Juicy Tree - Short's Brewing Company

madeofsteel

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Tried this one as a flight at Short's, and just sounded too strange to ignore, so I took a growler home for *ahem* closer inspection. Brewed with juniper berries and blue spruce tips.

A - Pours a lovely amber color, with a soapy, sudsy looking head. Decent retention, no lacing.

S - Not a lot of pine or anything like that in the nose, but some nice citrusy hops'll do the trick.

T - The first thing I think is gin. It has all the characteristics except the malt, and some strong hops. Which adds a whole new dimension to a familiar flavor. Some heavy notes of pine resin in there too, which is just fine by me. Wintery, after a fashion. Strikes me as a perfect beer for around Christmas.

M - The carbonation is pretty excited in this one. Almost prickly. Only drawback is that it's pretty messy at the back of the palate.

O - If you like gin, you should probably try it. Since I haven't seen it on store shelves or even on here before, you may have to make a pilgrimage to Short's brewpub to give it a whirl, but I was totally taken by surprise with this one.

Serving type: growler

02-15-2012 22:12:26 | More by madeofsteel

decadance

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Looks like huma. It does have nice head retention. Little bit of chill haze however.

S - The frozen spruce tips from last spring are muted, but still evident. It does not smell entirely like the Spruce Pilsner, as either the hops or the juniper provide a quite sweet, fruit driven nose.

T - Wow. Malt forward would be the wrong connotation, but this is sweet and fruit upfront, bittered by the hops and spruce tips. It is quite interesting. Not overtly bitter, but only a fool wouldn't recognize the spruce.

M - My bias, but I hate when IPAs leave my mouth with that oily, sticky feel that seemingly nothing can cut through. This beer, thus is perfect for me. The mouthfeel is not thick, but it a sizeable beer, full on the palate, but no hop stickiness to speak off. It finishes dry and pleasing.

M - Still like the spruce pilsner better, but this is a welcome beer in the lineup. The juniper adds something, though not entirely discernible.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 21:02:27 | More by decadance