Trillium Free Rise

The Stats
Style: Saison
ABV: 7.3%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.19/5
- RateBeer: 3.8/5 (7 ratings)

"The first saison brewed at our new Canton facility, Free Rise highlights locally sourced Danko Rye from Valley Malt and Citra in the dry hop. A floral, citrus hop profile is balanced with subtle, nutty malt character and a delicate black pepper spice. Light in body, with a clean, bone-dry finish, Free Rise is a welcomed addition to our family of farmhouse ales."

Pours a darker shade of straw yellow with two fingers of pure, white head.

Distinct Saison aroma of hay, sawdust, and funk with a noticeable orange zest for a fruity kick.

In my limited time with Trillium Saisons I have come to feel that they taste sweeter than your average example of the style and this is no different. I think that Danko Rye that Trillium loves to use is cutting into the typical Saison characteristics and providing the sweetness. Still, the funk and barnyard taste is huge with a fresh-cut cedar flavor and a black pepper feeling that a lot of great Saisons tend to have. There's definitely a dry, doughy taste which I will attribute to the rye along with a light pilsner component and the Citra dry-hopping is very (VERY) subtle, but I do pick out a little bit of lemon zest and orange rind.

Mouthfeel is noticeably dry, but also incredibly light for a big (by Saison standards) 7.3%. That funk stays for days (points for the rhyme), but despite the abv, I can see myself enjoying this on a hot summer's day because it is pretty refreshing. A lack of carbonation needs to be mentioned, but it doesn't take away from the experience.

Free Rise was mostly on point for the typical Saison characteristics, which makes it enjoyable for the style. I guess I could have expected a bit more citrus from a self-described Citra dry-hopped beer, but it wasn't completely devoid of any orange flavor. Still, this was a damn good Saison with high levels of drinkability for over 7% thanks to a light body and delicious flavors.

Rating
8.6/10

Trillium El Dorado Dry Hopped Sunshower

The Stats
Style: Saison
ABV: 8.50%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.58/5
- RateBeer: 3.54/5 (5 ratings)

Trillium's Sunshower Super Saison is a cranked up version of their standard Trillium Farmhouse Ale. Over the past several moths Trillium has been releasing variations of their Sunshower that are dry-hopped with different hop varieties. This version, as the name says, uses El Dorado hops, which I believe is what is used in their Sleeper St IPA.

Pours a hazy, dark yellow with less than two fingers of a bright, white, fluffy head.

Not a lot of typical saison funk on the nose. Banana, clove, peaches, and pears lead the charge of fruity aromas. Bready and doughy malts finish things up.

The taste is just as fruit-forward as the nose. Again, banana is coming through loud and clear almost like a good hefeweizen. Some big clove and yeast are the driving forces behind this one. The specialized dry-hopping has brought some herbal bitterness into the mix to go along with peaches, pears, and even some watermelon too. It doesn't share a lot of characteristic with the typical saison as the familiar farmhouse or barnyard funk is hidden deep in the back (but still there) and I don't pick up and tartness. While all of that takes a backseat to the fruits and juices, this still tastes delicious regardless of the style.

This has a thicker, more syrupy feel than others of the style, but given it is a "Super Saison" at 8.50%, I guess it makes sense. I'm not saying it is comparable to Imperial IPA's with resinous mouthfeels, I'm just saying it's thicker than anticipated, but still highly drinkable. In regards to the abv, you can't detect any alcohol thanks in big part to the El Dorado dry-hopping that has used it's large fruit presence to dominate smell and taste. It does finish pretty dry and bitter after an initial burst of juice, but it's well beyond tolerable and has a lot of carbonation bubbles dancing around the mouth.

While it isn't a typical smelling or tasting saison, this version of Sunshower still delivers as a great beer. Big banana, yeast, and fruits mixed with herbal hops seem to complete a checklist of what makes a beer delicious. While the style being represented could have benefited from more farmhouse funk, you won't find me complaining any time soon.

Rating
8.5/10