Far From The Tree
Masthead Brewing Co.

8 ball black with a thin tan head that quickly dies to a fine chain.

An astringent Brill-O nose is contrasted by a more enjoyably sweeter, thicker bourbon cacao palate that also has a surprising twist of almost smoky Scotch.

Having this blind before knowing the components was a very strange experience, but it's a fairly complex sipper.

My experiences with Masthead thus far have been varied, but the description of the liquid in this 500ML bottle sounds superb. Let us see.

The pour is black, the visible carbonation minimal. The nose is dominated by apple brandy fire.

Far from the Tree features two tastes: apple brandy & raw, prohibition-style booziness. The alcoholic heat rises straight to my brain pan while the apple brandy descends about two feet into my pleasure centers. That. Is. Lovely. Hearty maple & light caramel arrive mid-palate, along with wood & an almost Belgian yeast candied sweetness on the finish. Surprisingly dry & easy to sip for a brain-number.

I approve of this weird blending trend. The wheatwine is mostly subsumed here, but brings bits of loveliness. Big, brutal, with a great barrel. Excellent brew.

Having this beer on tap at the brewery. Served to me in a 10 ounce snifter glass, the spirit draws a very dark brown, practically a black color with a tan had that’s about 1/4 of an inch thick when first drawn and served. Although, the bartender that drew this beer for me from the top filled the glass up almost to the brim and didn’t really leave much room for a head to form, otherwise the head’s foam would’ve been overflowing and coming down the outside of the glass. The small head eventually settled to a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass. Aromas of some apple brandy and summer maple along with roasted caramel mulch, apple, and some notes of dark chocolate. A very similar flavor profile, with some roasted caramel malt sweetness that is followed by apple and brandy notes along with a bit of maple and some dark chocolate. This certainly is a bit boozy, and also a bit woody, from being aged in the apple brandy barrel. Also some peanut butter. All of the flavors mesh together so wonderfully on my pallet. This beer is truly delectable, all the different flavors are so incredibly balanced, and nothing dominates over anything else in the flavor profile. As a somewhat crisp, just ever so slightly quickly, Slightly syrupy and chewy, thick, medium to full bodied mouth feel with light carbonation. Simply an incredible beer. There’s nothing else to say. This is fucking incredible.

Eric