sip. It's unexpected, but welcome.

Whether it's the sweet flavors or bitter coffee and hops, this remains a smooth brew. It's thick, but fluffy at the same time and it coats your tongue with delicious coffee. While it is a big 9.00% stout, it drinks lighter than it should, but is still thick and robust.

If not for a stronger-than-most vanilla quality, PM Dawn would just be a typical coffee stout. Even as a standard representation of the style, the coffee is rich, dark, and robust with a light, fluffy and coating mouthfeel.

Rating
8.8/10