Memphis Flash
Tree House Brewing Company

Poured from a bottle into pint glass in September 2024. I do not see a bottled on date, but I drank this about 1 month after purchasing the bottle at the Tree House brewpub.

Appearance: As with many imperial stouts, very dark black with a thin dark brown head. The head was only 1 finger high, and lasted a minute. It leaves only a little lacing on the glass, and ended with a thin tan head still on the beer. Head bubbles were very fine.

Smell: Strong aroma of bourbon, chocolate, and peanut butter. There is also some caramel, vanilla, and some other sweet aroma like black licorice, but overall the peanut butter and bourbon dominate the others. It is an interesting balance of aromas, and good contrast.

Taste: There is a nice balance between the chocolate, bourbon, and sweetness from the peanut butter flavors. There is some smokie roasted flavors, some caramel, vanilla, and coffee flavors, and a little amount of bitter hop flavors to enhance the taste and add some complexity. I am not getting much banana flavor as mentioned on the label. There is a strong alcohol presence, but interestingly the ABV is not listed on the label. The taste is a very good mix.

Mouth-feel: Thick like liquid licorice, but with a smooth body. Not overly smooth like a Milk Stout.

This is an excellent, complex barrel-blended Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. Although this is a big beer, it is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. This peanut butter sweetness nicely contrasts the bourbon flavor, and is a nice balance to the alcohol. I do prefer some of their other special stouts, such as Persist, Persevere, and Big Nugget.

This reminds me a lot of Founder's CBS and KBS stouts which are some of my favorite beers. At $10 for a 12oz bottle, I just wish it was not so expensive. Another outstanding beer by Tree House.

See my Founders CBS review for a list of my current favorite stouts.

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle shared by Tim.

Oily black, thich, chewy mouthfeel. Rich dark fudge with light peanut and pretty apparent bananas. Bourbon follows through. The bananas have a light astringency similar to banana peels.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen the combination of banana, peanut butter, and vanilla in a beer before, but I’m sure as hell intrigued by it. I trust that Tree House can blend together all these adjuncts and a barrel without being overwhelming, but I am still expecting decadence. Let’s dive right in

Pours a completely pitch black with a finger of frothy dark brown head that fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

Oh man, this is super decadent in the nose, even more so than expected. I’m picking up on aromas of overripe banana, peanut butter, sea salt, chocolate fudge, toasted oak, brown sugar, burnt caramel, molasses, black cherry, sweet bourbon, and vanilla bean

Surprisingly things are more gentle in taste, but it’s still damn good. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting overripe banana, vanilla bean, milk chocolate, smooth oak, black cherry, burnt caramel, peanut butter, and the slightest hint of lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of peanut butter, milk chocolate, overripe banana, vanilla creme, molasses, smooth oak, light bourbon, and brown sugar

A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a rich beer. Finishes a tad sticky but dries out slowly

This one is a lot to get through, but it’s damn good. Definitely a unique one

Its with an explosion of peanut butter, banana, bourbon and vanilla that Tree House enters the craft beer building. Piling these Elvis' favorites onto an imperial stout makes for a perfect Memphis treat.

Memphis Flash pours with a plush and tar-like appearance before topping with a slight trickle of espresso froth. As its scent swoons the nose with savory banana, chocolate, peanut, coffee and cream, so does a tingle of alcohol that reads like bourbon spice. Similarly in taste, the decadence of peanut butter, chocolate, blackstrap molasses, mocha and fruit sweetness and soothe the early palate with dessert-like effects.

Full and equally as plush on the middle palate, the flavors melt into the tastebuds with savory, sultry and sweet blend of peanut butter and chocolate with an overtone of banana and toasted sugar cookie for that special taste of childhood snack sandwiches. With flavors of espresso roast, sweet cream and caramel adding charm, a fatigue on the late palate happens as the warmth of kahlua and whisky are no matched for the mounting sweetness that the stout brings to the late palate.

Unabashedly full, unapologetic and drinking with the mouthfeel of cake batter, the sharable stout is certainly relegated to dessert status as palate fatigue comes on with a few simple ounces.

 

 

This one pours a very dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like caramelized and roasted banana, graham cracker, roasted peanuts, vanilla, and milk chocolate.

The banana flavor is interesting in this one – it’s super fleshy, and almost reminds me of roasted pumpkin, or pumpkin pie, which interesting and not all that unpleasant. There’s a peanut-like flavor, not really peanut butter, with a nice creamy vanilla and milk chocolatey sweetness.

This is medium bodied, fairly creamy, and not very boozy.

This takes an interesting and not all that sludgy path to pastry town.

 

 

 

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip pint glass. Pours pitch black with almost zero head or lacing. Aroma features TONS of banana. Bourbon, vanilla, sweet chocolate, glazed donuts, black coffee, dark roasted malts, and a hint of peanut butter. Taste is similar - you asked for bananas, you got bananas. Sweet bananas foster, but not cloying. Mouthfeel is thick, viscous, palate-coating, and not overly boozy although you can tell it's a strong beer. Overall, this is the perfect BA banana stout. No other breweries need apply - perfection has been attained.

 

 

 

Pours opaque, jet black in color with minimal head. Taste is big banana, peanut butter, barrel, and booze. Heavy body, moderate carbonation, sweet and roasty. Not usually a fan of Tree House's barrel beers but this is delicious. Peanut butter and banana that both shine, yum. Rivals DuClaws Sweet Baby Jesus as my favorite Peanut Butter Stout. Unique combination for a beer.