Tree House Brewing (2022)

Quick add above, the pork shank and dinners we had were amazing

 

If it's BBQ you're after and you're taking 84 to 91 to get to New Haven there will be a few Bear's BBQ right off 91 in the Hartford/Windsor area. I slightly prefer Bear's to BT's as I think the BBQ is the same level but prefer Bear's sides.

Hope you're saving room for pizza in New Haven (Sally's, small pizzas>other sizes)

 

Jjjuice project, holy hell.

House yeast + a bowl of fruit.

Maybe the same reaction as my first taste of Juice Machine before EBF opened when we worked it in 2014. Amazing…

 

I've noticed that they hold up longer these days than in the past. It used to be that if I didn't drink it within two weeks, there was a definite drop off in flavor and fluffy mouth feel. I had a 6 week old Jjj Citra/Necteron last night and it was phenominal.

 

There's also a Bears BBQ in Hartford on the way down to New Haven if you're hungry and want to stop half way

 

A friend was up in Sturbridge last weekend for a wedding and visited the brewery. He brought home a haul and kindly bestowed me with a couple cans each of Julius and Green. Never thought I’d get my hands on any Treehouse beers, so I’m a very happy boy. The Green was canned 3/14/22, but the Julius cans were not stamped. Anybody know when the most recent batch was released? I assume it was in the same timeframe, but I’m curious. Thanks BAs.

 

There was a Green 3/2 then the one you mention. Most recent Julius cans I see on Twitter are from 3/4/22. That’s also the date of the ones I picked up on my visit on 3/8.

 

Thanks.

 

What'd you pick up @PA-Michigander? Inquiring minds, yadda yadda.

 

I hadn't bought Julius in a year or so but I grabbed a 4 pack of that 3/4 batch and it's really great. Like more or less what it tasted like 5 years ago good - the only time I can remember it being significantly better was the glass bottle 4 packs around Xmas 2020, which was unbelievably good.

 

so.... we can't say better in Monson anymore?

 

Well, Mike, I feel the need to preface this (not necessarily to you) order by saying I haven’t been to Tree House in over four years. Also each time I would come back from TH, after a couple weeks I’d always say I wish I had bought more after giving some to family, friends and trading partners. Yesterday I bought:

Jjjuliusss, Very Green, King Julius (16oz), Hold on to Sunshine, Doubleganger, Very Gggreennn, Gggreennn, Jjjuice Project, Haze (16oz), Green, Vanilla Bean Quad Shot, Nascent Truth, King Creamsicle, Bigger Peach, Žatec Harvest, Tree of Life Vanilla, King Julius (12oz), Triple Shot House Blend, Quad Shot Monochrome, Pizzeria Pils, Double Shot Intense Vanilla, It’s Your Lucky Day, Haze (12oz), Passion King.

And Miles to go Before I Sleep w/ Marshmallow on draft was sublime.

We went to Bar and Frank Pepe’s for pizza. I preferred the slightly more robust pizza at Frank Pepe’s but wouldn’t kick either out of bed.

First can cracked from the trip is right now:

As a vanilla *****, this is close to perfection in a can/glass.

 

Finally having the MLK beer. It's phenomenal - it's by far the least cloyingly sweet stout or porter I've had from TH in some time, at least as far as the non barrel stuff goes. If Double Shot could go back to tasting like a coffee infused version of this, it'd be great.

 

That seems like a "regret proof" haul right there. Great work.

Somehow I haven't been able to swing Frank Pepe on my many New Haven trips, but Bar has been pretty good to me. Sounds like a good time.

 

Price point is great compared to what? Maybe compared to their IPAs. I think they are decent, some fantastic, but still expensive. I can get equal or better quality for a much better price from Jacks Abby down the road.

 

*shrugs shoulders* $14 a 4-pack is a good price in my mind. I’m looking at at least that price for a 4-pack of any decent (non-German) lager around where I live. Schilling, Industrial Arts, Fox Farm, Tonewood, Suarez…are all more than that.

 

I'd take House lager by Jacks over Tree House's house lager both in terms of price and taste preference, but Tree House's oak aged lagers and a few of their other offerings like zatec harvest are better than anything I have had from Jack's . Definitely wish they were cheaper.

 

Yeah, I guess price point is good, but far from great. Although my opinion of what the price should be is skewed by what the macro's did to lager pricing and what microbreweries had to do to their prices due to the macro's. Lagers aren't much if any cheaper to make due to time vs materials but we haven't gotten used to them being cheaper. That said, Jack's Abby still does their 4 packs in the $8-12 range. I've been buying a butt ton of sunny ridge for $8 a 4 pack and can't find a better quality lager for the price of that beer IMO.

 

For years and years I bought the likes of Veltins, Bitburger, Krombacher, Kostritzer, etc and was paying, tops, $8 a 4-pack. I said, I believe I even started a thread about it, that I wouldn’t drop $14-18 on any American-made lagers because I felt the price I was getting was not gonna be topped and that German lagers are time tested and good.

Saying that, and I can’t speak for New England, but I’ve obviously broken that vow and living in NY, I’m paying on the average $16 a 4-pack. Some of them, Grimm in particular is charging $18/19 a 4-pack. The new Threes collab released today (an Amber-inspired Foeder lager) is going for $17. Schilling and Suarez is never cheaper than 16. Fox Farm is $3.50/3.75 a can. Even Jack’s, which around here I have a problem finding anything other than House Lager or Post Shift is $11 a 4-pack…best lager bargain around me.

So, from my perspective, $14 for the TH stuff, which I find to be right on par with all the breweries I mentioned, is a great price. YMMV of course.