Madness And Civilization #5
Hill Farmstead Brewery

Madness And Civilization #5Madness And Civilization #5
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From:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
96
Avg:
4.38 | pDev: 6.16%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
75
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 02, 2023
Added:
Jan 09, 2016
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  9
Madness & Civilization is a panorama of our barrel aging program—oak-aged beers that emerge from their individual silences to find structure and voice as a unified composition. This is the result of an unpredictable state of permanent happenstance—a dialogue with our evolving approach to blending that challenges convention and circumstance. Each release will include multiple threads and is likely to approximate the style of an imperial stout.

Release #5: A blend of Aaron, Everett, and Works of Love: De Molen, all aged in bourbon barrels for more than 2 years.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TboneRN:
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Rated by TboneRN from Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

May 09, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.41 by SadMachine from New Jersey

Jun 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by johnlatona from New Jersey

May 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

May 27, 2023
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Enjoyed at David's
Pitch black no head

Nose dark malt, molasses, chocolate, roast, burnt fudge, mild bourbon barrel

Taste mild sweet, sour like, big barrel and bourbon, vanilla, oak, little dark chocolate and roasty, little boozy

Mouth thicker fuller bod, little syrupy, mild carb
Feb 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.49 by ScottP from New Hampshire

Aug 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.42 by Prost76 from New Hampshire

Aug 15, 2018
Photo of AnitaBrewski
Reviewed by AnitaBrewski from Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Utterly fantastic, had a 2015 #5 in 2018, so smooth, boozy, dreamy, midnight black, oaky, a perfect complement to a weekend riding the Vermont Gran Fondo!
Jun 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by stevec32 from New York

Jan 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.08 by MakeBeerGreatAgain from North Carolina

Jul 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.43 by Samact from Vermont

Jul 16, 2017
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.24/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
this was a super generous share by a new friend of mine, what a treat to get to drink on this! its a neat blend, and two aspects really stand out to me. the first is the barleywine in the mix. i get those long boiled richer malts, the dried fruit and even red wine and toffee notes that come with that beer, and the sweetness that really serves to balance some of the intense roasted bitterness from the other threads in the blend. its rad they added that, and its with the barleywine aspect that i most appreciate all the bourbon thats happening in here. the other key element here is the contribution of the de molen element, even if its proportion in the blend is small (i dont know if it is or not, but its flavor is huge). i have not had that works of love beer, but i have drank enough deep dark strong de molen beers to recognize that here. its that famous dark malt aspect, chewy and earthy, mild pipe tobacco and smoke, leather, and dark chocolate, almost brownie batter textured too, i would have killed to try that base beer. there is some insane wood maturity here that runs deeper than even the bourbon, which is a strong flavor note in its own right. slight oxidation here, this is a little older now, and some residual sweetness that lingers. almost no carbonation at all, but it still feels slick on my tongue. really neat blend, humbled to have enjoyed it in such a cool setting, and feeling awfully stoked about this one! incredibly unique.
Jul 03, 2017
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Reviewed by M-Fox24 from New Jersey

4.49/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Pour is a sticky black, with some oily traces of brown. The head is tan, and the retention is elusive

S: Bourbon caramel, roasted malt, with hints of smoked wood, ash, and leather. Can easily become preoccupied with the sweet maple subtleties of vanilla, brownie, coconut, and dark fruit

T: Taste is sweet and oily. Notes coincide to temperature changes, as more substitutions are drawn upon: cocoa roasted marshmallow, bourbon espresso, toffee, vanilla, coconut, raisins

M: Wholefully rich, creamy, and silky body, with temperate carbonation; mouthfeel is exquisite

O: Ingeniously, and tactfully blended. A scrumptious bourbon treat, with so much to muse
May 02, 2017
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
500ml bottle into a wine glass appears black with a mocha head that fades leaving spotty lace.

Aroma almost has a hint of cedar and herbal to fruity hops, chocolate and plenty of earthy dampness. Fruited alcohol like raisons meets almost a vinous touch. As it breathes, something comes across like acetobacter and black licorice.

Taste is chocolate, caramel and oak almost spicy like cedar upfront then it gets earthy, slightly medicinal and somewhat dusty/oxidized. Some sips are boozy to the extent of being solvent.

This is medium to fuller bodied with modest carbonation. Having had the pleasure to previously try the de molen works of love, I can distinctly pick out its contribution in this. However, im not a big fan of what the other parts of this blend brought to the table. Works of love de molen got ruined here, what a shame.
Apr 27, 2017
Photo of cosmicevan
Reviewed by cosmicevan from New York

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Massive thanks to my buddy rowmark for having "too much beer" (I'd ask how that was possible, but I suffer from the same problem...except my overflow extras are not of this caliber...none-the-less, appreciate the hook up!!!!)

brew pours like a stout, but with little to no head, make no mistake this is a carbonated beverage, just soft and lightly carbonated. You really get the aaron in a big way and the everett fools you into thinking this is a straight up stout (and I'm sure the WOL contributes to the stoutiness of the suds, but I've never had it to be able to notice it). As everything opens up the blend becomes much more seamless. Drinking great right now...bourbon compliments everything and you really get so much wood in this.
Apr 22, 2017
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Rated by UcDru from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Nice viscous body. The nose was dark chocolate roast, fudge and oak. On palate really creamy chewy fudge with slight back end heat bursting with oak.
Apr 21, 2017
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

4.65/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
The beer is dark brown, near black, with a thin beige collar of broken bubbles. Aromas of oak, bourbon, roast. Delectable. Burnt brown sugar, dates, chocolate, bourbon. Delicious. Wow.
Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.58 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Jan 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.62 by aaronyoung01 from New Mexico

Jan 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by tblack4d from Georgia

Jan 07, 2017
Madness And Civilization #5 from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 75 ratings