Data Set #6
Tree House Brewing Company

 

On tap at Tree House Charlton

Well work sent me to a conference in Springfield today, so naturally I had to hit up Tree House on the way home. It’ll be a quick visit, but I’m excited to finally try something from the Data Set series. The general consensus is that this is the weirdest one given the use of Nordic yeast, and I’m all about it. Let’s give it a whirl

Pours a hazy yellow gold with 2 fingers of soapy white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose definitely has sharpness I’d typically associate with a mixed fermentation Saison or something similar, but I like it in the context of a DIPA. I’m picking up on aromas of lime zest, wet hay, bready malt, mango skin, overripe cantaloupe, earthy hops, light grass, and lemon juice

It actually doesn’t lean as hard into the weirdness in taste, and though it’s still good it’s worse off for that. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting overripe cantaloupe, orange zest, grassy hops, bready malt, papaya, light pineapple juice, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of bready malt, overripe cantaloupe, peach pit, mango skin, earthy hops, wet hay, lemon zest, light honey, and grass

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes mostly dry with a great snap to keep things super refreshing

This is super weird, but super fun. I wish I made it out to the brewery when this whole series was fresher and they had them all available, but I’m still happy I got to try it

 

 

Pours a darker color than any others in the series, more of a coppery orange hue.

Somewhat sharp aroma, distinct from all the others in the series. Very piney. Notes of grapefruit, pine, oregano, mint. Absolutely brighter and less juicy than the others.

Expresses almost like a WC or throwback IPA, but with a specific softness and lower bitterness. There's some tropical fruit flavor to be sure, including melon, mango, and papaya, but there's a pleasant and easy-going citrus aspect to it, with notes of grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Incredibly soft in flavor expression, it's like a fruit salad, and impressively drinkable.

This one may not be my favorite in the series, but it's immediately up in that territory. It's supremely drinkable and simultaneously flavorful. Tree House's notes track on this one. I'm really, really digging this one. It's perhaps less bold than the others (certainly less so than the thiolized yeast variant), but it drinks just so damn easy, while still carrying along stupendous layers of flavor.

 

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a creamy white head that provides significant lacing, this is by far the darkest of the Data Set series. The nose has an almost estery note with pineapple and mango notes as well.

The taste is definitely influenced by the estery flavors, which to my palate dulls the mango and pineapple flavors a bit, with nothing really juicy here. Drinks more like a WCIPA (or Brett IPA).

The mouthfeel is medium and not particularly soft. This is BY FAR the most different of the Data Set series, and the most different from the “regular” Tree House lineup. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try it, but this is the lesser beer of this fantastic series, IMHO.