Versus: Trillium Stillings Street vs Trillium Double Dry Hopped Stillings Street

The Stats
Stillings Street
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.2%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.42/5
- RateBeer: 4.09/5
DDH Stillings Street
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.2%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.47/5
- RateBeer: 3.7/5 (1 review)

BREWER'S DESCRIPTION

Stillings Street

"This new edition in our “Street” series of India Pale Ales spotlights the remarkably complex Nelson Sauvin hop. Stillings Street is hazy, pale orange in appearance and emits aromatic qualities of kiwi, white grape and lemongrass on the nose. Delicate flavors of citrus zest, pineapple and cantaloupe are accentuated with crisp malt character, mild bitterness, and a soft, effervescent mouthfeel."

 

DDH Stillings Street

 "This amplified version of Stillings Street IPA features a double dose of Nelson Sauvin in the dry hop. Hazy, pale orange in appearance with intensely aromatic qualities of kiwi, white grape and lemongrass on the nose. Delicate flavors of citrus zest, pineapple and cantaloupe are accentuated with crisp malt character, mild bitterness, and a soft, effervescent mouthfeel."

APPEARANCE

Stillings Street

Pours the classic hazy light orange with a finger of white head

 

DDH Stillings Street

Compared to the standard Stillings, this is a god damn orange milkshake. A completely murky body and also a finger of white head.

AROMA

Stillings Street

A really nice grapefruit aroma without the acidity. This is followed by some kiwi and touches of white wine. It has an underlying wheat aroma that I wasn't expecting.

DDH Stillings Street

Somebody might want to mark this down because this is one of the few times I had a positive physical reaction to smelling a beer. Double dry hopping the Nelson has exponentially turned up the grapefruit and white wine to near superhuman levels. Then there's the notorious Trillium orange sherbet that I get with so many of their big IPA's. There's something similar to sugar-sprinkled grapefruit and somehow a toasted (even coconut) aroma to this.

TASTE

Stillings Street

I'd say it matches all of the notes from the aroma in regards to subtlety. Grapefruit zest would be more of an accurate way to describe this rather than pure grapefruit juice. Again though, no acidity and all flavor. The middle of the mouth catches a lot of dry white wine and some white grapes. No kiwi from the aroma and no real other fruit juice to take up the slack. Near the end, a nice bite of dankness and bitterness come through.

DDH Stillings Street

Do I dare? I think I have to do it...

NELSON NUKE!!!!!!!!

Holy Diver! This is a Nelson money shot (you're welcome for the image). I don't think bottles of white wine have as big of a white wine flavor as this beer does (hyperbole is fun!). If Nelson hops were a load, Peter North would be busting this out on a daily basis.

Ok, I will try to calm myself down for this....*clears throat*...OK, we're good.

An overpowering amount of white wine and white grapes flood my mouth at every turn. Then I get tons and tons of orange and sweet orange sherbet. This has a lot of sweet qualities with that sugar-sprinkled grapefruit making a return from the aroma. A tropical fruit influence of pineapple takes up a lot of real estate with even a spritz of lemon zest. Like it's little brother, the back end and finish has a nice, bitter bite and some dankness with even a pinch of mango to add to the fruit salad.

MOUTHFEEL

Stillings Street

The body is medium with little carbonation (but not flat). No alcohol presence and it goes down easy. Comes off a little dry.

DDH Stillings Street

Also a medium body, but the texture is luxuriously creamy with more noticeable carbonation than the base beer. It's a nice harmony of smooth and silky combined with bubbles dancing on my tongue.

OVERALL

Stillings Street was a solid representation of the use if Nelson hops. A nice palette of grapefruit and white wine let you know this was a Nelson beer, but it wasn't the best use I've ever experienced. Still a damn good IPA from a brewery that makes plenty of 'em.

As for the DDH Stillings Street, I am blown away. I actually can't believe DDH Stilling and regular Stillings are cut from the same cloth. The DDH version is far and way the superior offering. I know that the DDH versions of Trillium beers are better than their standard counterparts, but this comparison is ridiculous. An example I can personally cite is the Congress Street and DDH Congress Street, but those two at least were similar with the DDH version slightly winning out. In this case, DDH Stillings is so far ahead of the standard version that it might as well have a new name to distance itself from the family lineage.

Personally, I have found IPA's with Nelson hops to be extremely hit or miss. A great example of a home run was the Tree House In Perpetuity, but I think DDH Stillings Street has replaced that as my favorite Nelson IPA.

RATINGS

Stillings Street
7.8/10

DDH Stillings Street
9.7/10