Tree House (2025)

DDH Congress was the one for me that was pretty harsh. Could be me actually…

 

Doubled-down on Tangy, sight unseen, and god damn! this hop is god-tier juice

 

Damnit, I was there earlier this week and came close to buying cans of that but I didn't see any reviews yet so decided against it.

At least I'm really enjoying those xmas ipas with flowers and tea leaves. Was hesitant but glad I tried them.

 

Interesting. It’s weird because I bought Green after the Galaxy praise on here and it was a bit harsh. That’s beer though. Just nice to have this variety of options.

 

I did have the same experience with Green recently. I do recall a glory days of Galaxy hops. Tied, for me, to the first canning run Trillium had of Congress Street back in 2016. Epic.

 

So I’ve enjoyed the Galaxy hops this year. I do know that it’s been diffent since the way back lots and subsequent shit years.

I’ll have to grab some green and give it a taste.

 

It's funny how weird human taste buds are. I remember trying that exact batch of Congress Street and thinking there was something wrong with it. It was where that "peanut shell" thing started, at least for me.

 

I’m pretty sure that the galaxy we tasted in Congress, Headroom, etc around the 2013,14,15 time frame was a peak that’s never been achieved since. I would for sure throw TH in there too. But, his house yeast flavor was so polarizing that it sort of is hard to compare with Green. It’s what separated that beer. I’ll add HF D-Galaxy as well.

As far as what we know Galaxy to be now. I loved the fall beers TH puts out. I personally thought bright Galaxy was next level and just about perfect.

I also think both Mosaic and Citra around 2014/15 were a bit different as well. But, most likely far fewer hop farms and cross breeds getting into every brewers hands.

 

Had the Bright Galaxy in Tewks yesterday, solid meh.

 

thats a good comparison...I couldn't get past snickers bar, but peanut shell feels more appropriate. peanut shell and raw onions. Great times throwing twenty bucks down the drain

 

Notes from a recent trip:

Drafts:
- Absolute Silence (wife's pour) was a sweet and muddy mess. Overly floral with cantaloupe notes that hit more like sunscreen than hop juice. This one was a swing and a miss.

- Human Condition (also wife's pour) was delicious but who could drink 16 ounces of something this sweet? She had a hard time even finishing the 12 oz pour despite really liking it at first. I wish they could tone down the sugar factor on some of these stouts while retaining the incredible mouthfeel and texture. The cloyingness just runs them right out of my enjoyment zone, sadly. Had planned to grab a four pack of one of their stouts in cans, but this pour talked me out of it.

- Very SSSapppy was very good but wasn't particularly sappy for a beer of that name. I expected a lot more sticky resiny pine witht this, and was disappointed it didn't deliver that. Drank very similar to a King J type of beer, which is of course delicious, but not quite what this was billed as.

- Bear is always incredible and this time was no different. What a beer. Real shame they didn't have cans.

Cans:
- Sap is Sap and it's good.
- Green is Green and it's good. No hop burn on this one to me, but I never mind a little of that anyway, having come of beer enjoying age during the IBU wars.
- Bifrost is labeled a farmhouse ale but it drinks more like a witbier. Totally fine, but unremarkable, more akin to an Allagash White than an Oxbow FPA.
- Nomad is always a winner. Remarkable toasted, bready, malty flavor for 4.6%, with the perfect faint hit of cocoa.
- Julius (canned 12/19 and tasted two days old) was on point. I love the extra charge it gives when it's ripping fresh like this.
- Haze remains their most underhyped IPA for me. The perfect balance of peachy juice and hop backbone.
- Seedling is a tremendous lager; a mouthful of pine and citrus on top of a crisp bready base.
- Super Sap - haven't cracked one of these yet, but a little bummed to see it's listed at 8.6%. I'm quite sure it used to be in the upper 7s and was absolutely perfect right there; it didn't need to get any boozier or sweeter.

 

I believe it’s always been the DIPA version and clocked in between 7.9/8 - 8.4. It’s going to be a little sweeter with higher gravity. It has varied a little in abv.

Very Sappy also being over 8% and the extra hopped version of Siuper.

Sssappp would be your hop extra charged IPA version you’d probably prefer.

 

Yeah, I wish they'd had Sssappp when I visited. Didn't spring for King Sap because budget was limited and Very Sssapppy was already plenty Kingly for me. I remain somewhat disappointed that Very Sssapppy dials up the sweetness/juiciness more than the sappiness compared to the Sap baseline. First world problems, for sure. Looking forward to cracking a Super soon, probably on Christmas.

I looked at an old photo and saw that Super Sap was 7.9% ABV in 2021, which was the first time I had it. At the time I thought it was the best NEIPA I'd ever had (since joined in that upper echelon by Silver Fern and the Greenest Green and surpassed by hand pulled Heady).

 

That's crazy that it's 8.6% now.... why did they need to do that? I probably would not purchase it, as their stuff over ~8.2% is usually not too enjoyable for me

 

Heavenly Peace and Brighter Lights ever make it to Tewksbury? Been four days, haven't seen it pop up

 

I inquired about these on Sunday and they said they had "already sold out" which I highly doubt, I don't even think Tewks gets restocks on weekends. There were at least three new beers on Monday though.
Looks like they are both in Deerfield fwiw.
They did have the Anchovy beer to go inside at Tewks but it wasn't on the to-go options on the website. I tried it on tap and glad I didn't get a 4 pack.

 

It got horrible for me around the time Trillium dropped Galaxy from their beers entirely for several years and has never really recovered. I think it was that far off from that, only a couple of years or so.

 

Tree of Life (Port) was the best beer I've had from Tree House in a really, really long time. Great carb level, not hot at all, just really smooth vanilla, tobacco, and sweetness. I'm seeing it's no longer on their site, which is a bummer.

 

For what it’s worth, they still have it in Sandwich.

 

Julis 10/14 tasting pretty amazing right now