Baby Tree
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
- From:
- Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Quadrupel (Quad)
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 11%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 355
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 27, 2025
- Added:
- Apr 21, 2009
- Wants:
- 60
- Gots:
- 127
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
Baby Tree was our first Easter beer. We LOVE Easter here at Pretty Things. Usually after the long Boston winter, we’re itching to bring out the bunnies, bonnets and yellow fluffy chicks and get on with our Springtime.
The Baby Tree is a real tree. This must be said. It dwells in Sexhow and carries cavorting baby-dolls and in season, a few pears appear. It belongs to great friends of Dann & Martha, and they chose to rescue these small plastic people from a landfill-fate by allowing them to ride in their pear-tree many years ago. And thank heavens they did.
Our Baby Tree is a very magical, traveling tree filled with waving, happy babies, some of whom may or may not resemble Mikheil Gorbachev. There may also be some discrepancy in the number of limbs, but we cannot be sure where other baby heads may be poking through the leaves so we don’t worry ourselves about it. If you want, read our poem about it.
Baby Tree beer is a Pretty Things take on the best of Abbey-style brewing from Belgium. Inspired by monastic and abbey quadruples, embellished with dark fruit flavours, not too sweet, not too heavy, it’s a springtime beer with some of the richness of late winter. It makes it perfect year round, so that’s when we offer it! You should be able to find it most months of the year, on draft or in bottle.
All in all, it’s our way of bringing a bit of Springtime to you and to us, all year round. Hooray!
The Baby Tree is a real tree. This must be said. It dwells in Sexhow and carries cavorting baby-dolls and in season, a few pears appear. It belongs to great friends of Dann & Martha, and they chose to rescue these small plastic people from a landfill-fate by allowing them to ride in their pear-tree many years ago. And thank heavens they did.
Our Baby Tree is a very magical, traveling tree filled with waving, happy babies, some of whom may or may not resemble Mikheil Gorbachev. There may also be some discrepancy in the number of limbs, but we cannot be sure where other baby heads may be poking through the leaves so we don’t worry ourselves about it. If you want, read our poem about it.
Baby Tree beer is a Pretty Things take on the best of Abbey-style brewing from Belgium. Inspired by monastic and abbey quadruples, embellished with dark fruit flavours, not too sweet, not too heavy, it’s a springtime beer with some of the richness of late winter. It makes it perfect year round, so that’s when we offer it! You should be able to find it most months of the year, on draft or in bottle.
All in all, it’s our way of bringing a bit of Springtime to you and to us, all year round. Hooray!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Alieniloquium:
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
3.68/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.68/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 oz. bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Slightly murky brown body with a nice khaki head. Retention is surprisingly good and the lacing is sticky and sublime. Good looking beer.
Smell - Very bready malt character. Caramel and some fruitiness to it as well, but it smells somewhat dry with a spice to the back end. Nice.
Taste - Starts off with a characteristic Belgian candi sugar flavor but backs into a spiced fruitiness that makes me think it's a Christmas ale more than anything. It seems to skip the caramel malt phase of a Quad. The finish is remarkably hoppy, at least for a Quad. Not sure how I feel about that yet.
Mouthfeel - Ok, I don't feel great about the hop character. About 3/4 of the way through the bottle, I'm really missing the caramel character. It's spicy and hoppy and it's reducing my ability to put it away. Still good, just sluggish.
Overall - I really love Quads, but this one departs from the style in a few ways that make me not love it. Still tasty, but more in a spiced BSDA way. With so many quality Quads available, there's no need to pick this one up again.
Dec 10, 2011Appearance - Slightly murky brown body with a nice khaki head. Retention is surprisingly good and the lacing is sticky and sublime. Good looking beer.
Smell - Very bready malt character. Caramel and some fruitiness to it as well, but it smells somewhat dry with a spice to the back end. Nice.
Taste - Starts off with a characteristic Belgian candi sugar flavor but backs into a spiced fruitiness that makes me think it's a Christmas ale more than anything. It seems to skip the caramel malt phase of a Quad. The finish is remarkably hoppy, at least for a Quad. Not sure how I feel about that yet.
Mouthfeel - Ok, I don't feel great about the hop character. About 3/4 of the way through the bottle, I'm really missing the caramel character. It's spicy and hoppy and it's reducing my ability to put it away. Still good, just sluggish.
Overall - I really love Quads, but this one departs from the style in a few ways that make me not love it. Still tasty, but more in a spiced BSDA way. With so many quality Quads available, there's no need to pick this one up again.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania
4.13/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Ruby-tinted brown color, relatively clear, with a half finger of tan head that dissipates into a wisp and thick crown that actually leaves a little lacing.
Dried fig, faint chocolate, a hint of vanilla, plum, lightly roasted fruit and earthy hops in the nose.
Smooth tasting with the fig and plum fruit up front, a little toffee towards the middle and some nice, dull hops and a kiss of alcohol on the back end. Faint chocolate mixed with the dull bitterness and lingering figgy sweetness in the aftertaste.
On the thinner side with just a little syrup in the feel and decent carbonation.
This is a mellowed out, quality American quad. Quite tasty. May 2014 bottling date. It's a shame, this is likely the last one of these I'll ever try.
Reviewed 8/23/17
Aug 27, 2025Dried fig, faint chocolate, a hint of vanilla, plum, lightly roasted fruit and earthy hops in the nose.
Smooth tasting with the fig and plum fruit up front, a little toffee towards the middle and some nice, dull hops and a kiss of alcohol on the back end. Faint chocolate mixed with the dull bitterness and lingering figgy sweetness in the aftertaste.
On the thinner side with just a little syrup in the feel and decent carbonation.
This is a mellowed out, quality American quad. Quite tasty. May 2014 bottling date. It's a shame, this is likely the last one of these I'll ever try.
Reviewed 8/23/17
Reviewed by muchloveforhops3 from Montana
4.09/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle picked up in San Diego, CA; first experience with Pretty Things
Poured into a large snifter
2011 release
p- pours a deep mahogany color; not much of a head; thin off-white ring
n- med-bold; sweet and inviting; candi and brown sugars, plums, raisins, bready malt, and hints of spice
t- quite sweet throughout; dark sugars, bready malts, and dark fruit; raisin bread flavor with spices; lingering spice in the aftertaste; mild dark fruit bitterness; tasty
mf- thinner than expected; med-high carb; becomes fuller as it warms
o- tasty and drinkable; a well-crafted take on the style, overall; would have again
Review date: 08.30.14
Bottle date: May 2011
May 26, 2025Poured into a large snifter
2011 release
p- pours a deep mahogany color; not much of a head; thin off-white ring
n- med-bold; sweet and inviting; candi and brown sugars, plums, raisins, bready malt, and hints of spice
t- quite sweet throughout; dark sugars, bready malts, and dark fruit; raisin bread flavor with spices; lingering spice in the aftertaste; mild dark fruit bitterness; tasty
mf- thinner than expected; med-high carb; becomes fuller as it warms
o- tasty and drinkable; a well-crafted take on the style, overall; would have again
Review date: 08.30.14
Bottle date: May 2011
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts
3.79/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled in December, 2013.
It pours a slightly cloudy ruby red brownish color. No head to speak of, but bubblettes gather at the edge of the liquid and cascade elegantly down the glass on sip or swirl.
Not too strong on the nose which I guess isn't surprising. Subdued malt sweetness, dried cherry, prune, brown sugar/molasses. A hint of phenolic spice and a whiff of alcohol.
I'm pretty happy with the taste. Slightly sweet, roast malt richness, caramel/toffee/brown sugary. A bit of yeastiness. Dark cherry, plum, and rasin on the fruity side of the equation. A small alcohol tingle. Mild but definite spicy phenolic flavor as the bigger flavors fade out. A wee bit of bitterness.
The feel seems a bit thin. Carbonation has held up OK. There's a bit of a drying sensation without being too astringent.
Overall this is pretty good considering the age. I like it quite a bit. I think it is a pretty typical quad flavor and is accurate to the style as I'd expect from Pretty Things.
Feb 04, 2024It pours a slightly cloudy ruby red brownish color. No head to speak of, but bubblettes gather at the edge of the liquid and cascade elegantly down the glass on sip or swirl.
Not too strong on the nose which I guess isn't surprising. Subdued malt sweetness, dried cherry, prune, brown sugar/molasses. A hint of phenolic spice and a whiff of alcohol.
I'm pretty happy with the taste. Slightly sweet, roast malt richness, caramel/toffee/brown sugary. A bit of yeastiness. Dark cherry, plum, and rasin on the fruity side of the equation. A small alcohol tingle. Mild but definite spicy phenolic flavor as the bigger flavors fade out. A wee bit of bitterness.
The feel seems a bit thin. Carbonation has held up OK. There's a bit of a drying sensation without being too astringent.
Overall this is pretty good considering the age. I like it quite a bit. I think it is a pretty typical quad flavor and is accurate to the style as I'd expect from Pretty Things.
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho
3.55/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Pretty Things, Baby Tree 2009
Poured into a goblet at 50 degree. Appearance a on finger medium light tan head that creamy and foamy with decent retention. The color of the beer is rich mahogany color with reddish hues. The beer is slightly translucent. An abundant amount of carbonation still visible. Beautiful looking beer.
Nose Rich malt complex caramel, stone fruit, bready, yeasty, alcohol, raisins, phenol, spicy note, floral,and herbal.
Roasted malt caramel, bready, stone fruit, tone down spicy phenol, raisins, cherries, plums, yeast, soft alcohol tones, a touch of herbal, and some floral notes.
Mouthfeel The body of the beer is medium plus, medium carbonation, touch of astringency,
After 8 years this beer is Just average in flavor profile. Sadly the quad is lacking a lot characters of excellent quads. I was hoping that this was going to be phenomenal, alas it was not.
Dec 27, 2018Poured into a goblet at 50 degree. Appearance a on finger medium light tan head that creamy and foamy with decent retention. The color of the beer is rich mahogany color with reddish hues. The beer is slightly translucent. An abundant amount of carbonation still visible. Beautiful looking beer.
Nose Rich malt complex caramel, stone fruit, bready, yeasty, alcohol, raisins, phenol, spicy note, floral,and herbal.
Roasted malt caramel, bready, stone fruit, tone down spicy phenol, raisins, cherries, plums, yeast, soft alcohol tones, a touch of herbal, and some floral notes.
Mouthfeel The body of the beer is medium plus, medium carbonation, touch of astringency,
After 8 years this beer is Just average in flavor profile. Sadly the quad is lacking a lot characters of excellent quads. I was hoping that this was going to be phenomenal, alas it was not.
Reviewed by stephens101 from Oklahoma
3.88/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Had this one sitting around for a while begging me to drink it.
Dark brown with crimson hues and a quickly thinning, bubbly tan froth.
Fresh baked brown bread, grape juice and gum in the aroma.
Tastes of grape juice, plum, various berries, grain and a hint of spice.
Medium and vinous and not as substantial as I would like in flavor or mouth-feel although the alcohol is well-hidden and its not hard to finish the bomber at all.
Dec 26, 2015Dark brown with crimson hues and a quickly thinning, bubbly tan froth.
Fresh baked brown bread, grape juice and gum in the aroma.
Tastes of grape juice, plum, various berries, grain and a hint of spice.
Medium and vinous and not as substantial as I would like in flavor or mouth-feel although the alcohol is well-hidden and its not hard to finish the bomber at all.
Reviewed by JAck199 from New Jersey
3.68/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A big fan of pretty things. The baby tree needs to be a toddler or a bit more body.
Color Is good and pours a nice head that fades quickly. Not hot for a 9%. But it drinks a bit thin.
Most Abby styles have a bit more flavor. It drinks with a nice bit of sweetness up front and has a clean finish. Still a good value for the price.
Nov 07, 2015Color Is good and pours a nice head that fades quickly. Not hot for a 9%. But it drinks a bit thin.
Most Abby styles have a bit more flavor. It drinks with a nice bit of sweetness up front and has a clean finish. Still a good value for the price.
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