Queen Machine
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Tasting Notes
Queen Machine pours with the kind of saturated tropical and stone fruit character Tree House is known for — expect mango, peach, and a wave of citrus zest that sits front and center. The hop aroma is intense but not sharp, leaning toward the soft, pillowy expression typical of the New England IPA lineage. Body is full and almost creamy, with very low bitterness and a finish that lingers on ripe fruit rather than resin. At 8.2% it carries real weight, but the sweetness of the malt and hop oils keeps the alcohol largely in check.
About the Brewery
Tree House Brewing is based in Charlton, Massachusetts, and has built one of the most devoted followings in American craft beer. Founded in 2011, the brewery became a defining force in the hazy, New England IPA movement and consistently lands near the top of global beer rating charts. Their model is largely direct-to-consumer, with long lines at the brewery remaining a fixture for fans chasing their rotating and flagship releases.
Food Pairings
The fruit-forward, low-bitterness profile here works well with spicy Thai curry, where the beer's sweetness dials back the heat without competing with complex aromatics. Soft tacos with grilled shrimp and mango salsa mirror the tropical notes already present in the glass. A buttery lobster roll provides enough richness to meet the beer's full body, and the slight salt contrast sharpens the fruit character. Aged gouda is another solid match, as its caramel and crystalline texture plays off the beer's ripe, rounded sweetness.
Style Guide
The New England IPA — sometimes called a hazy IPA — is defined by its intentionally cloudy appearance, soft body, and emphasis on fruit-forward hop aroma over bitterness. It originated in Vermont and Massachusetts in the early 2010s, with breweries like The Alchemist and Tree House itself helping establish the template. Unlike West Coast IPAs, which prioritize clean bitterness and resinous bite, NEIPAs use heavy late and dry hopping along with specific yeast strains and water chemistry to produce a juicy, almost smoothie-like character. The style typically runs between 6% and 9% ABV.