The teasing and hints about what this taproom only series of MadTree might be are finally letting up and we’re getting a glimpse at how MadTree is going to turn the idea of a dual beer release on its head. The brewery doesn’t like to just do things for the sake of doing things, and that’s clear with this plan. You can tell that when the idea of doing a taproom-only series was being thought up, they put some real time and energy into making sure it was something that you aren’t seeing anywhere else in town currently.
What’s The Series All About?
On the surface the series is a simple concept. It’s two new four packs of 16oz cans released each quarter in very small batch, limited quantities exclusively in the MadTree taproom. The brewing team was given what the brewery is calling “blank checks and complete freedom to let their imaginations and theirs for ingredients run wild”. That’s the simple part.
Here’s where it gets fun.
Each release in the series will have an IPA side by side in four packs with four packs of a Berliner Weisse. The series is aimed at exploring the five faculties of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. You can expect over the top fruits and taste bud tingling flavors from these. Each release centers around psychological personalities that relate to specific color patterns which also illustrate the dominant fruit flavors in each beer.
Yeah… this is cool shit.
Release 1 – Heroes & Voyagers – April 28th 2018
First up in the Sensorium Series, Heroes & Voyagers centered around yellows, oranges and reds with pronounced citrus, orange, stone fruit, peach and apricot flavors. The beers are said to be bold and brash with a sense of ego and ‘alpha’ personalities that carve a path for the releases that will follow.
Heroes
Heroes is a Double Dry-Hopped and Unfiltered IPA. The brewery’s tasting notes are as follows:
All the juicy fruity hops with none of the harsh, lingering bitterness. With a hazy, orange color, Heroes is an easy drinking IPA exploding with notes of citrus and stone fruit in every sip.
Malts used in this beer are: 2-Row, Oats, Red Wheat, Caramel 40L, Carapils. The more than 4lbs per barrel of hops include: Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, and Idaho 7. Conan yeast wraps up the recipe.
Voyagers
This Berliner Weisse’s tasting profile according to the brewery:
Like biting into a fresh, juicy peach, this Berliner-Weisse is bursting with flavor. Pouring a pale straw color, this gorgeous beer still packs a punch finishing with a clean palette puckering tartness.
They used Pilsen, White wheat and Carapils malts, and Summer and Mosaic hops. The fruit added to the beer is where this one gets it’s bold flavors from, with 420lbs of real peach puree and 420lbs of Real Apricot puree. The beer was inoculated with Lactobacillus delbrueckii during the kettle souring process, and then it was fermented with American Ale yeast.
Release 2 – Orators & Historians – August 4th 2018
The second release in the series centers around Blues, Indigo and Violet colors. Blueberry and Passionfruit flavors are the primary notes that tie them together.
Orators
This beer is a double dry-hopped unfiltered IPA with passion fruit added. From the brewery:
Pineapple and passionfruit dominant throughout the aroma and taste are complimented by a dank resinous finish, with just a touch of acidity/tartness from the fruit. The malt bill provides a subtle hint of honey. In addition, expect some notes of bubble gum, cherry and citrus fruit.
2-Row, Vienna, T-50 and Carapils make up the malt profile, while El Dorado, and Denali hops hold up their end of the recipe. There’s over 4lbs per barrel of hops dumped into this and a passionfruit addition takes it to a new level. Conan yeast does its fruity, estery job in fermentation.
Historians
Berliner Weisse with Blueberries. The brewery says about the beer:
Greeted by a subtle stone fruit and melon dry hop aroma. The body is light, with notes of caramel and bread/toast, but the blueberries steal the show in color, mouthfeel and flavor, with the tartness finishing very cleanly on the palate. Crisp, fruity and tart.
Pilsen, Red Wheat, Caracrystal Wheat and Carapils malts balance up against Huell Melon, Mosaic, Rakau, and Motueka hops. 336 pounds of Blueberries along with an inoculation of Lactobacillus delbrueckii during the beer’s kettle souring process give the beer it’s distinct character, and an American ale yeast does the fermenting job.
Release 3 – Lovers and Poets – November 17th, 2018
Lovers
Double Dry Hopped Unfiltered IPA
Lover’s is a double-dry hopped unfiltered IPA featuring Citra, Azacca, and Zythos hops to create a juicy tropical fruit treat.
Poets
Berliner Weisse with Key Lime peel and Pineapple
Poets is a Berliner style Weisse beer with lime peel and pineapple added to create a tart and juicy thirst quencher.