Sap - Tree House Brewing Company

MasterSki

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to Reagan1984 for another Tree House offering. Served in a New Belgium tulip while watching Scarface with Mark and Lisa.

A - White foam settles to a near-complete cap, thick collar, and specks of lace. Hazed orange body.

S - Interesting nose - I might have guessed El Dorado hops here, but apparently it's just a Chinook/Cascade blend. In any case, there was loads of citrus flesh with mild pine and grass in the periphery. The malt character seems a bit bigger here than with Julius. Perhaps a bit of crystal malt, as I get some red fruit and licorice notes. Not bad, but a bit disappointing compared to Julius.

T - The taste is more successful than the aroma. A nice mix of tangerine zest, icing sugar malts, and surprisingly high bitterness (this makes sense now that I know Chinook was the main hop). While it never gets out of check, it certainly lives up to the name and gives the impression of licking pine sap by the end of the growler.

M - Medium body, pleasant carbonation, dry finish, and no obvious alcohol. Quite resinous and oily, as you'd expect from the name.

D - A solid IPA that actually reminds me a bit of Haymarket's better offerings in the balance of malt and hops. I generally dislike all/mainly Chinook beers, so this is a success by any measure for me, just not a beer I'd get often.

Serving type: growler

04-18-2013 13:59:51 | More by MasterSki

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Missed out on a growler fill, but got a nice sample from the tap to review. This is more of an East Coast style IPA in my experience, rather than the West Coast styles they typically make. Brewed with 90-something% Chinook and just a bit of Cascade hops.

Light fizzy head with some lacing, hazy carrot orange color.

Nose piny spicy hops, light resin, some earthiness, hint citrus orange rind, almost minty, hint of sweet malt.

Taste starts with earthy hops, light spicy but not much, light citrus rind and resin, but the pine really comes out. Fluffy malt base adds a nice filler. Juicy overall and pretty tasty, with bitterness there but not rampant. The finish on the other hand really dries and bitters, with a bit of hop oil and resin lingering with more pine and hint of citrus.

Mouth med bodied, fluffy, nice carb.

Overall pretty nice. I was a little worried about the Chinook becoming astringent spicy and too bitter, but it's fairly nice overall, and that hint of citrus from the Cascade is a nice addition.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 03:40:50 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml THB swing-top bottle filled at the brewery.

First THB glass pours with a 1/2" eggshell head, over the cloudy orangey amber brew. Head is down quick to an uneven skim, with lace etched on the glass for many a moment. Aroma is orange and pine in similar parts.

Taste is sweet to start, mild tangerine in the middle, coasting through a moderate piney bitter close. Mouthfeel is very smooth, and drinkability is great. More balanced than I expected for an IPA, and it works for me. Enjoy.

Serving type: growler

12-25-2012 21:50:05 | More by ppoitras

greenboat

Massachusetts

4.41/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a murky yellowish-orange with a two finger head that receded gradually to a frothy skim. Nice.

S: Interesting... peach, nectarine, pine... very fresh and inviting.

T: Taste starts out with a citrusy rind-like punch and moves into a nectarine like sweetness before finishing with a bitterness that sticks around.

M: A bit thin but it works here with a tight, medium carbonation.

O: Very enjoyable and fresh from the source. Solid.

Serving type: growler

04-07-2013 14:49:07 | More by greenboat