Episode Notes

Episode 71: Drake’s Brewing’s Seasonal Tree Beer IPA

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time again where we take on that massive craft brew aisle to find the hidden treasures waiting for us there.

This week we’re taking a look at Seasonal Tree Beer IPA by Drake’s Brewing Company in San Leandro, CA. Christmas may be over for this year, but did this one deck the halls? Let’s find out!

Looking at this beer in the glass, there’s nothing particularly special going on just yet. It’s a pretty standard IPA gold. It smells a lot more like pine than a lot of beers that we would usually refer to as “piney.” It’s a very condensed and intense fragrance of fresh evergreen. I would compare it to the scent that is produced when you rub freshly-cut pine needles between your fingers. There’s a little lemon in the background there as well, but the overall impression is definitely not citrus.

But what about the taste? To put it simply, this beer is, as advertised, a mouth full of Christmas tree. There’s a strong juniper presence (likely because they use juniper in the brewing process) that gives the beer an almost gin-like edge, which is nothing short of fascinating. An earthy undertone adds to the woodsy impression just like you can taste the forest floor and the rich soil that the trees are growing in.

I love this beer because I love pine flavor in IPAs, but I will note that it was not for every member of my tasting team. Some felt that it pushed the edge too far and ended up tasting like a cleaning product. But personally this takes me back to a time when that pine tree bitterness was a distinction in the world of IPAs, rather than the citrus and juice that marks most modern popular IPAs and I couldn’t possibly love it more. As such, I’m making this one a Two Minute Beer Review Recommendation if you can still get your hands on it!

That’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as we take a look at Utopia Planitia Dry Hopped Red Ale by Federation Brewing. Will this one have construct a successful Enterprise, or am I the only one geeky enough to get that reference? We’ll find out next week.

Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes, and don’t forget to let us know what you’re drinking and what you’re thinking about the show. You can find us on Facebook or tweet us @2minutebeer, using the number two.

The Two Minute Beer Review is a part of the Phoenix Podcast Network and is brought to you by Zane-It, where you can find all the best costumes and makeup, Central Valley Youth Legal Services and Superfan Sandra Hay. If you’d like to support the show you can leave us a tip or sign up for a small monthly donation by clicking the link in the show notes or by supporting the Phoenix Creative Collective on Patreon. Our music is by Rialthos. You can find more at Rialthos.bandcamp.com.

That’s all for now but we’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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