Wishful
Tree House Brewing Company

 

 

Traded for this with a friend recently, as I had never heard of this before. Like the idea behind this beer as the last few years could have been better on this end, and this was certainly wishful as it had a bright and sunny feel to it. While not among Tree House's better offerings, I did enjoy this as it was a cross between a juice bomb and something sweeter from the likes of Tired Hands.

The pour to this was like orange juice, but much murkier and with a massive head that took it's time settling down. Loved the lacing that was left behind as it was quite deep, layered, and extensive while covering up a majority of the inside of my pint glass. A few bits of dark sediment settled to the bottom but by no means were there a ton of floaties to ruin the visual appeal of this beer. Lots of orange, tangerine, pineapple, and cotton candy in the nose as the taste followed suit. A ton of mango came through on the palate once this warmed up as the orange pulp only added to the freshly squeezed feel of this beer. Couldn't pick out the coconut here and the hops were pretty basic as the Strata gave this a nice earthy dankness in the back and faded quietly after each sip.

There was a bit of booze to be had here but it wasn't a deterrent and by no means did I consider this to be a strong beer. Dated 12/2 on the bottom of the can with "WISHFUL DRINKING" written above it, this felt like something I'd have on a beach rather than during the parade of snowstorms that have hit this area recently. Not a letdown but not on par with their more famous, and better, offerings either...

 

Pours mildly cloudy, with aromas of pineapple and orange. Mild bitterness, less than traditional American IPAs, which mildly takes away from sytlistic points. Although not quite traditional, it is enjoyable regardless and masks the high alcohol content well.

 

 

Consumed 1/4/21

Golden orange, hazy and turbid, small head to start and fades to a few wisps, could pass for orange juice
Fresh-squeezed orange juice, tangerine juice, hint of grapefruit, some green hops but mostly just juice, loads of pineapple, other tropical fruit juice, low but some bitterness, pale malts, lightly grainy, lingering tropical/fruit punch flavors
Medium body, smooth, carbonation on the low side

Being "Wishful" in 2020 sure was optimistic. Like my sense of hope for 2021, I am undecided about this beer. I am also undecided about Tree House's apparent efforts to create beer that tastes less like "beer" and more like fruit smoothes/fruit punch. The fruit flavors here are impressive, no doubt, but I would personally prefer some more aggressiveness.

 

 

 

 

Decanted from a 16 oz (473 ml) can into a Tree House snifter glass; best by 12/02/20, code WISHFUL THINKING!
A: Pours an opaque, dark golden to light amber color (think tarnished brass) with a two finger, off-white head, lovely clearing/head formation, but spotty retention and soapy lacing.
S: Aromas of pineapple, apricot, and grapefruit predominate, overlaying a clear caramel piece and a pine/cedar note.
T: Semisweet. Palate largely follows the nose, although the caramel malt backbone much more evident and starts to reveal a grainier flavor as it warms. Solid, balanced bitterness.
M: Medium bodied with a moderate effervescence.
O: A little different from the larger Tree House stable, but I really enjoyed it. Very, very drinkable: wishing that I had more.

 

 

Can dated 12/2, drank 12/24 out of a tulip. Definitely below the mark for a Tree House beer.

It poured relatively clear and did indeed look like orange juice with a nice bit of head and some lasting lacing. The smell was nice and juicy but not as strong as other TH beers and the taste was mellow. True to the description, only a little bitterness and relatively bland but not in a bad way, just in a less than exciting way - as if to say, let’s enjoy this and move on to something with more character.

Then I poured the second half in the glass and it poured hazy, almost with a clunk as if the hop residue had coagulated in the bottom of the can. I’ve got two more cans so I’ll experiment with mixing it around a bit before opening, etc. but after 2.5 weeks, this beer should be in its prime, not degrading!

So it’s hard to rate this beer based on this experience; will update but that’s what I’m seeing as of now. Sorry TH - there’s a first for everything, but have to tell it as I is, and the can has been kept cold ever since I bought them.

 

 

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

S: Huge tropical fruit up front, with lots of coconut. Some citrus and floral notes as well

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the tropical fruit and floral notes along with some citrus and coconut. Moderately bitter. Finishes with lingering tropical fruit and citrus

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A very good IPA that is super easy to drink. Worth checking out