Blueberry Brunch
Tree House Brewing Company

 

 

 

Drank from a 12 oz. bottle purchased at Tree House Brewing Company, Charlton, MA
Served in a tulip

The beer poured a super dense and shimmery looking pitch black that was reminiscent of used motor oil. There was zero head and no lacing.

The aroma was really intense. Super malty and robust with huge bourbon barrel notes. Quite boozy, but pleasantly so. Moderately sweet. Maple and vanilla cream were apparent. Good dose of brown sugar too. Hint of fruity, berry-like notes, but I did not pick up on the blueberry specifically. Some sweetened coffee was detectable as the beer warmed.

The flavor profile followed the nose and was just as impressive. Uber malty and rich up front. Nice melding of roasted and sweet caramel malts. The bourbon character hit hard right away and intensified as the beer moved along the palate. Some maple and vanilla cream appeared in the center. More boozy bourbon and moderate roast on the back end and in the finish.

Nice rich, full bodied mouthfeel. Slick and smooth on the palate. The liquid contained a fine, subtle effervescence that worked nicely for the style. By the drink’s end, the sugars in the beer left a sticky film on my lips.

Despite the fact that the blueberry was hardly noticeable in this beer, Blueberry Brunch was still amazing. I would gladly drink this as a brunch beer alongside a plate of maple drizzled blueberry pancakes or simply as an entity all by itself.

 

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Tree House tulip

L: Inky black pour. Nearly flat... viscous and thick. Completely opaque. Minimal mocha colored head... falls fast with a thin ring of lacing.

S: Rich and hearty. Blueberry, cocoa, and roasted grains.

T.F: Just like it smells. Rich and sweet. Some blueberry but not overwhelming. It's a nice complement to the chocolate and roast. Maple syrup, booze, and vanilla. Bourbon... more sweets. Sticky and syrupy mouthfeel. Rich and thick... low carbonation. Another hit oif blueberry and maple to finish.

O: An absolutely decadent and delicious Imperial Stout. Outstanding flavor... super drinkable... and a great evening/dessert beer.

 

Thick, rich, delicious. Dark dark poor looks almost flat. It’s a hearty one.

 

The tar black pour is slow to build a level dark tan blanket that disperses to a thin chain. It's certainly the thickest I've seen a Tree House stout pour.

First whiff is quite chocolatey, but then taste adds a load of delectably roasted coffee with accents of char and caramel that bloom most especially after the swallow to become really gooey dark salted caramel.

The blueberry doesn't seem to present to me, aside from perhaps a tang that accentuates the other flavors, but this is so delicious I don't even care. I may even be glad that it's not actually forward.

The medium to full body is fairly viscous on the palate, cut only by a fine carbonation that comes to a semi-sticky yet chewy finish. Yep, it's definitely the thickest Tree House stout I've had.

 

I often lament about Tree House not delivering on the descriptions of their stouts. So many sound simply awesome, but they often taste overly generic with hardly any of the intended flavors.

This stout delivers.

It pours thick as motor oil. Smells of blueberries. And the viscous texture coats your tongue with blueberry and a hint of chocolate. It isn't cloyingly sweet nor overpowering of bourbon. It's just enough of everything to be a new favorite on my list.

 

 

It's always interesting to see blueberry as an adjunct in a Stout. They can add a nice zing to the heavy style which is much appreciated. That being said, I know Tree House Stouts tend to lean towards the sweet end of the spectrum, so I'm not sure if the blueberry will add that little twang I like. Let's pop it open and find out

Pours a very dark brown with a finger of dark mocha head that fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The blueberry in the nose is subtle, but everything else going on is really nice, and it has a slight smoky character that I dig. I'm picking up on aromas of medium roast coffee, cocoa powder, sweet maple, blueberry syrup, smoked malt, smooth whiskey, and toasted oak

Again in taste, the blueberry character isn't what I prefer, but this is actually quite unique. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting juicy blueberry, dark chocolate, sweet bourbon, medium roast coffee, vanilla, maple syrup, light raisin, burnt caramel, and brown sugar. The swallow brings notes of blueberry syrup, medium roast coffee, maple syrup over pancakes, campfire smoke, toasted oak, burnt caramel, and sweet bourbon

A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth and slightly hot beer. Finishes quite dry for the style with a nice blueberry character

I have to bump this one up in the overall just for the fact that it is very unique. The zest from the blueberry also came out of the beer more over the course of the hour that I was sipping it. Great stuff

 

Pours opaque, jet black in color with one quarter inch head. Taste is mostly coffee with maple and slight blueberry. Heavy body, really low carbonation, sweet. I want more blueberry. Great maple Tree stout but didn't blow me away without the blueberry. Not much different than their other stouts.