Phenomenology Of Spirit (2014)
Hill Farmstead Brewery

Phenomenology Of Spirit (2014)Phenomenology Of Spirit (2014)
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From:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Saison
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
91
Avg:
4.14 | pDev: 6.76%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 23, 2021
Added:
Dec 10, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  5
Phenomenology of Spirit was our first collaborative saison--originally conceived and brewed in 2010 with friends from Tired Hands, McKenzie, and our sister brewery, Grassroots Brewing, formerly located in Denmark. This unique offering was primary fermented and aged in French oak wine barrels along with multiple strains of wild yeast and our resident microflora.

This is the 2014 vintage, bottled in 2016.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by acurtis:
Photo of acurtis
Rated by acurtis from New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Feb 21, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of bret27
Reviewed by bret27 from California

4.09/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle courtesy of Snap_Rat.
So dark it looks like a stout.
Smell and taste are pretty classically HF saison. Additionally some dark fruit and slight cheesy funk.
Tart and dry.
Pretty nice.
Jan 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4.33 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Jhfinn from New York

Apr 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4.35 by pisano from Massachusetts

Feb 06, 2018
Photo of BEER88
Rated by BEER88 from North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Rhis gad some age on it and it made it super amazing!
Sep 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.34 by Trio2shine from California

Aug 23, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by psychgawsple from Oregon

Aug 06, 2017
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a black color ale with a large off-white foamy head with good retention. Aroma of roasted malt with some nice funky notes and some oak presence is quite enticing. Taste is a good mix of roasted malt with some oak notes and some funky yeast notes and a dry finish. Body is about average with great carbonation. Dark saison are not a style I usually seek out but this take was quite interesting.
Jul 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by JeanJacketLover from Massachusetts

Jul 25, 2017
Photo of spinrsx
Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

3.94/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle thanks to Eric
Jul 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by mtomlins from Canada (ON)

Jul 21, 2017
Photo of amano_h
Reviewed by amano_h from Oregon

4.26/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A cacophonous melange of dark berries, oak tannins, lemon peel, and roasted malts initially disturb the air. At this point I found myself somewhat in despair and in doubt on whether I was right to put this brew in such high regard, but luckily my qualms were slowly quelled as all the previously rowdy elements blended together beautifully as the brew warmed up. In my younger years I'd probably say something stupid like how this is exactly like how the disparate subject matters covered sequential capitular order in Phenomenology make no sense until you go back and re-read the preface and then try to think about each subject in relation to it, but no one would get it, so onwards we go.

A similar dialectic is evident on the palate as the flavors don't quite all coalesce together at first. The wine-like elements sort of steer the main impression to one side, whereas the more malty and light, spritzy saison-esque elements try to mount a flavor counterattack to see if it can reclaim dominance, but time and temperature forces the two opposing discourses into a palatal stalemate and in the end what you have is a refreshing saison which is well-accentuated by hints of red wine and oak. Young me would also say something stupid like the wine is the thesis, the malt the antithesis, and the final harmonious result the synthesis, but absolutely nobody cares.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, and spritzy. A respectable amount of carbonation is still present despite the two years it spent maturing in various barrels and one it spent in the bottle before being opened and guzzled down to beer aficionados that have become consciously aware of the others' self-consciousness. Medium-light bodied, with a pleasantly dry finish.

Philosphy puns are hard.
Jul 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by cherche from Washington

Jun 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by NickThePyro from Washington

Jun 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by drone from Oregon

Jun 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Jun 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Deltoro from Florida

Jun 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by ncaudle from Virginia

Apr 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.49 by Montanabeerz from Montana

Apr 28, 2017
Phenomenology Of Spirit (2014) from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 39 ratings