Earl
Hill Farmstead Brewery


- From:
- Hill Farmstead Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Oatmeal Stout
Ranked #14 - ABV:
- 7.2%
- Score:
- 95
Ranked #1,128 - Avg:
- 4.29 | pDev: 6.76%
- Reviews:
- 135
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 08, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 09, 2010
- Wants:
- 200
- Gots:
- 86
Earl (1911-1985) was our grandfather’s brother; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his 13 siblings. In his honor, this Stout is crafted from American malted barley, Flaked Oats, English roasted malts, American hops, Organic Guatemalan Coffee, our ale yeast, and water from our well. It is unfiltered and naturally carbonated. A silhouette of coffee and malt - an embodiment of complexity and drinkability, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Earl.
Pale, Caramel, and Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Columbus hops; Ale Yeast, and our Well Water.
Pale, Caramel, and Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Columbus hops; Ale Yeast, and our Well Water.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Blogjackets from Ohio
4.44/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a pint can, the body is starless and Bible black with a tan head. Fantabulous lacing.
Aroma is roast coffee and rich malt. Taste follows nose as the beer is a text book oatmeal stout with a full, deep malty character. Coffee is prominent but does not overshadow the malt. As the stout warmed a bit of the edge came off the char, but it allowed the coffee to blend well. Great tasting beer throughout.
Mouthfeel is excellent, smooth and luxurious as one would hope from an oatmeal beer. Good carbonation.
Feb 22, 2025Aroma is roast coffee and rich malt. Taste follows nose as the beer is a text book oatmeal stout with a full, deep malty character. Coffee is prominent but does not overshadow the malt. As the stout warmed a bit of the edge came off the char, but it allowed the coffee to blend well. Great tasting beer throughout.
Mouthfeel is excellent, smooth and luxurious as one would hope from an oatmeal beer. Good carbonation.
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
4.36/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.36/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - back with a big frothy tan head with sticky lacing
Smell and taste - roasted malts, milk chocolate and coffee
Feel - medium body with a light creamy carb
Overall - delicious
Jan 24, 2024Smell and taste - roasted malts, milk chocolate and coffee
Feel - medium body with a light creamy carb
Overall - delicious
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
4.41/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap.
A - Pitch black pour light toffee lacing.
S - Deep chocolate char rules the nose.
T - Lots of dark chocolate roast, coffee, along with some charcoal and lingers with light bitterness.
M - Big medium body.
O - Recommended.
Jan 24, 2024A - Pitch black pour light toffee lacing.
S - Deep chocolate char rules the nose.
T - Lots of dark chocolate roast, coffee, along with some charcoal and lingers with light bitterness.
M - Big medium body.
O - Recommended.
Reviewed by Jaybeam from New York
4.61/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A buddy brought over an Earl bottled in 2016 tonight that he's been cellar aging. It was incredible!
Poured out black with a great brown head. Looked like the top of an espresso.
Smelled of malty chocolate.
Taste of creamy smooth coffee with malty notes at the end.
Overall fantastic beer that aged extremely well and I would recommend to all!
Nov 10, 2023Poured out black with a great brown head. Looked like the top of an espresso.
Smelled of malty chocolate.
Taste of creamy smooth coffee with malty notes at the end.
Overall fantastic beer that aged extremely well and I would recommend to all!
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania
4.39/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Within a clear tulip glass, unfortunately, it comes from the tap, black coffee brown with a modest and sustaining beige head. The somewhat pronounced aroma is roasted malt first, then black coffee and oatmeal with hops even less so. The taste is rather even throughout, with roasted being emphasized as part of the roasted malt, leading the way. But to taste, the gap between roasted malt and roasted coffee narrows. Bittering hops begin to include themselves, but they never dominate, even during the finish. Overall, it's full flavored and well balanced. As the thin, yet stratified glass lacing witnesses, this is rather lightly bodied, especially for having oats in the wort. The presence of black coffee becomes more pronounced as the beer is consumed and there is a hint of malty sweetness. Bottom line, it's a very good oatmeal coffee stout. It's on the thin and bitter side, but neither to a fault. Certainly not a one and done drinking experience, but there's probably enough caffeine within to affect the susceptible.
Nov 18, 2022Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a 16 oz can at cellar temp. Date stamp is very difficult to read, but was purchased at the brewery sometime in October. Pouring into my .5L dimple mug. The beer pours a rich deep black coffee color with a dense creamy tan head of 1.0 cm. This foam sticks around as a thin surface cover and solid edging. Also get dense lattice when I swirl or take a sip of beer.
Aroma is some roasted malt and a dry, bitter black coffee note. Sort of astringent on the nose due to the coffee. No hint of the 7% and not any hint of hops either. Nose is appealing, yet not very complex as the coffee dominates by far.
First sip reveals a medium body and fine tingly carbonation. Texture is smooth and the physical traits make this an easy drinker.
Flavor is roasted malt, some rich coffee grounds and almost a charred wood note. A little bit of chocolate shows up at the end, but coffee dominates here too. No hop notes and ABV is hidden pretty well.
I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and would definitely drink this one again if given the chance.
Nov 18, 2022Aroma is some roasted malt and a dry, bitter black coffee note. Sort of astringent on the nose due to the coffee. No hint of the 7% and not any hint of hops either. Nose is appealing, yet not very complex as the coffee dominates by far.
First sip reveals a medium body and fine tingly carbonation. Texture is smooth and the physical traits make this an easy drinker.
Flavor is roasted malt, some rich coffee grounds and almost a charred wood note. A little bit of chocolate shows up at the end, but coffee dominates here too. No hop notes and ABV is hidden pretty well.
I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and would definitely drink this one again if given the chance.
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts
4.33/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Just a really solid stout all around. The coffee is expressive on the nose but not candy-like or syrupy in the flavors. The oats make for a soft, fluffy mouthfeel. The roasted barley malts are rich and chocolatey but not burnt or bitter. The hop bill offers a mild herbal note but is not overwhelming. This won't knock your socks off, but it is a fantastic daily drinker
87/100
Mar 17, 202287/100
Reviewed by mintzmeet from Washington
4.23/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Wow!!! Malted barley, flaked oats. Roasted malt. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated. Strong coffee flavors, made with coffee from Ethiopia and central/South America. Yeast from hill farmstead ale and water from their well.
Dark black color, dissipating head. Incredible taste. Robust, not bitter, quite smooth.
Mar 13, 2022Dark black color, dissipating head. Incredible taste. Robust, not bitter, quite smooth.
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