Flora
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

 

 

 

Been waiting along time to try I this one. Batch 11 poured chilled into a Maine tulip. Delicious. Very flavorful. Stone fruit. Moderate acidity. Well carbed. Perfect mouthfeel.

 

 

 

Review #1100!

I always try and do something a little special for these milestone reviews (I did Blessed for #1000 last year), so this one fits the bill.

Beer obtained in a trade. Bottled 11/21/18, consumed on 4/5/25. Blue wax top bottle. Mostly stored at 55°F, but recently stuck into the colder temps of my refrigerator. Let out at RT for ~30 mins before pouring into a Spiegelau wheat beer glass, paired with almonds. Enjoyed outside in the sun.

A&S: There was only a tiny little carbonation pop when opening, so you could tell right away the carb was going to be a little lower on this one. Unique look. Large bubbles gather on the bottom of the glass and slowly rise to the top. Transparent canary yellow colored beer, until the second half is poured in and then it turns opaque and mustard colored. The pour causes a dusting of white head to appear before disappearing. No lacing. I wouldn't say this beer is a looker, but it's pretty old, too. The aroma contains apricots, yeast, green apples, and a little bubblegum. During the second pour I start getting citrus (oranges) as well. Even with the warming-up period, this beer's smell took a while to come through.

T&M: The taste really drives this beer for me. The taste is pretty tart and acidic and contains oak, unripened peaches, white wine, peppery brett spice, and musty/ goaty funk. It's dry but not crazy dry. The mouthfeel is elegantly smooth. It has just enough carbonation so its not flat, but not fizzy in any way. It goes away from the traditional saison crispness, but it's fitting for the beer.

Overall: I was a little worried about this beer after seeing and smelling it initially, but this beer really came around in this and the other categories. Lives up to the billing!

 

2020 bottling. White head. Some lace. Crystal clear golden color.

White wine, grapes, tannins, oak. Citrus, green apples, lightly tart. Pears and minerals. Saison spice. Earthy and a bit floral. Very nice. Up there with the other good wine barrel saisons they make.

 

L -- Golden yellow with some particulate in suspension
S -- Really evolves in the glass. starts lemon, apple cider vinegar, white wine, and a light floral character. over time lots of mineralic nuances come through. almost like a mountain stream
T -- Green apple, lemony wheat, okay tannins, and a hint of fruit gummies. A bit tart, but I kinda figured it would be
F -- Bright, with a fine effervescence and wine-like finish
O -- Florence is my least favorite of the core lineup so I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this, but hill farmstead is just so consistently good

86/100

 

 

 

B7