Flora Blackberry
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

This review will discuss both batches of this beer, which were drank side by side. The ultimate rating will be for Batch 2, which was better than Batch 1.

Both beers pour about the same, a light reddish clear color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

The jamminess of the blackberry jumps out in the second batch. There’s less fruit on the nose for batch 1. Both of them have lemony funk and oak on the nose as well.

The first batch of this beer is obviously older, and the blackberry has faded a touch. A bitter, funky, and acidic character has developed – not unpleasant, but less accessible than the jammy and approachable nature of the second batch. Both of them have a very nice lemony funk to it – a bit more acidic on Batch 1 than Batch 2, but not overly sour for either beer. Batch 2 is my favorite, due to the more present blackberry, and a sort of honey-soaked citrus character that really comes through as well.

Both beers are lighter bodied, with Batch 1 definitely having more lingering acidity on the finish. Both are ultimately pretty darn drinkable.

The rating for this beer will for Batch 2. If I was rating Batch 1, it would come out somewhere in 4.15 range.

 

Bottle pour at the brewery during FoFA weekend. The Flora variants never disappoint and this is one of the best I've had.

Bottle pour at Hill Farmstead.

375ml bottle, October 12, 2018 bottle date, poured into a Black Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

The beer pours a nice garnet color with amber hues, lightly cloudy with an off white head that has good retention and soapy lacing. The aroma is nice, soft blackberry, red grape, lots of funk, musty oak barrel with a soapy quality and mineral water. The flavors are good, a nice expression of blackberry, tart and jammy with a nice soft grape skin flavor that brings out a nice funk profile but there is a soapy flavor going on that clashes with some seedy bitterness and finishes with mineral water and lemon peel. The mouthfeel is good, lively and vibrant with a very bubbly texture that coats well and finishes with a tart and dry bite.

Verdict: A good fruited Flora from Hill Farmstead. The blackberry is nice but just doesn't leap from the glass like one might expect. There is a good depth of character but at times it comes across as soapy and there is an odd bitterness to this beer that tosses the balance out of sorts.

 

 

 

 

 

On prem at hill

375ml bottle poured for onsite consumption at HF in September 2018.

Pours slightly cloudy with a careful pour and use of a second glass for yeast/fruit remains. Purple hued straw with big bubbled head. The head settles into a few floating islands with a bit of a bubbly collar.

Aroma is tart fresh berry, hint of earthy wood. Hint of sweet tart candy.

Flavor has a smooth but persistent tartness. The tartness is from the base beer as well as the fresh blackberries. Subtle berry sweetness and a hint of farmhouse funk.

Soft and smooth, moderate carbonation and a medium body.

Overall the blackberry is a great compliment to this excellent base brew. One of the better fruited variants.

 

 

Served from a 375mL bottle at the Hill Farmstead brewery taproom on 2/7/18. Bottle split into two bulb glasses, shared with Brian.

The color of this beer instantly stands out, it's somewhere between maroon and dark pink. Lightly hazy with a small light-pink head that reduces to a ring.

Aromas are immediately noticable and potent - raspberries and tart fruit with some oak and farmhouse funk, white wine. A punch in the face of raspberries!

On the tongue it's pretty dry with tart but not overly acidic raspberry notes. Citrus and champagne-like wine, light oak and lemongrass on the finish. Light, crisp body with medium carbonation.

Overall a real treat, one of my favorite Flora variants.