Juice Project - Virtue

Tasting Notes

Tree House's Juice Project series is built around dense, unfiltered hop character, and Virtue delivers the hallmarks: intense aromas of ripe mango, passion fruit, and orange zest layered with a soft dank undercurrent. The palate is full and almost creamy from a heavy dry-hop load and likely oat or wheat additions, with tropical fruit flavor dominating and bitterness dialed back well below what the Imperial IPA designation might suggest. The finish is relatively soft and short for the style, leaving mostly fruit oils and a mild resinous warmth. Carbonation is gentle, keeping the body plush throughout.

About the Brewery

Tree House Brewing is based in Charlton, Massachusetts, founded in 2011, and has built one of the most devoted followings in American craft beer largely on the strength of its New England IPA program. Their beers are sold exclusively at their own locations, which routinely draw long lines, and the Juice Project line represents their rotating single-hop and specialty NEIPA releases. They are widely considered a benchmark producer for the hazy, hop-forward style.

Food Pairings

A beer this fruit-forward and lush pairs well with spicy Thai green curry, where the tropical hop character softens the heat without fighting it. Grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa echo the beer's citrus and stone-fruit notes naturally. A rich, creamy brie or triple-cream cheese plays off the soft, pillowy body rather than clashing with it. Dishes with a bright acidic component — ceviche, for instance — also work because the acidity in the food aligns with the beer's juicy character without either overwhelming the other.

Style Guide

Imperial IPA, sometimes called Double IPA or DIPA, is essentially a higher-gravity version of the standard American IPA, typically running from around 7.5% to 10% ABV with a corresponding increase in malt body and hop intensity. The style originated in the American craft scene in the late 1990s, with Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA and Russian River's Pliny the Elder becoming early touchstones. When brewed in the New England tradition — as this one is — bitterness is deliberately restrained despite the heavy hopping, with emphasis placed on hop aroma and flavor over bite, distinguishing it from the sharper West Coast interpretation of the same format.