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Samuel
Hill Farmstead Brewery


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Hill Farmstead Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Saison
Ranked #2 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 100
Ranked #35 - Avg:
- 4.7 | pDev: 4.89%
- Reviews:
- 19
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 13, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 16, 2019
- Wants:
- 28
- Gots:
- 13
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class


Notes:
Samuel Hill (1820-1899) was my great-great-uncle, brother of Ephraim, and a widely accomplished individual. He served in the Union army at the Battle of Gettysburg. An early agricultural innovator, he held several patents for milk cooling and cream separation; if you've visited our taproom, you've likely seen a reproduction of that patent on display. He moved a house, midwinter, with horses from North Greensboro to Greensboro Village and also helped build the first road from Greensboro to Greensboro Bend.
I spent more than 6 years contemplating such a beer that might be worthy of Samuel's name. In an attempt to honor this intrepid relative, I realized that his namesake beer must be comprised of the same nuances that defined two of my favorite beers: Le Sarrasin and Vera Mae. We set out by crafting a base of buckwheat, spelt, Vermont wildflower honey, and the same hops used in both Vera and Sarrasin. Following shifting seasons of rest in wine barrels and more than a year of bottle conditioning, we are finally able to present a beer that is more than 9 years in the making and worthy of Samuel's name.
I spent more than 6 years contemplating such a beer that might be worthy of Samuel's name. In an attempt to honor this intrepid relative, I realized that his namesake beer must be comprised of the same nuances that defined two of my favorite beers: Le Sarrasin and Vera Mae. We set out by crafting a base of buckwheat, spelt, Vermont wildflower honey, and the same hops used in both Vera and Sarrasin. Following shifting seasons of rest in wine barrels and more than a year of bottle conditioning, we are finally able to present a beer that is more than 9 years in the making and worthy of Samuel's name.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Cynic-ale:
Rated by Cynic-ale from Texas
4.69/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Jun 17, 2022
4.69/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Jun 17, 2022
More User Ratings:
Rated by Zach_Attack from Massachusetts
4.66/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.66/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This is mild honeyed sweetness, light lemony, great funky, and super smooth.
Jan 13, 2023Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois
4.73/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
b3, bottled 8-27-20, poured from a 750mL bottle into a SP “cheers” stemmed wine glass. pours a foggy orange with a fluffy white foam head. foam dissipates but lingers as a thick white foam collar around the glass. aromas of white wine, lemon, honey, hay, oak all in perfect harmony. taste follows with a bright lemony tart finish. full mouthfeel. as it warms it takes on more white wine qualities. pleasantly tart. perfectly carbonated. amazing beer.
Dec 24, 2022Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.76/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.76/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Slightly foggy but bright yellow with a soft white head that retains well.
Insanely refreshing and softly effervescent up front, it starts with melons and peaches, but then subsequent sips as it warms allow subtle farmhouse funk and oak to develop, and even hints of passion fruit seed as it warms. The medium-light body then comes to a bone dry finish.
Batch 4.
Dec 05, 2022Insanely refreshing and softly effervescent up front, it starts with melons and peaches, but then subsequent sips as it warms allow subtle farmhouse funk and oak to develop, and even hints of passion fruit seed as it warms. The medium-light body then comes to a bone dry finish.
Batch 4.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4.25/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750ml bottle at share. Cloudy golden pour with a thin white foamy head. Tart, musty aroma, grassy. Taste is a bit of farmhouse funk, sweet, fruity, grassy.
Sep 29, 2022Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts
4.61/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.61/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Finally cracking this bottle after getting it in one of the HF home delivery programs many months ago. Pours less billowy than many of the HF offerings, with little head retention or lacing to speak of. This is a superbly well-rounded and nuanced offering, with all of the characteristics of a rustic saison, a fine effervescent white wine, and a barrel aged sour all-in-one, with no one attribute dominating the others. $60/750ml is very high, but this is barely over into 'worth it' territory
93/100
Aug 20, 202293/100
Reviewed by dboon from Florida
4.23/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
4.23/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
Bottle. Clear yellow pour with a white head. Mild vinous bouquet. Good stuff. Wine barrel gives way to tasty farmhouse notes. Not crazily complex but so solid, clean, and refreshing. A over average body and mouthfeel.
May 15, 2022Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This one pours a golden and bright orange color, with a small fluffy head, and lots of lacing.
This smells like hay, minerally funk, lemon candy, grassy funk, honey, oak, white wine, grape, sweet floral funk, and pear skin.
This is absolutely phenomenal, and represents the best of what Hill Farmstead is capable of. The recipe appears to be a cross of two of my favorite beers that Hill Farmstead has ever done - Vera Mae and Le Sarrasin - so this beer has been on my list for a while now. It's got this wonderfully fresh and lemony taste to it, like funky lemon candy, with that rustic funk - pear, citrus, grassy, a little bit of herbal and mineral character, along with lots of oak spice. There's also an outstanding sweet floral honey-like flavor.
This is light bodied, effervescent, and very drinkable. Taking down an entire 750 of this one would be absolutely no problem.
This is in the top 3 of all Hill Farmstead beers I've ever had, and it's maybe even the best beer overall that I've ever had. It's honestly perfect.
Apr 21, 2022This smells like hay, minerally funk, lemon candy, grassy funk, honey, oak, white wine, grape, sweet floral funk, and pear skin.
This is absolutely phenomenal, and represents the best of what Hill Farmstead is capable of. The recipe appears to be a cross of two of my favorite beers that Hill Farmstead has ever done - Vera Mae and Le Sarrasin - so this beer has been on my list for a while now. It's got this wonderfully fresh and lemony taste to it, like funky lemon candy, with that rustic funk - pear, citrus, grassy, a little bit of herbal and mineral character, along with lots of oak spice. There's also an outstanding sweet floral honey-like flavor.
This is light bodied, effervescent, and very drinkable. Taking down an entire 750 of this one would be absolutely no problem.
This is in the top 3 of all Hill Farmstead beers I've ever had, and it's maybe even the best beer overall that I've ever had. It's honestly perfect.
Samuel from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating:
100 out of
100 with
102 ratings
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