Self Reliance: Motueka
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

 

750 mL bottle. Cloudy golden. Smells strongly herbal, fruity grapes, mild lemon acidity. Tastes tart. Juicy grapes, lemon, mango. Earthy finish. Medium body. Had this next to Side Project Single Farm Motueka. The SP was tarter and earthier. This one is sweeter with a juicier character.

Extremely tart—tasted more like a sour than a pale ale.

 

 

Clear gold with a puffy white head that's surprisingly thick and fluffy, settling to a thick, wavy collar leaving all kinds of rounded yet craggy lacing.

This farmhouse IPA is definitely forward of gassy, southern hemisphere kiwi hops exuding qualities of passion fruit and a sort of grapefruit reduction but with a subtle tartness and a wild oaky quality in the background. As it warms I also get a nelson-like pepperiness paired with some white grape.

A dichotomy, or else a fine meshing of styles, this is an impressively novel experience nevertheless.

Poured from the tap into a tulip glass at Positive Pies in Plainfield, VT. Pours light yellow with minimal - no head. Tastes very tart but not in an unpleasant way; good hop presence. Smell is very pleasing with floral notes. If an IPA it's very untraditional... but good nonetheless.

 

 

The pour from a tap into a clear pint glass went beautifully. There's half an inch of nearly white head on top of a mildly cloudy light golden amber. The aroma is peculiar, as it smells more oaky than malty and/or hoppy. Perhaps it's the less than familiar New Zealand Motueka hops. But, it is the oakiness as, experienced by the taste. This hits hard with tannins, overwhelming other taste aspects. If uninformed, you would believe to be drinking a sour ale, like Petrus, instead of an AIPA. So, this is for those that like that particular taste experience. Its body is ample and carries the specific taste well. The finish is clean and more oaky than bitter. Not much of the head endured and the lacing was modest and irregular inside the glass.

On tap at Sabatinis in Exeter pa this evening.

Looks nice. Pale golden yellow body. Small white head shrinks to a ring and faint covering, scattered lacing.

Strong floral hops aroma with a little fresh soap.

On tasting, very hop forward. Floral but quite bitter. A little soapy, and a fair serving of funky sourness. The combination is strong flavoured and delightful.

Mouth above medium, finish a sour hoppiness.

Overall, another excellent beer from HF. Lovely drink with an equally fine veggie pizza.

 

Picked-up a single bottle at Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, Vermont for about seventeen dollars. My nineteenth brew from these guys. Bought about 2 weeks ago, bottled on 11/24/21. Not a fan of this process, it results in a champagne-like beer, IMO.

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Shaun!

Enjoyed with my wife on-site at Hill Farmstead.

Truly an amazing beer. Extremely crisp very fresh and brewed in the spirit of the hill farmstead.
One of the best brews out there from this brewery really enjoyed it.

Love this series

 

Bottle: Poured a yellow color ale with a generous foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of leafy hops notes with light vinous notes is quite enticing. Taste is a complex mix of rustic malt notes with vinous notes and hops notes reminiscent of Sauvignon with light peppery yeast notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. Super enjoyable saison with nice mix of vinous notes and great drinkability.

750ml bottle, bottled on 03.13.2019, poured into a Hill Farmstead etched RONA wine glass.

The beer pours a very hazy and cloudy orange color, amber hues with shades of gold and a nice big foamy white head, about two fingers or so with excellent retention and wonderful lacing. The aroma is wonderful, lime citrus, wildflower, delicate funk, soft oak, nice tropical fruit, strawberry, dank grassiness, lightly herbal with a lingering soft pale dough with underlying mineral water. The flavors are excellent, tangy lime citrus, tropical pineapple, orange peel, wildflower bouquet, dry leaves, mineral water, delicate funk, berries with a dank and grassy character that lingers nicely on a bed of soft pale grains. The mouthfeel is great, lively and crisp medium body, tangy with a slight tartness and a very dry bite at the finish.

Verdict: An outstanding farmhouse IPA from Hill Farmstead. So complex and a great depth of flavor that really draws out so much life from the Motueka hop. Crisp, tart, tangy, bitter, bright, delicate, juicy, funky, it just encompasses so many things without feeling overbearing or muddled, top notch stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

This feels like lemon-lime gatorade on the nose. It's not artificial like that, though - with a sweet and funky lime rind, lemon acidity, grapefruit sweetness, oak, and white wine.

The Nelson version of this was really great - this is even better. The lemon lime characteristics of Motueka hops absolutely shine here - there's a wonderful fresh zestiness that just can't be beat. There's a touch of clean floral bitterness, some wine barrel, oak, and loads of farm fresh funky citrus.

This is medium bodied, creamy, and very crisp, with a great level of drinkability.

This series is absolutely delicious, and they need to continue making it.