Triple Shot - Vanilla Bean
Tree House Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlton draught, 9/26/24. Undetermined clarity. Dark. Tan head steadily to ring. Ashy, dark roasted coffee alongside soft, but rich and lovely vanilla bean. Caramel, chocolate, marshmallow and lactose notes fill in the rest. No booze. Thick, fluffy, lightly lactic, lots of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, marshmallow and of course the well-done vanilla beans. Aside from those, though, it's just another entry in this overly sweet, overly lactic, overly roasty series. This keg, at least, isn't too terribly sweet and there's no alcohol apparent. Impressive that the coffee hasn't gone green bell pepper after 8 years.

 

 

 

 

 

Drank on tap at Tree House Brewing Company, Charlton, MA
Served in a tulip

Outstanding appearance. The beer poured a syrupy and viscous, deep obsidian black and was topped by a finger-tall, super dense and creamy, caramel colored crown that slowly dropped to a thick, lasting collar. A blanket of spotty lacing coated the glass and stuck anround until the drink’s end.

The aroma was somewhat disappointing initially but really improved with time. There was a big roasted malt presence at first. I thought I picked up some espresso as well, but it was tough to decipher this against all the roast. Dark chocolate was also noticeable. Hint of sweet, creamy lactose and vanilla too. As the beer opened up, the roast mellowed and the sweetness really intensified. The vanilla became really punchy and fragrant and reminded me of a high quality vanilla extract. The creamy lactose presence was also more pronounced. Both the dark chocolate and espresso notes came forth as well, lending the beer a sweet, smooth, rounded, mocha-like quality.

Similar to the nose, the flavor profile was somewhat lackluster at first but became much better as the beer opened up. Here, the roasted malts were very strong and bitter up front. Subtle chocolate notes appeared in the center. There was sweet, punchy, lactose-like quality on the back end. Good dose of vanilla too. The espresso was noticeable but definitely more subtle than I anticipated. More roasted malts and bitterness on the back end and in the finish. Sweet vanilla and lactose notes combined with the roasted malts after the swallow. As the beer warmed, the flavor profile became a lot smoother and more well integrated. The roasty bitterness mellowed and both the espresso and chocolate notes came forth. The vanilla was significantly punchier as well.

The one aspect of the beer was spectacular from the very start was the mouthfeel. It was impossibly creamy, dense and smooth. Full bodied for the style. The liquid contained a super tight, moderate carbonation that gave the beer the most incredible suppleness on the palate.

Although Triple Shot - Vanilla Bean failed to meet my expectations initially, it really came into its own with time. Tree House’s Single/Double/Triple Shot series beers are usually fantastic, and this one might be the very best of the bunch.

 

 

 

 

 

Had this at Extreme Beer Fest in Boston 2016: sample cup

dark and rich, smells like heaven: rich coffee and vanilla
very little carbonation, silky smooth.
tastes like a room temperature vanilla latte with a small trace of bitter chocolate