(Will Harris/The Daily Campus)
This week’s selection is Very Green by Treehouse Brewing Company, the extra kettle-hopped older brother of Green. While Green is a staple in Treehouse’s lineup, Very Green rarely makes it to production.
Because of the limited number of production runs of Very Green, this Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) is almost impossible to get one’s hands on. While Treehouse usually posts on their website a list of beers that will be available for purchase, this beer was released without any public announcement. Luckily, I noticed multiple Twitter users tag Treehouse’s account with pictures of Very Green’s distinctive can. Within minutes of seeing these tweets, my roommate and I were in the car on our way to the brewery, where we were able to get multiple cans of Very Green before they ran out.
Pouring this beer into a teku glass resulted in a thick white head that faded slowly to a sticky lace around the glass and a thin layer of latte-esque foam on top. Even after the contents of the glass were long gone, the lace remained stuck to the glass. The color is opaque golden-orange, similar to many of Treehouse’s IPA and DIPA offerings.
The aroma instantly sets this beer apart from anything else I’ve ever experienced. High-intensity notes of pineapple, mango and orange zest take the front of the aroma. These massive doses of tropical flavor are backed by a faint caramel scent that grows in prominence as the beer warms.
The taste mostly follows the aroma. Pineapple and mango burst to the front of every sip, gradually yielding to dank hops and caramel before ending on a piney finish. The tropical flavors play off each other perfectly without being overpowered by the huge amount of hops in this brew. The body is medium-light with a creamy, silky finish and medium carbonation. Even though this is a high ABV beer at 8.6 percent, the combination of tropical flavors and the silky body make Very Green dangerously drinkable.
After just one sip, I knew Very Green was the best beer I have ever had. I’m a huge fan of New England style IPAs and DIPAs, and Very Green is the perfect example of what that style can achieve. Other popular New England style IPAs, like Heady Topper or Sip Of Sunshine, pale in comparison to Very Green. When it comes to packing juicy, hoppy flavor into an IPA, nobody does it better than Treehouse.
Rating: 5/5
Will Harris is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at will.harris@uconn.edu.
