Emperor Julius

Tasting Notes

Emperor Julius pours with the dense, pillowy aroma Tree House is known for — expect waves of ripe mango, tangerine, and fresh pineapple layered over a soft doughy base. On the palate, the hop character leans tropical and juicy with minimal bitterness, held up by a full, almost creamy body that masks the 8.8% ABV with ease. The finish is smooth and rounded rather than sharp, leaving a faint resinous warmth alongside lingering citrus pith. It's a well-integrated example of the New England imperial IPA format, where softness and fruit intensity are the defining goals.

About the Brewery

Tree House Brewing Company is based in Charlton, Massachusetts, founded in 2011, and has become one of the most sought-after craft breweries in the United States. They built their reputation almost entirely on hazy, hop-forward IPAs executed with exceptional consistency, and their beers routinely place at the top of enthusiast rankings on platforms like Untappd and BeerAdvocate. Their facility draws long lines of visitors willing to make the rural Massachusetts drive, and they have largely resisted wide distribution in favor of direct-to-consumer sales at the brewery.

Food Pairings

The tropical fruit intensity here works well alongside spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes, where the beer's sweetness tempers chili heat without fighting it. A fresh mango or pineapple salsa with grilled shrimp mirrors the beer's dominant fruit notes and keeps things light against the fuller body. Creamy cheeses — particularly a mild brie or burrata — play off the doughy, soft malt character and round out the hop oils. If you're going heavier, a burger with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar gives the beer's modest bitterness something to push against productively.

Style Guide

Hazy Imperial IPAs, sometimes called Double New England IPAs, take the soft, fruit-forward character of the standard hazy IPA and scale up both hops and malt to push ABV into the 8–10% range while maintaining the style's signature low bitterness. Originating from the New England IPA movement that gained momentum in Vermont and Massachusetts in the early 2010s, the style prioritizes juicy, tropical hop aroma over the assertive dryness or resinous bite typical of West Coast doubles. What sets it apart from a standard hazy IPA is sheer intensity — more hop load, more body, more warmth — while still avoiding the aggressive bitterness that defines a traditional Imperial IPA.