Serendipity No. 3
Tree Brewing Co.

 

IIRC, this is a blend of hophead and porter that's aged in a whiskey barrel. I'd say it's somewhere between an American Amber and a well-hopped brown ale.

A: Deep amber with an off-white head, thin ring of retention, light lace.

S: Brown sugar, roasted nut, cocoa, vanilla and a light floral hopping. A substantial aroma for a 5% brew. Very enticing.

T: Vanilla, cocoa, roasted nut and caramel (a bit like beer nuts), hint of oak, nice floral hopping a light citrus flavour, bitterness is well-balanced.

M: Well-attenuated moderate body is smooth, average carbonation, hint of hop acidity.

D/O: A blend of brews and flavours that works remarkably well.

I tried this fresh and thought it paled in comparison to the barrel-aged doppelbock (Serendipity #2), but with a bit of age, this has rounded-out VERY nicely.

My brother managed to score and save a bottle of this for me. SUPER pumped to finally get a chance to taste one of Tree's special aged brews.

A - Pours a nice ruby red colour, finger of head with little retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Surprisingly, the whiskey notes are prominent with some dark cocoa and cola notes.

T - Bourbon and whiskey notes dominate the palette, a touch of woody oak, caramel and toffee and oddly enough a touch of ABV heat and sweetness.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and a touch of bitterness on the finish.

O - I was surprised to see this come in at only 5%, because the flavours were certainly more reminiscent of a stronger barrel aged ale. Very enjoyable and the wooden oak notes made for a memorable ale. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

It's a shame that this series doesn't have a higher ABV to store it longer. Its been over a year since I had No. 1 and ten months since No. 2 (which I never reviewed), and at 5% ABV, these don't store well...so hard to compare. And I guess this is really No. 3.1, as the original No. 3 had to be disposed of when something happened during the aging process.

I've called this a Scotch ale as it seems most like it, but I'm not sure what went into this and what the base beer was.

Mahogany with a slightly off-white head that is thick and creamy. Big whisky scent. Light hops, a nice creaminess. But honestly, when you inhale slowly and deeply this smells like a glass of whisky. Woody, leather, light tobacco with fruits and vanilla. Its quite pleasant.

Definite woody character. The whisky taste is toned down a little, and I can detect a bit of the port (though I'm sure the port barrels contributed a lot to the woody flavour). Malts aplenty. In the aftertaste there is cream, fruit and hops. Not quite Scotch in the scent and taste - sort of a weird mix of blended Scotch or Irish and a bit of bourbon. There are many layers to the flavour and its really tough to singe out one particular flavour.

Smooth, creamy body. A bit much when combined with the whisky and port profile, but very enjoyable. With this flavour, you'd really expect this to come in at 7% or even 8% ABV, not 5%. A session Scotch ale.

I can't say this is my favourite...I'd really need to try all three at once, but even then aging will take its toll.