Florence Puncheon
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

375ml bottle poured into black etched Hill Farmstead logo Charente glass(wine stem).

"bottle conditioning since February 2, 2020".

Appearance: Translucent and light yellow bodied beer with almost 2 fingers of bone white head that drops down pretty quickly to almost no head. Lots of spotty lacing on the side of the glass as this beer gets drank down. Head quickly dropped down to almost nothing.

Smell: fruity saison yeast with light white wine note. Nice hearty deep dry oak barrel note. Light flower notes fade in and out. This really smells nice.

Taste: Lemon and granny smith apple tartness; lighter tartness levels in this saison. Tarness transitions into a white wine type flavor with some dry oak barrel notes. Lightly earthy and straw / hay funk with a hint of apple cider vinegar in the finish. Light flowery / floral notes are present too. The funk flavors seem to build towards the end of the beer and the more you sip it; yet the funk still remains more light and balanced. Lingering apple cider vinegar notes with lemon and granny smith apples. Good complexity.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied beer, but it is noticeably heftier than the base beer Florence. Carbonation levels are on the lower end of medium and also lesser carbonation than Florence. It seems a bit watery and dry, but as you swallow each sip you get just enough bubbles to add a quick little bit of dryness to the finish. Vinous finish.

Overall: I think that I like Arthur Puncheon quite a bit more than Florence Puncheon. The biggest difference is the mouthfeel, texture, and carbonation that make Arthur Puncheon really great and stand out so much more. Unique little barrel aged saison.

Looks light golden. Smells sweet with oak hints. Taste of small tart, with smooth finish. Overall it was super tasty.

 

 

 

 

750 mL bottle. Cloudy yellow. Smells of oak, a heftier acidity than regular Florence, and wheat. Tastes more tart, too. Lemony tang, wheat, oak. Light body. It's a blunt instrument by comparison with the delicacy of Florence. It's still good, but doesn't elevate the base beer.

 

 

 

 

4/21/2019 - Aged is BETTER!

florence by itself is a special beer, even it is one of the more attainable from these guys, that doesnt diminish its greatness, not one bit. i didnt even know this special puncheon edition existed until my homie brought it over the other night, what a treat to drink this with him and my brother for holiday time, really awesome stuff. this is just as pale and delicate as the original, almost clear, fizzy from the bottle, minimal in body but full of complexity in aroma and flavor. there is a familiar funky character to this, lightly musty, very rustic and old worldy, with hay and straw and grass to it, some lemon and brine as well, but now this smooth almost white winey oak and tannin profile to it that really does add a lot, hints of orange peel and green gooseberry in the mix as well, lemon juice and pith, and of course the grains that comprise this, which seem raw, organic, light, and fresh. gorgeous earthy pale malt flavors, wheat and pils character too, simple and farmy, but also really complex. the wood is somewhat subtle, but i feel like the ageing has given the funky elements a little more time to come alive, which they really do here, this is no more acidic than the original, but it seems more bretty and wild to me. still dripping with citrus, clean though on the swallow, and even refreshing for how nuanced it is. another special beer in this style from hill farmstead, i wish i could drink this every day of my life...

We had regular Florence before opening Puncheon, but the differences in appearance between the two was surprisingly minimal by comparison to other HF side by sides. Puncheon is a little darker orange, nearing amber, with a similar minimal head.

The medium-light body crisply delivers a little more of a woody character, although that's still a light presence in the big picture. And as tart as regular Florence is, this has even more acidity, bringing up some toasted cracker. The lemon and apple notes from the base are still present, but it was hoppier than Puncheon, which features a little more hay, straw and funk.

 

On tap at 2019 Festival of Farmhouse Ales.

 

750 ml. bottled.
Bottled May, 2017.
Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch white head over a very bright body with some lacing. Nose of wheat, funk, citrus, oak, grass, and hay. Wonderful taste of lemon, oak, a bit of funk, and finishing grapefruit tart and exquisitely crisp. Very nice feel and overall, yet another gem from HFB of Greensboro Bend, VT. Thank you Shaun! Cheers!!!!

750ml bottle, bottled in May of 2017, poured into a Hill Farmstead etched Rona wine glass. Enjoyed on 05.04.19, reviewed from Tasting Notes.

The beer pours a bright golden color, hazy complexion with lemon and straw hues and a white head that rises about a finger high with modest retention and nice lacing. The aroma is very nice, pleasant funk, nice puncheon character, very floral and soft with light vinous acidity, soft grains and a light berry presence. The flavors are excellent, wonderful and complex funkiness, layered with bright bacterial and fruit esters but also a nice earthy quality that plays well with the woodiness, white wine grape and a very expressive floral bouquet with a touch of spice that rests on a nice pillow of soft cereal grains while mineral water lingers on the finish. The mouthfeel is very good, it's coating and almost creamy with a lighter medium body that still has a nice vibrant texture and a lightly tart and dry finish.

Verdict: A very good saison from Hill Farmstead. Not quite Florence, not quite Flora, but something wonderful on it's own and not necessarily "in between." There is nuance, complexity, layers and it's so balanced and refreshing. Wonderful beer.

 

 

 

750ml capped bottle. Teal Hill Farmstead stemmed glass. Pours a cloudy golden lemon yellow body, one and half finger frothy white head, good retention, bits of lacing. Smell is freshly squeezed lemon, mild acetic tartness, touch of wheat, oak, white wine, a bit of leathery brett and slightly damp mineral hay. This also translates nicely on the palate- it's in some ways delicate- a lot of nuance and flavours come out, mainly lemon, leather, hay, white grape must and light vinegar- but without overwhelming each other, serving to build each other up into something greater and delicious tasting. Very enjoyable drink to share and consider. Medium in body, good carbonation- a bit drier than I'd like, but still very easy to both drink and sip on- I found that my preference early on was to just drink it, but the latter half of the bottle seemed to bring out more grape skin and complexity to it, that I felt compelled to conserve, sip and enjoy. I really do enjoy beers that get me to do this.

 

 

 

 

 

Not picking up much from barrel. Think it’s just a mislabelled Florence

This one pours a light and hazy yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like hay, lemon candy, minerals, guava, lime, oak, and daffodils.

This is truly excellent, with a clean and bold acidity. There's your typical citrusy HF funk, with a bit more going on - it's super floral and bright, with a big lemon thing, a juicy and tangy tropical thing - maybe guava? - and lime candy, with a slight mineralesque bitterness on the back end. It's so complex, but it's also just stupid delicious.

This is light bodied, crisp and drinkable, and finishes so cleanly, with a nice soft feel to it.

This is crazy good. I had it back to back with regular Flora, and I think I might honestly like Florence Puncheon better. Sacrilege, I know.