Thanks Apu for making the trip. Thanks ejl4 for shipping the goods. Arthur, Everett, Galaxy, Edward, Columbus, Society and Solitude # 2 and # 3, and Heady Topper!
Edward
Very hazy, almost murky with a good head and retention. Not much by the way of lacing but looks hoppy alright. Aroma is nothing special, mostly residual sweetness and such. Something something sweet citrus. Unimpressed for the most part although the slight dankness is finally doing it for me.
Taste kills it. Goddamn this is a great tasting pale ale that's quite different from any other I have had. It has elements of rind, it's very bitter or at least the perceived bitterness is up there, and it's dry. That's all I ask for. Fuck, I don't think I can recall beers that have been as "drinkable" as this.
3, 3, 4.5, 5, 4
Columbus
Hazy amber, good head, good retention. Very strong juniper like notes, minty, piney. Right up my alley. Kicks quite a bit of ass taste wise too... piney, good balancing malts but definitely in the backseat. Clean, crisp, dry, awesome! Great treat right after Edward. I like it very much!
3, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 4
Society and Solitude # 3
Quite hazy looking and I am positive that it's the hops. This is a double IPA but it drinks like a pale ale. The hop profile is right up my alley too: grass, pine, weed and ginger. No sweetness and none of the tropical fruit bullshit. I am f'in loving it.
No balance so to speak, just a very dry and fresh tasting IPA. The ginger note is a new one for me but it works very well. Reminds me of Heady Topper and wows me in the same manner Heady did.
4.5, 4.5, 4.5, 4.5, 4.5
Mimosa
Shared by theduderules at SourNotes'. Am I actually drinking this?! Thanks! Poured into a tasting snifter.
Never having had Mimosa before, I think my expectations were in an entirely wrong place. I went in expecting a OJ-Sprite blend (Denny's? IHOP?) and I was quite off. Light golden color and inviting looks. Great funk and citrus blend in the aroma. Tasted bitter, that initially came as a shock but got quite pleasing over the course of the sample. Although I wish the bitterness was dialed down a bit.
Citrusy flavors and bitterness dominate the wild ale underneath... orange candy like at times, very very rindy. The carbonation was light and was a slight disappointment... I was hoping for something more spritzy.
4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Everett
Poured into a snifter. Dark ruby garnet with a good creamy brown head. Good retention and lacing.
Aroma is dominated by roast followed by malts and a pungent tartness. The tartness is fortunately absent in the taste. Strongly roasty with intense dark chocolate, subtle grain and a hint of citrus hops.
Obscure smokiness that comes through strongly once in a while. Slightly warming minus the booze. Dry finish with a lingering roasted beans aftertaste.
Perfect level of carbonation... enough to carry the beer without compromising the silkiness. Very well designed and executed beer.
4, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 4
GalaxyPoured into a pint glass. 750 ml growler split with a friend.
While super hazy, looks are 4/5 all things considered. Somehow doesn't invoke the feelings of yuck that Heady Topper did in spite of being similarly murky. Not much by the way of aroma: slight papaya, rotting leaves, pine and resins.
Taste? Goddamn this goes goes down easy! Bitter and dry but still creamy owing to the low carbonation. Very smooth. There is a good malt backbone and even that has character; very juicy with elements working in unison. Bigger body than their Society and Solitude 3, but still very easy to drink.
4, 3, 4.5, 4.5, 4
Society and Solitude # 2750 ml growler. Poured into a snifter.
I stuck my nose into the growler, as much as a 750 ml growler would permit, and I was instantly reminded of mangoes. Good news. Some guava too, but mangoes ruled the aroma. Poured a dark brown color with good clarity and a medium sized brown head. Not much by the way of retention or lacing, but I didn't mind.
Fruity and lush hops, mangoes as remarked, some pine too. Then once in a while, it starts to smell like a regular stout, almost, with roast making its presence felt. Taste is sweet with residual malts and juicy with hops. Roast appears only at the end. Mouthfeel seems to be a very strong suite of Hill Farmstead beers. Creamy and smooth, this one (also) goes down damn easy.
Overall a great job with what I consider to be a ho hum style. Kudos!
4, 4.5, 4, 4.5, 4
ArthurRustic Saison
6% ABV
750 ml poured into a tulip. Final in my Hill Farmstead sampler!
Golden and bubbly with good clarity, head and retention. Euro hops, mild malts and a sunny day describe the aroma pretty well, IMO. Slightly bitter, slightly lemony without the tartness and some spice in taste. I need to let this warm up which wouldn't be a problem, plenty left.
A really well made, very clean, super easy drinking beer. Light body, good carbonation, refreshing and crisp. However, it lacks both, the sharpness of Dupont and certainly the complexity of Fantome. Having tried their IPAs and a couple other styles, I am totally bowled over by the hoppy stuff but I am not overly impressed with the porter or the saison or the wild ale, Mimosa.
