Beer # 268 Hop Head Black India Pale Ale
Tree Brewing Company
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent Brewery
Black India Pale Ale 8.0 % ABV
Brown Glass Bottle Can 650 ml
$6.25 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @TreeBrewing
Tonight's offering we go back to British Columbia. This time to Kelowna, one of my favourite towns in the interior of the province. Situated on the southern end of Lake Okanagan, in the heart of BC wine country. We have been to Tree before, we sampled their Cutthroat West Coast Pale Ale, and found it to be a good beer. Let's see what they do with a black IPA. For those of you who have not heard of this style before, it is an American Pale ale style done with deeply malted barley. alcohol range can be from 5% to 10% and this one clocks in at the higher side, at 8%.
Let's try one now...
Pours a opaque dark chestnut brown Bright herbal hop nose with a rich malty aroma. Deep caramel and some char. First sip is smoky malt and molasses, with some green bitter hops. some rum and wood through the middle. Aeration gives us some warm alcohol, hints of coffee finish is bitter green hops with hints of marijuana on the finish.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order: 5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer: 5/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
It's a good beer. I certainly enjoyed drinking it. It is a nice IPA and the rich malt flavours do something nice for the beer. But, it is still fairly average. Do try it for yourself though.
Cheers
CJT
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Duke's Cider
Tree Brewing Company
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Dry Hard Apple Cider 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml.
$2.75 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @TreeBrewing
Tree brewing offers this product as a gluten free alternative beverage in their line up of beers. Tree is from Kelowna a beautiful little town on the southern shore of Lake Okanagan in the interior of B.C. Kelowna is actually wine country nowadays, but it's history, like Niagara's in Ontario, is growing fruit. And boy do good apples grow in the Okanagan. Grapes, stone fruit, like cherries, and plums, plus pears and apples are all plentiful in this long valley that cuts a swathe through the province. One other thing, when you are entering Kelowna you will be greeted with this sight:
That's Ogopogo. Canada's Loch Ness Monster. Kelowna is his official home. So if you are in Kelowna look up Tree Brewing. If you partake in the right amount of beverages... you may meet the town's most famous resident.
Enough with the cryptids... on with the tasting.
Colour is a light clear gold that pours with a hint of green. A brief fizzy white head disappears almost instantly leaving virtually no trace. Aroma is fresh cut apples and cinnamon, with some clove and allspice. It smells like a pie that is unbaked yet ready to go in the oven. First sip is tart and sugary and slightly sour. Not unlike an apple sour candy. Still spicy through the taste, and the alcohol is quite warming for only 5%. Very simple and clean. I find my mouth refreshed after each sip and wanting more. An excellent aperitif... (it's actually making me very hungry!) Finish is candy like, and aeration gives us very ripe slightly bruised apples.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Cider Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Final Thoughts:
Wow. What a way to start Cider week off with a bang! This is a fantastic cider. Apples are the star of this drink. It is amazing the level of complexity that can be brought out in a beverage that essentially has two ingredients. This is the liquor form of fresh apple pie. warm fruity and a little spicy. Delicious guys! Keep up the good work!
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
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Cutthroat West Coast Ale
Tree Brewing Company
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
Pale Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminium Can 500 ml
$2.75 (Canadian) At LCBO
Twitter: @TreeBrewing
Tree Brewing started in 1996 in Kelowna one of the most beautiful regions of Canada that I have visited. President Tod Melnyk and brewmaster Dave Gokiert have been brewing high quality beers in the heart of B.C.Wine Country, for almost 20 years. I first Came across Tree Brewing when I was visiting Vancouver a number of years ago. I wanted to try it but the restaurant it was in would not just sell you a beer without buying food (crazy Vancouver Liquor laws) So this is actually the first chance I have had to sample a beer from this brewery. Oh and the Cutthroat that the name refers to is a trout that is a prized fish for fly fishing anglers. It is found in almost all of the rivers that are connected to the Pacific Ocean from Northern California to Alaska.
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| Cutthroat Trout |
Onto the tasting... I know I have waited long enough...
Clear amber in colour with a fluffy white head made up of mostly small bubbles. Aroma is robust malt and herbal hops, molasses, and turbinado sugar. first sip is deep malty slightly bitter and hoppy. Sticky with some residual sugar. Citrus wood, and nuts.Aeration enhances the wood, earth tones and nuts. Finish is slightly astringent with lingering notes of grassy hops.
Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional
Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order: 4/6 PASS
Experience: 4/6 PASS
Final Thoughts:
Sadly I was not as impressed as I hoped I would be. It is a good Pale ale with a fair amount of flavour but as good craft Pale ales go it sits about the average level with me. Structure and body is excellent good colour and composition, definitely a must try if you can get one.
Cheers
CJT
Follow me on Twitter: @pintjockey
Beer # 268 Hop Head Black India Pale Ale
Tonight's offering we go back to British Columbia. This time to Kelowna, one of my favourite towns in the interior of the province. Situated on the southern end of Lake Okanagan, in the heart of BC wine country. We have been to Tree before, we sampled their Cutthroat West Coast Pale Ale, and found it to be a good beer. Let's see what they do with a black IPA. For those of you who have not heard of this style before, it is an American Pale ale style done with deeply malted barley. alcohol range can be from 5% to 10% and this one clocks in at the higher side, at 8%.
