Trail
Tree House Brewing Company

Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pale straw with close to two fingers of dense white head. Aroma is bread & grass. Taste is good, but a little muted. Plenty of grains, just doesn't pop the way Suarez beers do (by comparison). Decent amount of carb. Could be a little more clean. Good, not great.

Yesterday at 11:25 PM

EMV from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Crystal clear light golden pour. Thick fluffy white head leaves great lacing.

S: Lightly toasted malts/grains and German hops.

T.F: Grains/malts up front. A bit of sweetness with a nice dash of bitter hops. Lemon/citrus, herbal notes, with earth and pine. Crisp and clear. Light bodied... super drinkable and smooth. Moderate carbonation. Clean finish.

O: A crisp/clean and easy drinking Pils. Well executed (as expected) and great for a change of pace from their IPA lineup.

Nov 24, 2020

BEERMILER12 from Maine

3.96/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a golden orange color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap that leaves decent lacing

S: Earthy and lightly spicy noble hop character, crackery malt, and grain

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a mix of earthy and spicy noble hops and then picks up some crackery malt and grain. Finishes with lingering earthy notes

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A solid German pilsner that is easy to drink. Nothing too special, obviously (it is a pilsner, after all). Worth a drink

Nov 14, 2020

ChristopherProvost from Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: almost clear (maybe a slight bit of chill haze), golden straw color; pours with a good head that dissipates quickly and leaves almost no lacing

Smell: honestly, I don't get much more than biscuit and cracker, maybe a tiny bit of straw or grassy character

Taste: fresh baked bread, crackers

Feel: Light, crisp, clean, refreshing. Totally crushable.

Overall: Trail is one of the best American German-style pilsners I've ever tasted. Crisp, clean, and refreshing with just touch of that hop bitterness on the back end. It's everything I want in a pilsner.

Nov 13, 2020

Kendo from New York

4.19/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned on 8/10/20, consumed on 9/20/20, after mowing the lawn on a cool late-summer day.

The label only says "Trail" - i.e., not "Trail Magic," but the artwork looks the same as the picture here, and the stamp on the bottom says "It's still magic to me," so I'm pretty sure this is the same beer. Perhaps they were forced to change the name for some legal reason. . . .

A: Poured into a pilsner glass, the body is faint, clear yellow with a 1-finger white head on top. Nice slow-rising bubbles of carbonation.

S: Like a pilsner - modestly floral. Grassy noble hops over crackery malt.

T: First impression: "clean" (which makes sense for a lager). Foundation of modest crackery malt and grains is followed by grassy and fruity noble hops.

M: Crisp, light in body/heft, carbonation is modest and the feel is smoother than expected.

O: A really nice pilsner - easy to drink, with nice clean, balanced flavors.

Sep 20, 2020

ArrogantB from Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pretty fresh can. Considering the current trend of lagers being "hip" I'm surprised to not hear more about this one. Super clean, traditional German pils flavor, delicious. I'm going to be a heretic and say better than what Bierstadt is putting out right now.

Sep 04, 2020

DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey

4.17/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A crisp, bright slice of German countryside! Pale gold, an instantly thinning modest one-finger white head. A zesty bite courtesy of European hops, and a nice long-lasting aftertaste that brings the malt forward, reminding you that the days are getting a little shorter, and nights a little cooler. If the pandemic is keeping you from flying to Bavaria, this is the next best thing to being there.

Aug 27, 2020

Stevedore from Oregon

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lighter golden yellow body, two finger white head, nice retention. I like this a lot. IMO analogous to Slow Pour and Mary, nice deep malt character but with a crisp, mildly floral bite. Good body, leaves nothing to search for. Well balanced and delicious.

Jul 31, 2020

VoxRationis from New York

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Decanted from a 16 oz (473 ml) can into a Tree House, Willi Becher; canned on 05/25/20, code GROUND SCORE.
A: Pours a crystal clear, golden color with a short lived, one finger, foamy,-white head, largely rim retention with islands of foams, and spotty lacing.
S: Floral at first. None of those "off" notes common at first in AALs. Aromas are then derived from grasses and grains, increasingly directed toward barley as it warms.
T: Dry. Palate follows the nose with barley more evident as it warms. Lightly peppery bitterness with a nicely crisp finish.
M: Light bodied with moderate carbonation. A touch of astringency after swallowing
O: Trail Magic is a solid, very drinkable German Pilsner. Flavorful, thirst quenching, and eminently approachable.

Jun 14, 2020

toca from Connecticut

4.36/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pilsners are not my preference, but purchased a Treehouse beer bundle which included a couple of Trails. Glad I was able to try it!

Look -has a very pleasant clean, golden complexion with a two finger head that disappears in several minutes.

Smell - a classic Pilsner. nice malty nose with earthy undercurrents.

Taste - Definitely Pilsner tasting that will be most refreshing on a hot summer day.

Feel - Decent carbonation, crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink.

Overall - A very well done style of a Pilsner beer. Thirst-quenching and highly recommended for those who like pilsners.

Jun 12, 2020

BeerBaronBear from New York

4.31/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned 3/23/20, tasted 5/19/20 Labeled just "Trail". On the bottom a little play on their beer naming: "Is this trail or is this magic?" My ratings here are for this beer as a pilsner - it's not my go-to style, but I can appreciate it. This was a really tasty rendition. With a medium pour, got 2-3 inches of light foam. Beautiful light yellow clear body. Very aromatic beer - pure without the sourness that sometimes comes with a bad lager. Exceptionally drinkable - makes you smack your lips after each sip with the crispness of its finish - again, no unpleasant aftertaste that often comes with your run-of-the-mill pilsner. I personally prefer juicier beers, but this is a pleasure as an interlude.

May 19, 2020

ChrisCarp13 from Massachusetts

4.42/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Great beer by treehouse and I think they really did a good job with this style. The only negative reviews I’ve seen were people expecting a different kind of beer. This is worth the buy!

May 05, 2020

brewandbbq from New Hampshire

4.02/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can dated 3/23/20.

Pours sparkling clear yellow with two inches of white foam. Nice retention and lacing. Light notes of dough, cut grass, and lemon in the nose. Light bodied with a crisp but soft mouthfeel. Bready malt drizzled with honey on the palate. Finishes a bit crisp and sweet with a light bitterness.

May 03, 2020

angrybabboon from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Consumed 2/26/20

Clear gold with medium carbonation
Clean pale grains, pilsner malts, soft grassiness, German hops, touch of spice, light grainy sweetness
Medium body, crisp and smooth

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Tree House can make a great pils, but I am. Trail joins the ranks of Julius and Haze that I "must buy multiple" when given the opportunity.

Feb 27, 2020

woodchipper from Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 16oz can dated 11/08/19 and labeled simply "Trail", not "Trail Magic" to a Pilsner glass. Pour created a large puffy head over a crystal clear amber body. Tiny bubbles rose during from the bottom during the entire session, however the head was short-lived. Glass lacing was excellent though.
White pepper and grass meat the nose on inhale.
Taste is a balance of hops and malt. Perhaps the hops shine through a little more on this one.
Despite the continuous bubbles rising in the glass, they are fewer than other top Pilsners. I could have used a little more carbonation.
A pretty good example of the style. Because Pils is my wife's favorite style, I can attest that there are a lot of mediocre and terrible ones out there. This may not be the best but it's pretty damn good.

Nov 17, 2019

kevanb from Illinois

3.87/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

16oz can, dated 7.29.19, poured into a Tree House snifter glass.

The beer pours a medium amber color, orange and golden hues with a light chill haze and many bubbles rising to the top of the glass where a big foamy head sits, about two fingers tall with very good retention while big spots of sticky lacing cling to the glass. The aroma is pleasant, soft earthy hops, green and grassy with a floral bouquet and a big backbone of cracker and pilsner malt. The flavors are good, the hops again greet the tongue first, grassy green, a clean expression of noble hops but they quickly way to the pale dough, cracker and pilsner malts and a lingering mineral water character. The mouthfeel is good, lively, coating and crisp, perhaps a bit heavier than expected but still light and easy with a dry finish.

Verdict: A solid Pils from Tree House. It's a bit heavier than expected, clunky perhaps at times but on the whole, it delivers a nice noble hop experience that is supported by a nice foundation of soft and sweet pale malts.

Aug 18, 2019

brentk56 from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours goldenstraw with a one finger head; good amount of lacing action

Smell: Bready with a grassy hop tone

Taste: Bread forward with a somewhat sweet, fruity character; grassy through the middle, but lacks a crisp finish as the sweetness from the malt lingers

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: I wasn't quite sure what to expect, given Tree House's reputation for IPAs and stouts but this pilsner is not where the brewery can stake a reputation, apparently

Jul 27, 2019

sulldaddy from Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

This is a cold 16 oz can that has been in my fridge for a little over a year. I held off on starting the review until it seemed like the beer was okay.
Pours a bright clear golden color with fluffy bleached white head of about 2.5 cm foaming up even with a gentle pour. The aroma is some cracker and grainy malts with a little bit of spicy and black tea hops mixing together. Entire nose is fairly mild but seems solid for the style.
The first sip reveals a light crispy textured body with fine rolling carbonation that only gently tickles my palate. Flavor is what the nose predicts with some grainy notes and a bit of cracker or biscuity malt and then some spicy hops take over and linger after each swallow. A little bit of black tea note is here as well. The beer is very easy to drink, the flavor is fairly mild but suitable for the style. Glad I tried this one and think it is pretty good for the style, but not the best one Ive had.

Jul 01, 2019

Buck89 from Tennessee

3.78/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a plastic cup.
Look: a hazy golden color with a thick white head.
Aroma: floral and grassy notes that were a bit muted. Some white bread as well.
Taste: a slightly sweet bready Pilsner character with the floral/grassy notes in the aroma. Less bitter than expected - seemed more in line with a Czech Pils.
Feel: medium bodied, crisp, and clean.
Overall: a nice tasty Pilsner but not a standout in this category.

Jun 02, 2019

b11 from New York

2.24/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Have you ever had a Pilsner with no foam? Me neither. A scant 1/4 inch of foam that dissipated in a matter of seconds. Under-carbonated and flat. Very disappointing. I should mention that I soon as I bought this can I put it on ice. This brewery is facing some QC issues, because this can should never have been sold. I have a few more cans, I'll given it another try but I suspect I'll pour most of this down the drain.

May 20, 2019

npolachek from New York

3.28/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Very pedestrian beer - nothing special at all. If anything, tastes very weak with little smell and little bitter bite. Crushable and drinkable, but not anything special IMHO.

May 07, 2019

TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Serving: Can
Canned: Mar-25-2019


Pours a very clear pale straw with a quarter inch of very short lived white pop head. The aroma is pretty big for a pils. Lemongrass, some green apple lightly minty hops, cereal twang. The flavor follows with a big cerealy middle, some fruity twang and a mushy, chewing-on-raw-malt finish. It is not terribly dry with medium carbonation and a pretty smooth finish.
This is a fairly lackluster beer, but in some ways that's good. All the brewers of the world must collectively breathe a sigh of relief every time a brewery like Treehouse releases anything even vaguely resembling a dud. This one is not a dud, per se. But between it not living up to the promise of a German pilsner and it being contrary to my pilsner tastes on a couple counts (flabby, sweet twang, etc.), I'm not sure if have it again. Too much of what I look to avoid in a German pils and not enough of what I enjoy. It's not not drinkable, but it doesn't have a crisp bone in its body. Not terrible, just okay. Can't win 'em all.

And with that, Naked Prancing Statue Man and I have each at some point given the other a bad (too strong a word in this case) beer. I've still done it to him with more frequency, though. Which, when you think about it, is not something to be proud of...

3.5...3.5...3.5...3.5...3.25

Apr 30, 2019

mothman from Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Can. White head. Yellow color.

Bready and biscuit. Earthy and grassy hops. Zesty. Kind of basic for a Pilsner. Drinkable, but there are many other I prefer to this. Just lacks flavor.

Apr 15, 2019

hoptheology from South Dakota

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

16 oz can dated 11/14/18 poured into Ploughshare glass.

Hazy pale straw color with a fuzzy white head of 1 finger, receding to a fingernail.

Aromas of prairie grass, hay, straw, dew grass, parsley, honey, and pepper.

Flavor brings a crisp bitterness in the form of dry prairie grass, hay, pepper, orange peel, lemon, and a finish of bitter dirt grass and white bread.

Feel is crisp and semi-clean, the finish is not clean but is puckering and resiny.

Overall a decent pilsner but not the best I've had or even in my top 5. It tastes crisp but is not particularly refreshing, so it's pretty average.

Mar 17, 2019

Ciocanelu from Romania

3.6/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Light golden color with medium haze and white head. Aroma is lemony and grainy, quite clean overall. Taste is also clean, grainy, mineral with bitter, grassy finish. Medium body and carbonation. Overall it's a clean, easy drinking and hoppy lager.

Feb 20, 2019