Bear
Tree House Brewing Company
- From:
- Tree House Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
Ranked #48 - ABV:
- 6.4%
- Score:
- 91
Ranked #9,620 - Avg:
- 4.07 | pDev: 8.35%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 72
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 22, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 22, 2014
- Wants:
- 21
- Gots:
- 88
SCORE
91
Outstanding
91
Outstanding
Nearly four years in the making, Bear is Tree House brewer Brendan’s recipe and his first scaled commercial batch. It has all the characteristics of a classic English Brown Ale with a distinct American twist. Bear pours a nearly opaque dark brown with a sticky caramel colored head. Aromas of toffee, caramel, chocolate, and earthy hops prep the palate for the wonderful flavor to come. We taste toffee, brown bread, caramel candy, varied nuttiness, and a melange of dark fruit. The earthy hops dance throughout and are balanced beautifully by a brown sugar sweetness. Delicious. Bear is one of the best food beers we have ever had - it pairs brilliantly with nearly everything… including nothing! A lovely and unique example of a brown ale and one we are quite proud of Brendan for creating! Brewed in honor of those who leave a lasting and influential impression on our lives.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.21/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
When it comes to hops, Tree House can be a bear in a china shop. But when it comes to other styles, they can show tremendous restraint, discipline and quality. Their brown ale does just that.
Dark and mocha brown, the simply named Bear pours with a slight milkshake consistency before releasing a creamy tan froth. As the sultry scent of fresh brewed coffee, chocolate and toffee spread across the nose, the flavors open up with a malty-rich sweetness of dark chocolate, caramel, toffee and sorghum. As the more robust taste of Columbia-type coffee pull from the toasted malts, heavy toast, slight roast and a hint of sweet campfire create a smoky glow ahead of a broad and woodsy bitterness to close.
Full bodied, but less intense than their stouts, their brown ale is a soothing but robust session that finishes creamy, smooth and leaves a toasty after palate behind.
Jul 22, 2025Dark and mocha brown, the simply named Bear pours with a slight milkshake consistency before releasing a creamy tan froth. As the sultry scent of fresh brewed coffee, chocolate and toffee spread across the nose, the flavors open up with a malty-rich sweetness of dark chocolate, caramel, toffee and sorghum. As the more robust taste of Columbia-type coffee pull from the toasted malts, heavy toast, slight roast and a hint of sweet campfire create a smoky glow ahead of a broad and woodsy bitterness to close.
Full bodied, but less intense than their stouts, their brown ale is a soothing but robust session that finishes creamy, smooth and leaves a toasty after palate behind.
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
4.02/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look - a step above great. Slight great but great rimming and lacing on a dark brown beer
Smell - roasted caramel malts
Taste - about the same as the smell, a lil sweet
Feel - medium body with a medium light carb
Overall - stellar brown
Jun 17, 2025Smell - roasted caramel malts
Taste - about the same as the smell, a lil sweet
Feel - medium body with a medium light carb
Overall - stellar brown
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky
4.25/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
I love everything about this beer. The color is a dark brown to black with a thick, brown, frothy head. Nose is malty and coffee, not overwhelming though. Taste is malty, cola, coffee and then a bitterness hits the back of the palate in a great way!
Jun 17, 2025
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania
4.18/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
An exceptional brown ale! Poured a viscous dark brown with a creamy head. Slightly metallic aroma with some subtle roast malt. Burnt char flavor upfront giving way to a pleasant roasty-ness. Full mouthfeel with very delicate carbonation. WOW! I’m loving it!
Apr 06, 2025
Rated by DublinDrunk from Massachusetts
4.17/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Found this one hiding - canned March 2022, drank today and was as delicious as the first three!
Jan 25, 2023
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.12/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz can, dated 9/6/22 on the bottom of the can
pours almost black, much darker than most brown ales. tan colored head. aroma is fairly roasty, again more so than most brown ales. taste is similar - roasted and toasted malt. fairly dry finish. medium to fuller bodied. overall I like it.
Oct 06, 2022pours almost black, much darker than most brown ales. tan colored head. aroma is fairly roasty, again more so than most brown ales. taste is similar - roasted and toasted malt. fairly dry finish. medium to fuller bodied. overall I like it.
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