Self Reliance: Citra
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

 

 

 

Old meets new in a ale of rusticity and refinement as the capable Hill Farmstead creates a time honored farmhouse ale with a huge Citra hop upgrade.

Pale gold, froth and teeming with carbonation, the hazy Self-Reliance “Citra” gets going with a pleasantly musty perfume made up of bright citrus, dry and aromatic dried woods, herbal grasses and elements of cellar types of funk. Scant sweetness skirts the tongue and is then ushered away by brisk carbonation leaving a dry, malty-sweet impression on the early palate.

As the sweetness lifts, the brightness of Citra hops deliver a wallop of citronella character framed around mandarin orange, grapefruit and dried lime. Tantalizing in its fruit impression other dried fruit flavors of pineapple, lemon, grape and papaya complete the fruitiness. Following up are the spicier wood notes of leather, attic woods, mossy, gamey and cork-like flavors giving nearly wine-like impressions.

A firm but balancing bitterness steps in late as the ale dives into an arid malt finish with the aura of sandalwood, burlap and dried leather left in its wake. Its an effortless finishing beer, light on the palate and dry to the senses giving it a high rate of drinkability and refreshment. You just gotta love that tart and hoppy funk that comes along with it.

Picked-up a single 750 ml bottle at Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont for sixteen dollars. My fifteenth brew from these guys. This was aged & conditioned, I am not exactly sure how. I don't think that is complimentary to this style of beer. It ends up being very pungent, & tasting like a Belgian.

 

 

 

2020 hop harvest. Bottle condition since August 18, 2021.

White head. Some lace. Clear light golden color.

Very unique and awesome offering. The Citra provides a very bright flavor profile. Earthy, grassy, zesty, citrusy. Floral with notes of lime and grapefruit citrus. Light bitterness. Has an herbal characteristic. Faint saison notes (very faint reminiscent of fantome funk).

Very unique, very flavorful, very enjoyable. This one goes down quick.

Pours a pale, hazy yellow with a small but retentive white head.

Aroma is sharp citra with some very nice, musty grain along with what I think is some brett. Vinous minerals, lemony citrus, very well balanced with the malt and yeast. Excellently done.

Tastes, likewise, fantastic. Firm throughout, but never too intense, and always exceptionally well-balanced. White grapes up front, moving into lemon zest and flowers, with brett on the back end and a wonderfully dry finish.

If all NEIPA's were composed this wonderfully, I'd have no problem with them becoming the ascendent style.

Bottle: Poured a golden color ale with a nice large white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of light funky Brett notes with nice citrusy floral hoppy notes and subtle vinous notes. Taste is also a mix of light funky brett notes with some citrusy floral hoppy undertones, some light vinous notes and light tropical flavors. Body is about average with good carbonation. Well brewed and really enjoyable with citra hops notes clearly coming through.

 

 

750ml bottle, 2019 hop harvest, bottled on 09.02.2020, poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a very hazy and cloudy lemon color, bright golden hues with a foamy white head, tall and fluffy with moderate retention and nice lacing. The aroma is very nice, floral, lemon lime citrus, earthy funk, a bit of white grape, mineral water, pale dough, oak, with lingering pine. The flavors are nice, bright citrus, lots of lemon and lime, bright wildflower, pale dough, mineral water, pine, funk, soft oak, and light berry fruits. The mouthfeel is nice, lively and vibrant, medium body, crisp, tart and lightly dry.

Verdict: A nice farmhouse IPA from Hill Farmstead. Funky, bright, delicate and super refreshing.

This one pours a mostly clear golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing. After a second pour near the bottom of the bottle, it becomes more "classically" NEIPA looking, with a much more hazed look to it.

This smells like lemony hops, pineapple, white wine, oak, grassiness, mango, and grapefruit.

This feels a bit more hop-forward than some of the entries in this series, but maybe that's just because Citra is a very distinctive and notable hop. There's lots of lemon, pineapple, and mango here, with a nice tartness and oakiness on the back end. I really do love this series, and this is one of the top level versions so far.

This is crisp, clean, with a semi-lingering tartness on the back end. It's very drinkable - taking down a full 750 was extremely easy.

I continue my tireless attempt to try every beer in this series. Every time I track a few more down, a few more of them come out again. This is definitely somewhere in the upper echelon for the series.

Thank you Brennan!