Tree House (2021)

It's absurd to us, but plenty of people are willing to pay it to dodge the hassle of trading or simply tick it off their list. We can bitch about absurd prices like this, or the secondary market / scalping, but without willing buyers none of it would exist. I wish there was some way to fix it but I just don't see how.

 

When you factor in boxing, packaging, shipping and the time spent dealing either with a trader, secondary seller, or working out PayPal and the like, it's really not that much extra to spend on a 4-pack to someone really jonesing for it.

And if you want to factor in driving from Philly to wherever the closest drop spot is, then forget about it. Time is money, not to mention fuel.

Upcharging for an otherwise non-distributed luxury good is not new.

 

I'm planning to visit TH next week for the first time and as less of a hop head these days, I'm curious how good are these other beers.

 

Oak conditioned helles (Free to Roam) and both version of Bear (brown ale) are excellent. Like, legitimately excellent. The rest are adequate imo.

 

Tree House does a lot of things great, but a low ABV or session ale is not one of them.

 

I went last Friday (admittedly, mainly to finally have in-house pours again for the first time since lockdown) and my haul was exactly these beers, a four-pack of Green, and a four-pack of One. Also some bottles of the porter and Double Shot cold brew.

Extremely satisfied with everything (as is my wife for sparing at least a bit of refrigerator space). Both Bears are outstanding, I'm tempted to save them for cool Fall nights but there's no way they'll last that long. Wanderer and Outlier are terrific for this time of year.

Also, One is awesome. I'm inclined to think it really is like having an OG batch of Julius (never had it myself, unfortunately). The aroma has a bit of pine (and no melon!) but is still orange-forward, the mouthfeel has that breadyness that I really miss from my time getting into proto-NEIPAs in the early 20-teens (this actually really reminds me of the first time I had Double Sunshine bottles bought from the Waitsfield Farmers Market), and there's actually a pleasant bit of bitterness! This is really taking me back. I hope they keep it in a somewhat regular rotation.

 

Dreamer their Hefe is outstanding. It has so much banana in the flavor profile and yet is super refreshing and clean to drink. Surfcaster (witbier) is also great… unfortunately neither of those looks to be available now. Their lager game is high level though, especially considering how new they are to releasing them.

Also I agree that their low abv pale ales are the worst offerings they put out and haven’t bought one in probably 2 years. As I type this I realize they haven’t released Lights On in forever. It used to be every week it seemed.

 

Haven't had either of those but would love to try them. I heard someone else describe Surfcaster as Tree House Blue Moon or Allagash White and well, regardless of which end of the orange to lemon spectrum it's nearer to that's up my alley for sure.

I think y'all are way off base on the pale ales though - I wouldn't call them session beers, they're near 6% abv and I can't recall if they've ever gone below mid 4s, but imo they're phenomenal. Lights Out is one of my all time favorite Tree House beers, as is Pride and Purpose. If we're including Eureka in this category, it's even better.

 

Thanks, everyone. I'm glad to hear that non-IPAs are great. Now I just need to get them.

 

I disagree. Eureka, their hoppy blonde ale, is an excellent session ale. Maybe the best I’ve had.

 

Eureka Citra is one of my favorite beers ever. The flavor and overall profile in such a low ABV just hits the spot perfectly. Not to mention, it’s one of their cheapest offerings. It’s the only beer I’ve ever bought a case of (2 actually) from TH.

 

Subjectivity, personal taste, yadda yadda, but this is flat-out and categorically untrue. Like not even close to true.

 

Yea - I don't think the "don't do them well," but they certainly don't prioritize them enough from a production standpoint.

 

Bold take. Eureka has insane flavor for its ABV.

 

You’re not getting a lot of likes for that comment! Put me in the camp of loving their pales ales, Lights On/Off are wonderful beers. They really should be available during these summer months, not that these summer months are typical summer months

 

Hey, we don't like shame here.

 

This is on the Woodstock order page but Twitter only shows one offering. I'm guessing they will be hidden soon but available in days to come:

 

They released one new cider yesterday which is what I'm thinking you're referring to when you say Twitter only shows one offering. The others have been available since last week.

 

I’m pretty close to Woodstock and picked some up, you guys have to see the rally course drive to their barn/pick up location. No signs of course to let you know where to go. I’d say the Vibrant Apple was “good” but hardly mind blowing. Saving the larger bottle of the black raspberry for a dinner.

 

You guys had me questioning my take so I just looked at my Untappd feed. The (what I would consider) lower ABV beers I've had from Tree House are Eureka, Eureka Citra, Lights On, Crew Beer, Beneficiaries of Chance, Tornado, Lights Out & Present Moment. I liked them all fine (Present Moment rated highest), so perhaps my statement was a bit over the top, but my line of thinking was more in comparison to what some other breweries are doing in that space. And perhaps I'm spoiled by the fact that I'm near Hidden River and South County, two breweries that I think are doing the best lower ABV takes I've had.