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Of First And Last Things
Hill Farmstead Brewery


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Hill Farmstead Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- New England IPA
Ranked #409 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 95
Ranked #1,466 - Avg:
- 4.3 | pDev: 6.05%
- Reviews:
- 37
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Friday at 09:20 PM
- Added:
- Jan 17, 2016
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 18
SCORE
95
World-Class
95
World-Class


Notes:
A new IPA inspired by years of accumulated experience and an expression of both past, present and future, harmonizing some of our favorite hop varieties into a bright, balanced beer that showcases the beauty of a well-orchestrated chorus.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4.51/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Pour at de Garde 10th anniversary. Hazy golden orange pour with a sturdy white head. Big fruity aroma, a bit of everything really, and some light hoopy notes. Taste follows with more fruity flavors and the hops more pronounced, piney and citrus zest. Sooth as a baby's Bottom and highly enjoyable.
May 13, 2023Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Canned 16 days ago.
L -- Hazy golden orange body, one finger of sudsy white head produced with moderate pour. Great lacing but not the greatest retention
S -- Delicate aromas of white peach, mango sorbet, guava, strawberry/banana smoothie. Subtle and understated, but in a good way
T -- Flavors bring out earl grey and jasmine tea, kumquat, and a nice creamy oat-heavy malt bill
F -- Soft, delicate, drinkable
O -- The first can I had of this the other day was meh. Today, in this headspace, this is really drinking nicely
87/100
Jan 20, 2023L -- Hazy golden orange body, one finger of sudsy white head produced with moderate pour. Great lacing but not the greatest retention
S -- Delicate aromas of white peach, mango sorbet, guava, strawberry/banana smoothie. Subtle and understated, but in a good way
T -- Flavors bring out earl grey and jasmine tea, kumquat, and a nice creamy oat-heavy malt bill
F -- Soft, delicate, drinkable
O -- The first can I had of this the other day was meh. Today, in this headspace, this is really drinking nicely
87/100
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.46/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Putting together years of brewing technology, understanding and developments about how to use hops in beer, Hill Farmstead puts all that into a beer of both firstly inspiration and lastly experience.
Pale, hazy and golden, Of First And Last Things layers patiently into the glass with a slow separation of creamy white froth from the dense ale underneath. Turbid in its matte and pastel appearance, a radiant plume of citrus, tropical, berry, stone fruit, hemp, herb and grasses begin to swoon the nose. Sweeter once on the tongue, the cereal rich sweetness carries accessory sweetness of vanilla wafer, agave and pastry onto the tongue.
As the malts and cereal grains smoothen out over the middle palate, the bounty of hops begin revealing themselves in waves starting with tropical fruits of pineapple, mango, passionfruit, gooseberry and papaya before trending more citrusy with tangerine, white grapefruit and lemon. Not to be outdone, a shift toward peach, pawpaw and kiwi continue a nearly sherbet-tart character as the flavors conclude with a smoothly bitter hemp, spruce, tea and gin-like, botanical finish.
Medium bodied, creamy and drying enough in the end to ensure a crisp, refreshing and cleanly bitter session. Its a masterfully crafted IPA that can only be pulled off by a few of the best. And The Alchemist may just have the firs and last word on the matter.
Nov 03, 2022Pale, hazy and golden, Of First And Last Things layers patiently into the glass with a slow separation of creamy white froth from the dense ale underneath. Turbid in its matte and pastel appearance, a radiant plume of citrus, tropical, berry, stone fruit, hemp, herb and grasses begin to swoon the nose. Sweeter once on the tongue, the cereal rich sweetness carries accessory sweetness of vanilla wafer, agave and pastry onto the tongue.
As the malts and cereal grains smoothen out over the middle palate, the bounty of hops begin revealing themselves in waves starting with tropical fruits of pineapple, mango, passionfruit, gooseberry and papaya before trending more citrusy with tangerine, white grapefruit and lemon. Not to be outdone, a shift toward peach, pawpaw and kiwi continue a nearly sherbet-tart character as the flavors conclude with a smoothly bitter hemp, spruce, tea and gin-like, botanical finish.
Medium bodied, creamy and drying enough in the end to ensure a crisp, refreshing and cleanly bitter session. Its a masterfully crafted IPA that can only be pulled off by a few of the best. And The Alchemist may just have the firs and last word on the matter.
Rated by bret27 from California
4.48/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Fresh can courtesy of M-Fox24
Apr 16, 2022Reviewed by Beers-es from Virginia
4.74/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.74/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
On tap at Hill Farmstead, beer was released yesterday I believe, so super fresh. Pours a hazy light yellowish-orange. Dense white head of foam leaves intricate lacing. Beer features complex layers of fruity hops and a little dank in the background. Insanely well-crafted beer, first rate.
Apr 07, 2022Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts
4.23/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Canned 7.7, drink by 8.4, opened 8.12
Can given to me in. Trade with my dentist
Can poured into a teku , dense creamy , solid one finger off white foam cap , settles to a thin layer , spotty lacings ,over a solid orange liquid
Aroma is citrus orange, tangerine, candied orange, white grape , whiff of pine
Taste is dank, pine , earthy
Smooth , almost creamy , hop bite
Good beer
Aug 14, 2021Can given to me in. Trade with my dentist
Can poured into a teku , dense creamy , solid one finger off white foam cap , settles to a thin layer , spotty lacings ,over a solid orange liquid
Aroma is citrus orange, tangerine, candied orange, white grape , whiff of pine
Taste is dank, pine , earthy
Smooth , almost creamy , hop bite
Good beer
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
4.24/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
an excellent ipa here, hazy and soft and fully saturated with modern hop goodness despite not having any burn or over the top intensity to it, really well refined for a hazy, but i have to wonder if people just give all hill beers high scores because they are rare and sought after, like this is darn good, but its not leagues better than a million others, awesome to have it on tap, always a treat to drink there beer, but this to me overall is just another solid ipa. i like the grain base a lot, its wheaty, it has to be, fuller feeling, ever so slightly nutty, and seemingly capable of supporting all the hops they give it, even more than what is here, and its dry the whole time without being too minimal, nice. the yeast also contributes a little flavor, very pleasant, lightly english or something, and has cooked this down pretty good. the hops of course stand out the most, fresh and herbaceous with soft citrus, tangerine and meyer lemon, a little orange blossom thing, springy and alive with tempered bitterness, nothing radical though, not new or overly exciting, just fresh and good. drinkable for the style too which is nice, great carbonation, and on the whole really good beer, not something i would stand in line for or even go out of my way to drink again, but the clean beers continue to be excellent from these guys!
Aug 06, 2021Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a cloudy goldenstraw with a two finger head; excellent retention and a smattering of lace
Smell: Papaya, white wine grape and melon with a dank piney tone
Taste: Papaya and white wine grape forward with a hint of melon developing; moderately dank and piney, through the middle with moderate bitterness in the finish
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation
Overall: Really enjoying the impact of the Nelson here
Jul 30, 2021Smell: Papaya, white wine grape and melon with a dank piney tone
Taste: Papaya and white wine grape forward with a hint of melon developing; moderately dank and piney, through the middle with moderate bitterness in the finish
Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation
Overall: Really enjoying the impact of the Nelson here
Rated by DucksFan16 from Tennessee
4.29/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Canned 07/07/2021. Enjoyed on 07/27/2021.
Jul 27, 2021Rated by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts
4.21/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Candied orange peel, light citrus pith and fresh cut grass. Some grapefruit. Classic Hill feel. Drier, dank finish. Solid.
Jul 23, 2021
Of First And Last Things from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating:
95 out of
100 with
231 ratings
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