Tree Of Life - Tawny Port Barrel-Aged
Tree House Brewing Company

 

Picked up a 12 oz bottle from the TH Deerfield facility 10-1-25 for $18.00. No bottle date but presumably 2025; consumed 4-15-26.

Beer poured burgundy - brown with a small tan head that dissipated quickly.

Nose is rich with dark fruits from not only the malt base but the barrel as well. Getting some vanilla as well.

Taste is a malt base rich in plums, prunes, and caramelized brown sugar. Barrel lends dark grapes and a hint of vanilla. Finishes sweet but appropriate for the EBW style.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and silky smooth.

Overall, a world class dangerously drinkable EBW, nicely done Tree House team!

Pours a dark dark brown so brown it could be black thin tan ring is all for a head

Aroma is big caramel, brown sugars, figs, dates, port, vanilla, oak, old wallet, molasses. sweet inviting goodness. English style not sure why its listed as American.

Tase is big chewy caramel, molasses and brown sugars covered dates, dark fruits, old leather, vanilla, port notes, oak. Smooth drinking malty dark fruit sweet goodness, no hints of the 14.5% This is absolutely fabulous or maybe its the 8 inches of snow outside .

Mouthfeel is full big smooth but not quite chewy.

Overall wish I had a couple more of these hidden away, so far thinks its the best BW I have had from my Tree House trip so far.

Drinking at the brewery.
Pours a very dark mahogany with a very thin head.
Smell dominated by port.
Nice smooth silky mouth feel.
Complex balanced taste of barley wine balanced by port.
Really nice.

Dark mahogany with a short but dense tan head.

Nose is very mature of dark chars, port, Raisinets, spiced date and molasses.

Taste adds a punch of zippy caramelized red grape that has a unique tang and tingle to it before deepening and exhaling maple nougatty port decadence, even with some Madagascar caviar.

Warming, a silky viscosity is cut by a fine crispness that has just a tinge of zesty alcohol within it.

 

This is absolutely glorious. Overall it's hugely sweet but there are so many layers and subtleties at work that it comes across as a refined desert beer.

Caramel, brulee'd brown sugar, vanilla paste, and plenty of delicately sweet, earthy grapes. TH just kills barleywine.

 

 

Spring 2025 vintage

It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a Tree House Barleywine, and one aged in a port barrel sounds like a great way to jump back into that game. It’s by far the most interesting barrel variant of this guy that I’ve seen. Let’s crack it open and see what it has to offer

Pours an opaque medium brown with a finger of creamy light tan head that quickly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose here is loud as hell, rich and nutty with a deep fruitiness. I’m picking up on aromas of tobacco, port wine, toasted walnut, dates, smooth oak, creme brûlée, brown sugar, brown bread, book leather, honey, and vanilla bean

It’s quite similar in taste, though it comes through a bit thinner than expected. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting sweet honey, molasses, smooth oak, plum skin, port wine, walnut, caramel, red grape, and light leather. The swallow brings notes of port wine, plum skin, toasted walnut, dates, brown sugar, vanilla bean, smoky tobacco, buttery oak, smooth bourbon, and cherry pit

A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a rich and chewy beer. Finishes mostly dry and drinks well below its abv

Wow, this one is phenomenal. I forgot just how good their Barleywine can be

 

Caramel and Dulce de leche, sweet port and sweet red wine, brown sugar covered raisins, and a vanilla-bourbon, oak barrel nose on this one! Taste follows very closely, with a red wine vinous, caramelized brown sugar, and a bourbon barrel finish. If I am nitpicking, I would probably want more port barrel notes to shine through since I love port dessert wine. But honestly, to appeal to the masses as well as the beer nerds, this is probably dialed in and appropriate. This is well done!