Tree House Eureka! (with Mosaic)

The Stats
Style: American Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.2%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.18/5
- RateBeer: 3.88/5
- Untappd: 4.17/5

"A delicate yet pungent showcase for Mosaic hops, this riff on our favorite blonde ale has just the pale malt bill in common with her sister beer, Eureka. Delicate and pleasantly hoppy, with aromatic and flavorful notes of fleshy papaya, orange juice, and mango, you'll have a hard time believing this one is so sessionable. Refined and bright, this is the perfect beer for any occasion."

This is my 2nd dance with a Eureka beer from Tree House. The can art doesn't say it has Mosaic, so how can I be sure?

Oh, too soon.

Pours a hazy dark yellow with two fingers of bright, white head.

A crisp aroma is highlighted by subtle amount of lemon and lime with even some grass. Bready malts throughout are pleasant as is this bubblegum aroma I am getting.

The lemon-forward taste makes for a refreshing beer. A heavy grassy influence is the overall theme, but it makes room for fruitier notes of blueberry and grape must. Those bready/doughy malts add a layer of complexity and I get small portions of black pepper and cedar. There's a touch of bitterness as it moves towards the back, but the finish goes back to some lemon zest and a tiny bit of citrus acidity.

Mouthfeel is light, but not watery. It does tend to get dry at some points, but it's not a big deal. A good amount of carbonation and no alcohol presence make for a crushable beer.

Eureka with Mosaic was very much like my prior Eureka! experience. The mosaic didn't turn this into a completely different beast, but I did pick up on the influence from those hops enough to distinguish it from its Citra counterpart. A light body with refreshing flavors makes this one ideal for these hot months.

Rating
8.3/10

Tree House Eureka! with Citra

The Stats
Style: American Blonde Ale
ABV: 3.90%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.23/5
- RateBeer: 4.03/5 (mean)

It's getting warmer around these parts, so a nice light beer is needed. Session beers are all the rage nowadays with every brewery in the country trying to see how much flavor they can throw into a low abv beer. Mostly, it's all about sessionable IPA's, but I think it's better to put that spin on a style that is already low in alcohol content. Enter the American Blonde Ale which is naturally lighter. We're looking at Tree House's Eureka! series with this version being hopped all with Citra.

Pours a hazy, light orange with a finger of pure, white head.

Aroma is light, crisp, and lemony with a noticeable hop dankness. It smells a lot like a really hoppy lager.

The taste is actually malt-forward with some big biscuit, cracker, and bready flavors. Following that immediately is some lemon zest with grassy hops making themselves known in the middle of the tongue. As it sits in my mouth, the bitterness is surprisingly strong and leaves an impression, but the finish is crisp and clean like a well-made lager. I'd compare this more a classic Kolsch than anything else.

Mouthfeel is light, but also full of flavor. For the style, it is full-bodied because at no point would I ever describe this as thin or watery, which is quite the feat for 3.90%. It doesn't fade away in the finish and the big, bready, malt presence doesn't leave the mouth feeling dry. Refreshing indeed.

Eureka! with Citra is definitely the light, sessionable beer I expected it to be, but with much more to offer. This full-bodied, hoppy, bready, and lemony beer will make you think you're sipping on a quality lager or Kolsch. Truly an achievement in the Blonde Ale category.

Rating
8.7/10