Sojourn
Tree House Brewing Company

 

 

Appearance: Black, opaque, Moderate, slightly fizzy tan head.
Aroma: Big cocoa notes with some pine
Flavor: Lots of espresso with some punchy, piney hops underneath. Fermentation very clean.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, moderate carbonation, some resin dries out finish.
Overall: I like the malt/hop balance, malt flavor has nice roast flavor, but is a little one-note.

 

Picked up a single can as part of a mixed twelve pack at Tree House Brewery in Sandwich, Massachusetts for about forty eight dollars. My three hundred and eighty seventh brew from these guys. Good, but doesn't stand out.

Jet black with tan head. Nose is black coffee with hints of sweetness, maybe caramel. Taste is coffee and sweetness on backend. Decent bitterness builds slowly but lasts quite a while.

 

L - pours a darkly opaque crimson brown. There is light penetration. Thin, milky tan head doesn't linger long.

S - nutty. Chocolate Rice Krispies. Fresh and lightly roasted with what I expect will be some solid drying bitterness.

T - dark chocolate and underripe plum. Crunchy and hoppy. I can totally get the grapefruit peel. It's that slightly tart twang midway through a sip that develops into a chocolate-covered-orange kinda vibe, but with pink grapefruit bitterness. It's a complex vein of potent flavor.

F - beefed up body compared to others in this style. The thinness is what makes the flavor feel hollow and metallic. As always, TH nails the feel.

O - tastes like American Stouts of yore. We're talking the likes of Sierra Nevada Stout. Crisp, refreshing, and flavorful. West coast stout.

16oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Deep mahogany brown, almost black. Two and a half fingers of head form on the pour. That is khaki-colored with a very tight and small bubble pattern. Lacing forms in irregular chunks that cling to the glass. Overall head retention is great.

S: Brown cocoa and bakers chocolate. Some nuttiness. Medium roast coffee. Slightly herbal chicory. Bit of fig newton. Whiffs of bitter hops with a slight notion of pine and bark, and just a touch of steeliness.

T: There is a little more soot and roast up front than the nose let on. Slight smokiness. Medium roast coffee beans complete with the coffee-like acidity. Undertones of brown molasses, hazelnut fudge, and brown cocoa powder. Bit of treacle sweetness at its core. Golden raisin, briefly. Hope build a bit toward the back end. A little pine and bark, and a little bit of a sugared grapefruit pull for an instant. Slightly steely with a modest bitterness. Finishes with a kiss of smoke, brown caramel, and nutty homemade fudge.

M: Medium-full body. Deep creaminess to it, which evaporates off of the palate due to a nice thorough fermentation. Carbonation has a light prickle around the tongue. Some raspy hop tannin.

O: It's really a lovely beer, even without the usual bells, whistles, and dessert ingredients that Tree House loves to throw in. They've hit the style pretty perfectly and captured that "early scene" American Stout that spread out from the west coast. It's very nicely balanced and "flows" well too, starting with a quietly complex malt nuance and melding well with a c-hop profile that does what it was meant to do without feeling too brash. The body in particular impressed me, too. This is fermented more thoroughly than perhaps any other Tree House stout I've had to date, and it's so damn drinkable because of it. It practically evaporates off of the palate and sits pretty lightly in the stomach. This is easily one of the better classic styles that Tree House has executed to date, and one that I wish would stick around. There aren't enough beers like this readily available any more.

Purchased directly from the brewery.

L- Pours a viscous ebony with a creamy thin head.

S- Dark roasted malt, pumpernickel bread, coffee aroma.

T- Dark chocolate, coffee beans, pumpernickel bread with a pleasant bitterness.

F- Full mouthfeel with very delicate carbonation.

O- Fantastic! Very complex but the low abv allows the flavors to shine!

 

 

Canned 2025

Man they’re getting even less specific with the canning dates on non-IPAs these days huh? That’s annoying but I’ll live. I actually already tried this one and quite liked it; just a no frills American Stout. Let’s crack it open and give it a proper review

Pours almost completely pitch black with 2 fingers of frothy light tan head that slowly fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is straightforward, bittersweet and nicely balanced. I’m picking up on aromas of burnt toast, cacao nib, black cherry, molasses, leafy hops, walnut, acrid coffee, and light raisin

It’s not nearly as bitter in taste as the nose suggests, but it still remains balanced. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting cocoa powder, dark roast coffee, toffee, burnt sugar, black cherry, dark bread, and light earthy hops. The swallow brings notes of cacao nib, molasses, burnt toast, toffee, black cherry, dark roast coffee, tobacco, black tea, and leafy hops

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer. Finishes mostly dry with a firm bitterness

While this isn’t anything amazing it’s still a damn solid Stout

A no nonsense, no adjunct “regular” stout. Very well executed. We need more beers like this. This would be a staple in my fridge if it were more readily available.

 

Had on tap at Sandwich. Pours clear, dark brown in color with one inch head. Taste is leather,tootsie roll, and tobacco. Medium light body, low carbonation, slightly sweet. Solid stout but I go to Tree House for more than solid. Not bad but not memorable.