Ancient World
Tree House Brewing Company
- From:
- Tree House Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
- ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- +2 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.26 | pDev: 4.23%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 19, 2026
- Added:
- Jul 25, 2024
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
NO SCORE
-
-
Ancient World is our spin on a barrel-aged Scotch Ale. We've taken our beloved Old World and let it mature in various oak barrels for just over a year, allowing a wholly new and original beer with depth and complexity to emerge. Pouring a deep chestnut color in the glass, Ancient World greets you with bold notes of vanilla and oak bourbon, alongside subtle hints of smoke and char. These meld seamlessly with the robust character of toffee, caramel, and dark fruit, all culminating in a finish that offers a gentle warmth courtesy of the barrel aging. We are thrilled to preset you with this amplified take on a truly classic style, and it is our hope that you can sit back and savor a bit of the Ancient World.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts
3.94/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into a snifter.
A: Deep mahogany brown. Looks to have some haze, but hard to tell. A finger of beige head settles in short order and forms a thin cap. Patchy and thin sheets of lacing.
S: Brown bread and toast, whiffs of candy shell and concord grape. It is a very timid nose overall and takes its time opening. As it warms, a subtle peaty smoke and some earthiness start to pull through. Soft oaky backing with pleasantly aromatic vanillins, in a coconut shaving sort of way. Very faint bourbon.
T: Not so timid in taste, thankfully. Brown bread and blackstrap molasses up front. Toasted crust. Hints of smoke. Raisin and concord grape, candy shell. The barrel contribution is bolder, with plenty of nice toasty oak and hints of browned marshmallow and coconut shavings. Corny sweet bourbon too, although it is quite gentle with no heat. Background earthiness and perhaps some herbal hops. Finishes with trailing bourbon and a lot of bread crust.
M: Full bodied with some heft. Creamy and smooth in texture. Mild wood tannin. Carbonation is there, but subdued.
O: Nothing earth-shattering here, but it is enjoyable. The base beer is mostly up to par for an Americanized scotch ale, and the barrel aging is nice. Nose is strangely timid, but in the end it works. Don't know that I'd pay the premium for it again personally, but I had no complaints putting it down.
Feb 19, 2026A: Deep mahogany brown. Looks to have some haze, but hard to tell. A finger of beige head settles in short order and forms a thin cap. Patchy and thin sheets of lacing.
S: Brown bread and toast, whiffs of candy shell and concord grape. It is a very timid nose overall and takes its time opening. As it warms, a subtle peaty smoke and some earthiness start to pull through. Soft oaky backing with pleasantly aromatic vanillins, in a coconut shaving sort of way. Very faint bourbon.
T: Not so timid in taste, thankfully. Brown bread and blackstrap molasses up front. Toasted crust. Hints of smoke. Raisin and concord grape, candy shell. The barrel contribution is bolder, with plenty of nice toasty oak and hints of browned marshmallow and coconut shavings. Corny sweet bourbon too, although it is quite gentle with no heat. Background earthiness and perhaps some herbal hops. Finishes with trailing bourbon and a lot of bread crust.
M: Full bodied with some heft. Creamy and smooth in texture. Mild wood tannin. Carbonation is there, but subdued.
O: Nothing earth-shattering here, but it is enjoyable. The base beer is mostly up to par for an Americanized scotch ale, and the barrel aging is nice. Nose is strangely timid, but in the end it works. Don't know that I'd pay the premium for it again personally, but I had no complaints putting it down.
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
4.52/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look - Dark dark dark brown with a great slightly tan foamy head and sticky
Smell and taste - caramel woody and sweet
Feel - medium full body with a medium carb
Overall - outstanding
Sep 09, 2024Smell and taste - caramel woody and sweet
Feel - medium full body with a medium carb
Overall - outstanding
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut
4.28/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Very good head production and retention, especially considering the barrel aging and high ABV.
Super rich and malty aroma, on the sweet side but not over the top. Notes of biscuit, prune, cola, brown sugar, caramel, oak, bourbon, and even a hint of smoke.
Flavor follows. It's sweet, but not cloying, and on the back third, there's plenty of leathery, almost neutral bitterness. I'm not sure if they used any smoked malt in this beer, or if it's the char from the barrels coming through, but there is a very slight smoky, ashy note. Tasting notes match the nose note for note. Nice warming heat from the booze.
Aug 10, 2024Super rich and malty aroma, on the sweet side but not over the top. Notes of biscuit, prune, cola, brown sugar, caramel, oak, bourbon, and even a hint of smoke.
Flavor follows. It's sweet, but not cloying, and on the back third, there's plenty of leathery, almost neutral bitterness. I'm not sure if they used any smoked malt in this beer, or if it's the char from the barrels coming through, but there is a very slight smoky, ashy note. Tasting notes match the nose note for note. Nice warming heat from the booze.
Reviewed by Jw13 from Massachusetts
4.46/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Taste is similar to Tree House's two other riffs on a barrel aged version of Old World Scotch Ale. But unlike its brothers, this is aged in more neutral wood, so the flavors are more from the underlying beer than from the previous occupant of the barrel. In comparison with the other two, this is clearly ahead of the Double Bourbon version (which was too sweet for me), but on a par with the Bourbon Scotch version. The smell is of molasses, and dark fruit and malt loaf appear on the taste. Mild carbonation helps to clear the palate after each sip. And at 12% this is a sipping beer.
Jul 25, 2024
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