Life Without Principle #1
Hill Farmstead Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Blonde Ale
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 8.5%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
67
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 30, 2014
Added:
Aug 06, 2012
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  0
Life Without Principle #1 (we are big fans of Thoreau!) is the first in a series of Citrus inspired American Style Blonde Ales. #1 is brewed with 200 ICUS of Valencia Orange and complemented by several American hop varieties. The inaugural release was brewed with the help of our good friend Luc "Bim" Lafontaine, formerly of Dieu Du Ciel! in Montreal and now en route to Japan to open his new brewery.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jaasen64:
Photo of jaasen64
Reviewed by jaasen64 from Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml growler filled in person at the Festival of Farmhouse Ales last Saturday. Shared with Brian (Auror) and DonFrap. Poured into HF tulip.

A- Pours a very light translucent yellowish gold, about a half finger of white head that quickly recedes to leave almost no head, slightly below average carbonation.

S- Lemon zest, orange peel, clementines, blonde malts, citrus hops. Definitely above average aroma strength, definitely very citrusy and more hops then your average blonde ale.

T- Lemon zest, orange peels, some clementines, slightly hoppy, finishes with some light malts. Definitely a lot of nice flavors going on here, but not exactly balanced as well as I would have liked. A little bit too much zest and too much of a citrus peel taste.

M- Light to medium bodied, nice carbonation, refreshing, finishes a little bit bitter and dry.

O- This was a pretty nice blonde ale, definitely better then most that I've had from the style however in terms of a Hill Farmstead beer (like most people I hold them to very high standards) it was a little bit of a disappointment, but a very good attempt at their first solo blonde ale. There were a lot of good things going on here (nice aromas, nice citrus tastes) however it was a little bit too zesty for me. I could drink this again, but I definitely prefer Walden over this. Looking forward to trying the other Life w/o Principles.
Aug 17, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.48 by vonnegut21 from New York

Dec 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by POTABLE83 from New York

Oct 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by canadianghetto from Texas

Jul 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by SupremePie from Vermont

Apr 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by iatethecloudsfor from Vermont

Oct 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by doremite from Vermont

Jun 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by SPRichard from New Jersey

May 11, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by Takeanotherswing from New York

Mar 06, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by chippo33 from Vermont

Mar 03, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by ScottP from New Hampshire

Feb 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by jbuddle from New York

Jan 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Quackus from New York

Jan 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by spycow from Illinois

Jan 13, 2013
Photo of yourefragile
Reviewed by yourefragile from District of Columbia

4.16/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Harvest Festival.

Pours a clear, pale golden straw color with a fluffy thin white head. Nose of fruity orange zest, slightly bitter and grassy, but not much malt or anything else of note. Flavor is slightly grainy, grassy and filled with sweet malt and a strong citrus zest presence. Bitter and grassy finish. An impressive blonde ale, though I think Walden had a little more depth and the citrus added to this was almost too much for me.
Jan 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Jan 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by Luk13 from Canada (QC)

Jan 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by BeerCosmonaut from Vermont

Jan 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by jh1982 from Nevada

Dec 29, 2012
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.57/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
750 mL growler poured into a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Nearly transparent yellow with a very brief head. Some wisps, but dull.

Smell - Light grapefruit hop and other citrus aromas. Almost nothing else. If I struggle I can almost imagine a touch of pale malt.

Taste - Grapefruit hop and bright citrus flavors. Pale malt more of a player here, but still light. Crisp and not at all bitter.

Mouthfeel - Very light, well carbonated. Very dry.

Overall - Yeah, it's a blonde ale. Not a lot to it, but as usual from Hill Farmstead it's beautifully crafted and technically perfect. This one's just a little less exciting than their other beers.
Dec 23, 2012
Life Without Principle #1 from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 67 ratings