If you look at any list of the most popular or sought-out breweries in Massachusetts I bet you’ll find Tree House Brewing Company near the top, but my trips out to the brewery in Monson or now Charlton have been pretty rare. It has nothing to do with their beer, I have never had a bad beer from Tree House and the vast majority of their beers I’ve had a chance to try have been world class. The issues I’ve had are with everything else that goes into a trip to Tree House, it’s a long drive round-trip and it’s hard to find the time and energy to deal with the long lines and can limits. The popularity of the brewery also attracts a subculture of people that care more about the trophy than the beer, it’s only a small percentage but they can be a hassle. Fortunately everything I’ve heard about the new brewery has been positive, the lines are still there but they move quickly and the increased production means you can buy much more beer in a stop. While the issues with the trophy hunting/beer trading subculture probably aren’t going anywhere, it’s probably time to make the trip out to the new facility. Fortunately, one of the perks of writing a beer blog is that my friends keep me in mind when they visit breweries, especially those that are a little out of the way for me. My friends Tim and Amanda made a recent stop at Tree House and picked me up a few treats. One of the beers they grabbed was new to me, Tornado, an American pale ale originally brewed after the 2011 Brimfield tornado. Tree House Tornado is available on a rotating basis on draft and in 16 oz cans at the brewery.
Tree House Tornado pours hazy light yellow with a solid white head. The scent features a solid hit of hops, juicy and a little floral. The hops lead the flavor, notes of orange candy, mango, peach and pear with minimal bitterness. There is a little malt flavor in the backbone, touches of biscuit and crackers. Tornado is medium bodied, drinks very easy, and at 5.4% ABV it won’t put you under the table. The finish is crisp and refreshing with some lingering hop flavor that keeps you coming back for more. This is a very good New England style American pale ale, it’s nice to have more beers in the sub-style that feature the juicy hop flavors without the bigger ABVs. I’ve still never had a sub-par beer from Tree House, and with their expanded production I need to make a trip out to Charlton very soon. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Previous Tree House Reviews:
Tree House Julius, Tree House Alter Ego, Tree House Haze
Bog Iron Drawing a Blank pours straw yellow with a small white head. The scent is a big burst of hops, tons of citrus and tropical fruit. The hops dominate the flavor, notes of grapefruit, tangerine, papaya and a little pine along with a crisp bitter bite. This is complemented by a mild malt backbone, hints of bread crust and cereal. Drawing a Blank is light bodied and super easy to drink, with moderate alcohol at 6.0% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering hop flavor and bite. I love American pale ales that combine big hop flavor and aroma with smooth drinkability and this beer hits all of those boxes. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Bog Iron Fancy French Name pours deep yellow with a small white head. The scent is a mixture of white wine and fruity yeast. The yeast leads the flavor with notes of apricot, pear and funk along with just a touch of acidity. The barrel aging melds perfectly with the flavors imparted by the fermentation, hints of white grape, oak and apple. A touch of light malt and a minimal amount of hop flavor round out the profile. Fancy French Name is light bodied, super easy to drink but it packs a solid punch at 7.5% ABV. The finish is dry with some lingering fruit and yeast flavors. This beer is crazy good, complex with big flavors that all work together, you taste something new with each sip. Highly recommended. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Foundation Cosmic Bloom pours hazy light yellow with a solid white head. The scent is a big burst of fruity hops, tropical, citrus and berries. The flavor is also very hop forward with a unique new-age flavor profile that includes notes of melon, strawberry and tangerine. There is a little bitter bite, not bracing but this isn’t a straight jooce-bomb NEIPA either. The hops are complimented by a mild malt backbone, hints of white bread and cereal. Cosmic Bloom is light and easy to drink, not too boozy at 5.8% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering hop flavor. This beer is delicious, well crafted with tons of flavor and a little different than other hoppy beers. Cosmic Bloom is now neck-in-neck with Epiphany for my favorite Foundation beer. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Mast Landing Gunner’s Daughter pours cola-brown with a solid tan head. The scent is a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter. This beer tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in beer form. The malts and adjuncts combine for notes of chocolate, peanut butter, caramel and lingering sweetness. There is minimal hop flavor, this beer is made to showcase the sweet malt flavors. Gunner’s Daughter is medium bodied and smooth, not too boozy at 5.5% ABV. It finishes with some sugar and lingering roasted malt. This is a really interesting beer, I loved it at first sip but was OK with just one can, anything more would have been overkill. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.
Mast Landing Double Dry Hopped Tell Tale Pale Ale pours hazy orange with a massive white head. The scent is a huge burst of hops, tons of citrus and tropical fruit aroma. The flavor is also very hop forward, hints of tangerine, grapefruit and mango with a soft bitterness. This is balanced by some light malt flavor, touches of bread crust and honey. DDH Tell Tale is light bodied and crushable at 5.3% ABV. The finish is crisp with some lingering hop flavor. This beer is stellar, huge hop flavor and aroma but still easy to drink and not too boozy. I hope cans start hitting the shelves in MA, because this will become a regular part of my rotation. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Proclamation Derivative Galaxy pours a hazy light yellow with a massive white head. The scent is a big burst of citrus hops. The flavor is very hop forward, notes of tangerine, grapefruit and mango along with a mild bitterness. This is balanced by some malt flavor, touches of white bread and crackers. Derivative Galaxy is light bodied and very easy to drink and just a touch boozy for an APA at 6.0% ABV. The finish is crisp and clean with a little lingering hop flavor. I was glad that I finally tracked down a can of Proclamation Derivative, and it didn’t disappoint, this is a top notch pale ale. I will still be on the lookout for the other versions, as I tend to prefer Mosaic and Citra hops to Galaxy, but this is still a very good beer. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Bucket Brewery Pawtucket Pale Ale pours a deep amber with a small white head. The aroma is mild, a bit of fruity hops. The flavor is balanced, much more malty than many of the newer style American pale ales. There is solid hop flavor, touches of orange, guava, grass and pine along with a little bitter bite. This is complemented by the malt, notes of caramel and whole grain bread along with substantial body. Pawtucket Pale Ale drinks easy at 5.5% ABV and finishes with a mixture of sweet malt and bitter hops. This is a solid beer, especially if you like more balanced, British inspired pale ales. Hoppy Boston score 4.0/5.
Bucket Black Goat of the Woods pours pitch black with a small tan head. The scent features some rich roasted malts and a hint of spice. The flavor is very malt forward, notes of cocoa, caramel and weak coffee. The spices are subtle, you get faint hints of cinnamon and ginger that add some complexity. The hops are almost non-existent in this beer, which leans toward sweet. The body is a touch thin for a stout, but the beer drinks smooth and has moderate alcohol at 6.5% ABV. Black Goat of the Woods is an interesting beer, with a few tweaks I think it could be very good. Hoppy Boston score: 3.75/5.
Trillium Fort Point Pale Ale (Enigma-dry hopped version) pours opaque orange-yellow with a small white head. The first whiff is a pungent burst of hops dominated by citrus and tropical fruit. The beer is very hop forward, notes of orange, mango, papaya and grapefruit along with a very soft and mild bitterness. This is complemented by a solid dose of malt, touches of grainy bread and honey. FPPA is light bodied and very easy to drink but packs a little punch at 6.6% ABV. The finish is clean and dry with lingering hop flavor that keeps you coming back for more. Fort Point Pale Ale is an incredible beer, in my opinion it is the finest beer Trillium brews. Hoppy Boston score: 5.0/5.