Leaves Of Grass: April 16, 2016
Hill Farmstead Brewery

375 mL bottle at the brewery. Mostly clear orange. Smells of grapefruit and red wine vinous notes. Intense. Taste is equally intense. Lots of red wine character. Or at least I think it's red wine, but I have no evidence. Hefty malt backbone, but not sweet. Grapefruit back end. Never quite sour, but it's got a substantial acidity. Medium heavy. The menu described it as delicate and subtle, which it is not. It's good, but too hefty in many ways.

 

 

 

 

The beer pours a hazy yellow with a big fluffy white head. It has medium high carbonation. The beer smells of hay, white wine, kiwi, grapes, and brett Funk. It tastes of hay, white wine, kiwi, grapes, and brett Funk. The feel is light and spritzy. A very enjoyable wine barrel aged brett pale ale from Hill Farmstead.

 

375ml bottle, April 16, 2016 label, bottled on 11.23.16, poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

The beer pours a cloudy golden straw color, light amber and honey with a foamy finger or so of white head, moderate retention and nice lacing. The aroma is very nice, soft wine barrel, light candied hops, very floral with a touch of grassy pine, delicate funk, pale dough, mineral water. The flavors are great, lots of citrus, creamy tropical fruit, light white grape, a bit of grassiness with a bright floral bouquet, delicate funk, soft oak and light cereal grains and mineral water. The mouthfeel is great, coating medium body, creamy with a nice life and zip and a tart finish.

Verdict: A very good saison from Hill Farmstead. Very much in the same vein as Barrel Aged Dorothy, this has a lovely hop character that doesn't impart much if any bitterness, lovely funk and barrel character with a nice brightness and complexity that remains delicate throughout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one pours a light and slightly hazy orange, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like grapefruit, orange, and mango, with light lemon acidity, and chalky funk.

I really love all the funked up versions of the Hill Farmstead hoppy beers they've been doing lately. This has such a soft and killer hoppiness to it, grapefruit and mango creamsicle, with a fresh lemony goodness, and a chalky and grassy funk.

This is very drinkable, pretty crisp, with a good level of carbonation.

Does Hill Farmstead make a bad beer? Dumb question, of course they don't.