From both Treehouse's website and all reviews, it seems Treehouse beers are a rare commodity. They have very limited hours (only open three days per week), have limited selections, and according to their website, even may release beers "silently" to "create a manageable situation" for staff and neighbors. Sounds pretty hectic, right? Reviews of the beers suggest one should arrive several hours before opening to get first crack at their beers, and that some have been turned away from sale days due to a lack of beer at the brewery. In addition, overflow parking lots are available for beer-seekers at peak times. You'd think they are giving away gold bars, too, by the sound of it. The hype seems almost too exaggerated to be real.
Only one way to find out.
My brother Dan, my aunt Jayne, and I traveled up to the small, rural town of Monson (pronounced Mun-son) a few weeks back (where, I later find out, my paternal great-grandmother lived for a time) to seek out the brewery. So we drove up there on a Wednesday; their hours were 12 - 6. I read on their Twitter account that they were distributing two beers that day - with only 500 cases of each available. No problem, right?
The brewery is located on a farm lot, and looks rather agricultural. See all those cars parked? Yep, that's part of the crowd. We drove around the back, where the entrance was, and saw this:
There were about 125 people in line. How crazy! The parking attendant said that this wasn't even the worst he's seen - usually, he said, the line wraps around the building. Jeez.
But the line moved quickly enough, and eventually we made our way inside, where brewery employees were shouting out orders, deli-style. They don't have a taproom, just a sales area and the brewery itself. Look at those fermenters!
Looks like a big system. After a few more minutes, we got up to the counter area:
They had a limit to each beer one could buy. The limit was six pint cans, per variant, per person. So Dan, Jayne and I each got the max of each: 36 cans, total of roughly $6 each. We also got a few Treehouse glasses, including a nice tulip glass for future tastings in Glastonbury. We bought our beer and immediately were shuffled out of the store area so other customers could enter.
Nice haul! Since there's only two varieties, and we have quite a bit, why not dive in? Both are considered "New England IPAs", a term new to me. First up is the green can, conveniently called "Green." It's a 7.60% ABV India pale ale made with both American and Australian hops. Apparently it was named due to the color of the wort post-boil, caused by a massive amount of hops.
Pours swiftly into the glass, with some white foam that sticks to the glass. This is part of the tasting process - noticing what sticks to the glass. You may recall I mention this often. In beer, this is called "lacing". In wine, this can be called "legs".
Aroma-wise, there's a bit of a citrus note in there. It's tart and tangy, citrus heavy, with strong notes of pineapple. It even looks like pineapple juice in the glass. Compared to other fresh-hop IPAs, I find this to be the most citrus-y I think I have ever had. Nice and refreshing, a bit sugary, and tasty.
The other beer, the "Bright", is a 7.80% ABV double IPA made with one of my favorite hops - Mosaic. This one is a bit lighter (and, as luck would have it, brighter) than the "Green". It pours a light amber color, with lots of puffy foam in the glass, and has a cleaner, more traditional double IPA feel to it than the Green. There's more of a pine taste to it, especially on the aftertaste.
In the end, I'm pleased with Treehouse's offerings. It's a bit of a hike up there, and the cost per can is more than I'd usually pay, but it's fun to have fresh, local beer that's well-crafted. The beer does not blow me away, but it's good, and worth having for sure.
I'm sure in the future we'll be trying it again, especially since they'll likely have a different set of beer in cans next time we go and thus a different, unique experience. Going back to the brewery for a second - part of the appeal is location. It's in the middle of nowhere, so good fresh beer is in a new untapped market. I don't know what beers are available locally in Monson stores, but something like this isn't common. And for local folks who may just be looking for some really good beer, it's time worth spending in line.
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