Beer Friday: PM Dawn by Trillium Brewing Company

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

Since we moved home, I've been drinking basically nothing but Trillium (and Bissell Brothers...) beers. I have been a huge fan of Trillium since they entered the Boston beer space a few years ago, and I've been very eager to visit their second brewery - with full pours and all! - in Canton, Massachusetts (they opened it when we were living in Oregon). 

On Thanksgiving weekend, my opportunity to check out their new spot came - and boy am I glad it did. Canton is only about a 40-minute drive from Boston, and Trillium's new space is fantastic. The large, open setting was crowded on this Saturday afternoon, but lines moved swiftly (and, smartly, Trillium has a separate line for cans, etc. to-go and one for pours and/or bottles to be consumed on-site).

I usually opt for Trillium's hoppy beers, but after a few of those, I decided to try their latest batch of PM Dawn as well. And good god, it was delicious. Here's why:

What: PM Dawn by Trillium Brewing Company

Style: American stout

ABV: 9%

Tasting Notes: Freshly roasted coffee beans (they infuse this brew with their neighbors', Barrington Coffee Roasters', cold brew), smooth vanilla, rich cocoa, and a hint of peanut butter makes this beer delightfully sweet - but balanced out nicely with some necessary bitterness from the coffee. The mouthfeel is also silky smooth, making this 9% stout go down a bit too easy. 

Pairing Suggestion: I'm drooling over the thought of pairing this with a piece of chocolate cake, but if sweets aren't your thing, I love pairing good coffee stouts with brunch, too.

Where Can I Find It? Both Trillium locations in Fort Point and Canton currently have PM Dawn available in 22-ounce bottles or growlers, but it also can be found on tap at the Canton location, when available (their Fort Point location only sells bottles, cans, and growlers to-go - no pours on-site).

Have you had any great beers lately?

Beer Friday: Parabola 2016 by Firestone Walker

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

OK, I get it: Spring's here, summer's coming, and stouts are so last winter. But, that is so not the case. Stouts gets a bad rap for being seasonal brews - but they're available year-round for a reason, my friends.

Enter this newly released Parabola from Firestone Walker. Parabola comes out once a year, and like many stouts, it's best if aged for a bit (6 months-1 year, I'd say) before consuming. However, it's also great right off the shelves, which is how we enjoyed this year's concoction.

What: Parabola 2016 by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, California

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 13.1% (seriously)

Tasting Notes: Parabola is aged for a year in a blend of bourbon barrels - including Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve, and Buffalo Trace - giving it a boozy, bourbon flavor that's a little extra apparent in this new bottle (again, aging should help mellow this out a teeny bit). The rich, bitter chocolate and sweet vanilla notes help to cut the alcohol nicely, while the mouthfeel is wonderfully silky - albeit a bit thin.

Pairing Suggestion: This beer is hefty, so it really doesn't need to be paired with anything. However, given the ABV, I'd highly recommend having a satiating snack or meal before sipping on it. ;)

Where Can I Find It? Parabola bottles are usually easy to find, but it's a seasonal release, so I wouldn't wait too long to try and snag a bottle. Drafts are also available from time to time at select bars, but they are much more limited. To see where you can find a bottle near you, check out Firestone's beer finder. 

Do you drink stouts year-round? Or are you more of a seasonal stout drinker? 

Beer Friday: Founders Breakfast Stout

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

When Zach and I were planning our wedding in New Hampshire, we (well...mostly Zach) gave a lot of thought as to which beers we wanted at our big day. One that we both loved, and had on tap at home for quite a while, was Founder's Breakfast Stout. But there was a problem: Founders Breakfast Stout wasn't available for consumption in New Hampshire as there is a baby on the label - and NH law said that's a no-no.

Fast forward to last week when I was in my home state to surprise my Mom for her 60th birthday, and Founders Breakfast Stout is now available for purchase! The law changed, and babies on beers is now A-OK with the NH lawmakers. Cheers to that!

Here's why this beer is worth seeking out:

What: Founders Breakfast Stout

Style: Imperial Coffee Stout

ABV: 8.3%

Tasting Notes: A creamy, silky mouthfeel is complemented with abundant notes of freshly roasted coffee and rich chocolate. In the background, hints of oatmeal and some bitterness from the coffee and chocolate help cut the sweetness, making this imperial stout dangerously easy to drink.

Pairing Suggestion: With breakfast/brunch (seriously). A frothy glass of this alongside some Eggs Benedict and/or pancakes = heaven on earth. If drinking before noon isn't your thing, I also love simply sipping on this after dinner as liquid dessert. 

Where Can I Find It? Breakfast Stout is a seasonal beer from Founders, and it's technically only available from September through December - so the Beer Finder on their site won't let you find it. However, I picked up a four-pack right at Whole Foods in Nashua, N.H. last week. So, I recommend calling your local beer shops/grocery stores that sell beer to see who near you is selling the stuff.

Have you ever had Founders Breakfast Stout before? If yes, what's your review?

Beer Friday: Narwhal by Sierra Nevada Brewing

On most Fridays, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers! 

Winter = stout weather.

Ok, I admit: I drink stouts all year long (and you should too, if you enjoy them!). But during the colder, rainier (at least here in Portland...) months, a bold, creamy, high ABV stout just tastes that much better. Am I right??

This here imperial stout also happens to be available...basically, everywhere in the U.S. So read on, grab a sixer, and have yourself some winter-warming sips of a stout!

What: Narwhal by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Style: Imperial stout

ABV: 10.2%

Tasting Notes: Vanilla beans, roasty coffee beans, and a teeny bit of caramel make this high ABV stout a little too easy to drink. The mouthfeel is a tad on the thin side for an imperial stout, but the aforementioned rich flavors help to make that nothing but an afterthought.

Pairing Suggestion: Sierra Nevada's website recommends chocolate mousse, braised short ribs, tart raspberry cheesecake, and gorgonzola cheese. I agree with all of these suggestions, but would also add brownies for good measure. ;)

Where Can I Find It? So many places! Here's the link you need to find it in bottles or on tap near you. 

*Pro tip: this beer will only get better with age, so if you can wait to pop a bottle or two, I definitely recommend doing so. 

Are you a stout fan? If so, what's one of your favorite stouts to sip on?

Beer Friday: Seventeen by Central Waters Brewing Co.

Every Friday, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers!

First things first: Who else is INSANELY excited for the season premiere of "Shameless" this Sunday night?? Z and I have had a Sunday night TV tradition for years now - all our favorite shows tend to air on Sundays - and "Shameless" is my all-time favorite. And, as part of the "experience," we always crack open a good beer - which, this time of year, is almost always a stout.

This particular bourbon barrel-aged stout - Seventeen - was one Z randomly picked up at our neighborhood bottle shop, and it was an unexpected gem that we both really enjoyed. Here's why:

What: Seventeen by Central Waters Brewing Co., Amherst, WI

ABV: 11.5%

Tasting Notes: A smooth, creamy mouthfeel complemented by bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and chocolate. It's seriously sultry, not-too-sweet yet decadent, and delightfully boozy without too much heat. If you like heavier, no-joking-around stouts, this one's for you. 

Pairing Suggestion: Uh, nothing. Drink it by itself and enjoy the heck out of every sip. 

Where Can I Find It? Seventeen is a Cellar Session brew from Central Waters, so it may not be as easy to find as some of their other brews. i recommend calling your local bottle shop to see if they have it in (Central Waters is based in Wisconsin, but i'm not positive how far their distribution goes). You can also visit their tap room, but I'd call ahead to see if they have this available. 

Do you watch "Shameless" too? HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?

Beer Friday: Bourbon County Stout 2015

Every Friday, I'll share a beer I particularly enjoy, and think you might as well. This series will feature beers from all over the U.S. (and when we're lucky, the world). Cheers!

Every Black Friday, Goose Island releases my all-time favorite beer: Bourbon County. While there are several variants of the stout, the original is always the best, in my alcoholic opinion.

Let's put it this way: My version of heaven would have Bourbon County on tap at all times. That's how much I love this damn beer.

Brewery: Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois

What: Bourbon County Stout, 2015

ABV: 14.3%

Tasting Notes: This brew always gets better with age (and don't drink it ice cold out of the fridge; room temperature is best!), but it's also impressively delicious fresh. Not for the faint of palates, it's nicely boozy, with the bourbon being wonderfully smoothed out by the rich chocolate and vanilla bean notes. The mouthfeel of this stout is also incredibly sultry, leaving you wanting to drink it down much faster than its high ABV allows you to.

Pairing Suggestion: Any dessert that's chocolate and/or coconut-based. (Side note: Have a French press? Infuse Bourbon County with your own flavors. Z and I personally love infusing a bottle with toasted coconut, cinnamon, and chocolate - inspired by their Proprietor's variant!).

Where Can I Find It? Given this beer's popularity, it can be very hard to find on tap (except on Black Friday and during Goose Island's Migration Week), but finding it in bottles should be a little easier. Click here to see where Bourbon County's available near you. Trust me: it's worth the hunt!

Have you tried this year's Bourbon County Stout yet? And/or any of its variants? If so, which one's your favorite?