Twilight Of The Idols
Hill Farmstead Brewery


Beer Geek Stats
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- From:
- Hill Farmstead Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- Porter - American
Ranked #6 - ABV:
- 7.5%
- Score:
- 96
Ranked #1,074 - Avg:
- 4.32 | pDev: 8.33%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 14, 2022
- Added:
- Oct 28, 2010
- Wants:
- 438
- Gots:
- 172
SCORE
96
World-Class
96
World-Class


Notes:
Twilight of the Idols is our winter porter. We brew Twilight each autumn, with a touch of locally roasted coffee and cinnamon, and age it on a blend of select vanilla beans. Originally conceived with a friend in 2009 while brewing in Denmark, the name of this annual release is inspired by the title of one of the last texts written by one of our philosophical idols, Friedrich Nietzsche.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
3.87/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by BubbleBobble from New York
Pours dark black, thin head and very little lacing. Nose has big roasted coffee notes, light cinnamon. Taste is light roasted coffee, roasted malt, mild and lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel is moderate with light carbonation. Does not shy away from bitterness, which is its greatest asset.
Feb 14, 2022
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by BubbleBobble from New York
Pours dark black, thin head and very little lacing. Nose has big roasted coffee notes, light cinnamon. Taste is light roasted coffee, roasted malt, mild and lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel is moderate with light carbonation. Does not shy away from bitterness, which is its greatest asset.
Feb 14, 2022
3.84 by Bhubbard34 from Pennsylvania on Jan 11, 2022
4.22/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by Holderness from Massachusetts
On tap at Big Fatty's, White River Junction
L -- Deep black body with two fingers of tan head. some retention and great lacing
S -- Toasted malts, espresso, vanilla, cacao powder. A lot more going on than in Everett
T -- Big bakers chocolate and coffee, with some smoky bitterness and just a hint of vanilla-tinged sweetness. Quite robust flavors
F -- Soft and fluffy , and very drinkable.
O -- I like it a lot more than Everett
85/100
Nov 28, 2021
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by Holderness from Massachusetts
On tap at Big Fatty's, White River Junction
L -- Deep black body with two fingers of tan head. some retention and great lacing
S -- Toasted malts, espresso, vanilla, cacao powder. A lot more going on than in Everett
T -- Big bakers chocolate and coffee, with some smoky bitterness and just a hint of vanilla-tinged sweetness. Quite robust flavors
F -- Soft and fluffy , and very drinkable.
O -- I like it a lot more than Everett
85/100
Nov 28, 2021
4.34/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
by smcolw from Massachusetts
Blanketing beige lace from the minor head. Deep brown color. Bright light does pass through the center of the glass.
Difficult to get the smell -- mostly semisweet chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon.
Rich fudge brownie flavor. The body matches the taste and the lighter carbonation enhances the effect.
Nov 26, 2021
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
by smcolw from Massachusetts
Blanketing beige lace from the minor head. Deep brown color. Bright light does pass through the center of the glass.
Difficult to get the smell -- mostly semisweet chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon.
Rich fudge brownie flavor. The body matches the taste and the lighter carbonation enhances the effect.
Nov 26, 2021
4.56/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by hops_for_thought from New York
Poured from a can (17Nov2020) into a Belgian glass
L: pours a very deep black brown with a very nice and dense darker khaki head. Nice chunky lacing as the head fades, as well as with each sip
S: get a great amount of coffee as I’m pouring, aroma is incredibly rich and deep once I bring the glass to my nose. Get lots of coffee with rich and slightly sweet vanilla, slightly spicy cinnamon aroma following right behind. Other solid notes of dark chocolate, fudge brownies
T: excellent flavor, follows the nose very well. Lots of rich roasted coffee and slightly sweet vanilla on a richer chocolatey base (fudge brownies, dark chocolate). Toward the finish getting some more pronounced roast coffee and chocolate, with the cinnamon coming through more. Rich and lasting cinnamon flavor through the finish, lingers nicely
F: medium/medium- body, medium+ carbonation, quite drinkable with a bit of cinnamon heat in the back of my throat
O: absolutely amazing porter, flavor is rich and deep while being relatively easy to drink
Jan 01, 2021
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by hops_for_thought from New York
Poured from a can (17Nov2020) into a Belgian glass
L: pours a very deep black brown with a very nice and dense darker khaki head. Nice chunky lacing as the head fades, as well as with each sip
S: get a great amount of coffee as I’m pouring, aroma is incredibly rich and deep once I bring the glass to my nose. Get lots of coffee with rich and slightly sweet vanilla, slightly spicy cinnamon aroma following right behind. Other solid notes of dark chocolate, fudge brownies
T: excellent flavor, follows the nose very well. Lots of rich roasted coffee and slightly sweet vanilla on a richer chocolatey base (fudge brownies, dark chocolate). Toward the finish getting some more pronounced roast coffee and chocolate, with the cinnamon coming through more. Rich and lasting cinnamon flavor through the finish, lingers nicely
F: medium/medium- body, medium+ carbonation, quite drinkable with a bit of cinnamon heat in the back of my throat
O: absolutely amazing porter, flavor is rich and deep while being relatively easy to drink
Jan 01, 2021
4.46 by rab53 from Washington on Dec 21, 2020
4/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by Siriusfisherman from Vermont
L: Dark brown/ Black with a modest head and good lacing.
S: Very aromatic, big notes of coffee grounds, cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla.
T: Big flavors of roasted coffee, cinnamon, caramel, toast, and a touch of vanilla. Moderate bitterness lingers into the finish.
F: Full bodied, light carb, creamy and smooth.
Overall: A really tasty, festive Porter. Subtly spiced with a great balance of flavors.
Nov 19, 2020
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by Siriusfisherman from Vermont
L: Dark brown/ Black with a modest head and good lacing.
S: Very aromatic, big notes of coffee grounds, cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla.
T: Big flavors of roasted coffee, cinnamon, caramel, toast, and a touch of vanilla. Moderate bitterness lingers into the finish.
F: Full bodied, light carb, creamy and smooth.
Overall: A really tasty, festive Porter. Subtly spiced with a great balance of flavors.
Nov 19, 2020
4.31 by timmy2b from New York on Oct 13, 2020
4.21 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois on Jun 05, 2020
4 by pepesylvia from Pennsylvania on May 14, 2020
4.28 by Dark_Scarecrow from Virginia on Apr 01, 2020
4.44 by Scottsbeer from Florida on Jan 08, 2020
3.77/5 rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by hopley from Massachusetts
October 2018 500ml bottle, drank January 8, 2020 out of a tulip.
Can't really say this one worked for me. I was expecting big cinnamon and vanilla with a silky mouthfeel but unfortunately got none of that. Expectations were too high and perhaps effected by all the adjunct crazy beers out there today, but either way, I didn't get any cinnamon or vanilla and after 1.25 years on the bottle, I can't imagine these would have completely vanished? The mouthfeel was really thin and the nose wasn't really there; it was kind of watery in a way. While the lack of adjuncts can be excused if you're just looking at this as a regular Porter, but it was this watery affect that really negatively affected me the most - it was present in the taste, the nose and the mouthfeel. Can't say I got a bad bottle as it was a Porter, had the roasty taste, and had a nice creamy head, lacing and nice dark body to it, but that was about it. I do look forward to trying a fresh bottle someday in the hopes that that the adjuncts were intended to be extremely subtle and did indeed fade over such a short period of time, and maybe the rest was a just, a bad dream? Sorry Hill.
Jan 08, 2020
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
by hopley from Massachusetts
October 2018 500ml bottle, drank January 8, 2020 out of a tulip.
Can't really say this one worked for me. I was expecting big cinnamon and vanilla with a silky mouthfeel but unfortunately got none of that. Expectations were too high and perhaps effected by all the adjunct crazy beers out there today, but either way, I didn't get any cinnamon or vanilla and after 1.25 years on the bottle, I can't imagine these would have completely vanished? The mouthfeel was really thin and the nose wasn't really there; it was kind of watery in a way. While the lack of adjuncts can be excused if you're just looking at this as a regular Porter, but it was this watery affect that really negatively affected me the most - it was present in the taste, the nose and the mouthfeel. Can't say I got a bad bottle as it was a Porter, had the roasty taste, and had a nice creamy head, lacing and nice dark body to it, but that was about it. I do look forward to trying a fresh bottle someday in the hopes that that the adjuncts were intended to be extremely subtle and did indeed fade over such a short period of time, and maybe the rest was a just, a bad dream? Sorry Hill.
Jan 08, 2020
4.23 by M4CDO from Massachusetts on Dec 27, 2019
4.25 by JLK7299 from North Carolina on Dec 27, 2019
4.25 by von_kaiser from Connecticut on Dec 25, 2019
4.44 by Duffman79 from Connecticut on Dec 22, 2019
4.49/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by StonedTrippin from Colorado
a famous and acclaimed beer i have long been eager to drink, huge thanks to my brother for saving this one for me. he was disappointed how it aged, the bottle is from october 2018, but i was really impressed with this, worth the wait for me, although based on his reaction, i guess i still need to try this fresh! its a big porter done with cinnamon and coffee, and aged on vanilla beans. i think its real success is how subtle these things are. in this day and age, its how desserty and sweet and over the top flavored can you make a big dark beer, but this is an exercise in restraint, and i love that about it, immediately its about the porter, not the added ingredients, why has this approach gone away? i could drink a couple bottles of this, rare anymore in flavored stouts and porters. the cinnamon is there only on the finish and in the background, light smoke with it, some warmth, and no linger at all, its only lightly festive, but its a neat wrinkle. the coffee is a little bit in front of that, even in a bottle a year old, no fade to it that i can perceive, at least not in the usual unflattering ways, its got some chocolate hints to it, a rich oily crema vibe, and a dark roast thats excellent with the deep and complex roasted barley in the mash here. the vanilla adds a touch of sweetness, but set against all the roasted bitter character this remains insanely balanced. the vanilla is natural and aromatic, and its present the whole time, but in such a tasteful proportion. i love the weight and smoothness of the base porter, some oats seem obvious, and there is dark chocolate character all through it. great complexity overall, everything comes together extremely well, even a little english yeast to me uniting it, really cohesive and smooth and delicious. its the wild beers and saisons i love the most from hill farmstead, but its hard not to be equally impressed with this, super stoked to have been able to share this with my brother, a beer worthy of its hype!
Dec 19, 2019
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by StonedTrippin from Colorado
a famous and acclaimed beer i have long been eager to drink, huge thanks to my brother for saving this one for me. he was disappointed how it aged, the bottle is from october 2018, but i was really impressed with this, worth the wait for me, although based on his reaction, i guess i still need to try this fresh! its a big porter done with cinnamon and coffee, and aged on vanilla beans. i think its real success is how subtle these things are. in this day and age, its how desserty and sweet and over the top flavored can you make a big dark beer, but this is an exercise in restraint, and i love that about it, immediately its about the porter, not the added ingredients, why has this approach gone away? i could drink a couple bottles of this, rare anymore in flavored stouts and porters. the cinnamon is there only on the finish and in the background, light smoke with it, some warmth, and no linger at all, its only lightly festive, but its a neat wrinkle. the coffee is a little bit in front of that, even in a bottle a year old, no fade to it that i can perceive, at least not in the usual unflattering ways, its got some chocolate hints to it, a rich oily crema vibe, and a dark roast thats excellent with the deep and complex roasted barley in the mash here. the vanilla adds a touch of sweetness, but set against all the roasted bitter character this remains insanely balanced. the vanilla is natural and aromatic, and its present the whole time, but in such a tasteful proportion. i love the weight and smoothness of the base porter, some oats seem obvious, and there is dark chocolate character all through it. great complexity overall, everything comes together extremely well, even a little english yeast to me uniting it, really cohesive and smooth and delicious. its the wild beers and saisons i love the most from hill farmstead, but its hard not to be equally impressed with this, super stoked to have been able to share this with my brother, a beer worthy of its hype!
Dec 19, 2019
4.27 by DVMin98 from North Carolina on Dec 15, 2019
4.43 by ThatAmateurBeerDrinker from New York on Apr 26, 2019
4.5 by Griffith from Connecticut on Mar 18, 2019
4.27 by TylerJ from Iowa on Feb 03, 2019
4 by cherche from Washington on Jan 06, 2019
4.48 by rogacks from Massachusetts on Jan 02, 2019
4.53/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
by leantom from Indiana
Not quite as good as Everett despite the addition of a few additives. Still a tremendous beer, though. Here goes:
A: Pitch black, pours a great white head with fantastic lacing. Great.
S: Chocolate and coffee not as robust as they were in Everett. However, there are hints of vanilla and cinnamon, which add to the complexity and depth of the smell.
T: Chocolate and coffee. Vanilla and cinnamon are in the aftertaste, but they are not particularly robust. Pretty creamy despite the light, soft Vermont water - perhaps some lactose was added.
F: Rich and creamy despite the soft water. Great.
O: Very good. Not quite Everett, but still very good.
Dec 31, 2018
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
by leantom from Indiana
Not quite as good as Everett despite the addition of a few additives. Still a tremendous beer, though. Here goes:
A: Pitch black, pours a great white head with fantastic lacing. Great.
S: Chocolate and coffee not as robust as they were in Everett. However, there are hints of vanilla and cinnamon, which add to the complexity and depth of the smell.
T: Chocolate and coffee. Vanilla and cinnamon are in the aftertaste, but they are not particularly robust. Pretty creamy despite the light, soft Vermont water - perhaps some lactose was added.
F: Rich and creamy despite the soft water. Great.
O: Very good. Not quite Everett, but still very good.
Dec 31, 2018
4.31 by eddiefl from New York on Dec 27, 2018
4.72/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by Ralph45 from Massachusetts
Pours wonderfully, huge head. Pour slow, feel is smooth/creamy. Wish I had more.
Dec 01, 2018
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by Ralph45 from Massachusetts
Pours wonderfully, huge head. Pour slow, feel is smooth/creamy. Wish I had more.
Dec 01, 2018
4.6 by JPeterson17 from Massachusetts on Nov 24, 2018
4.02 by needMIbeer from Virginia on Jul 29, 2018
4 by Phurley2 from Massachusetts on May 09, 2018
4.31 by Fireman_RK from North Carolina on Apr 23, 2018
4 by smartassboiler from Illinois on Apr 17, 2018
3.75 by rspauldi from Texas on Apr 16, 2018
4.43 by psweendogg from Connecticut on Feb 10, 2018
4.5 by peterpunk15 from Massachusetts on Feb 07, 2018
4.24 by KT123 from Pennsylvania on Jan 22, 2018
4.25 by smcel371 from New York on Jan 17, 2018
4.19 by Dizzy242 from Massachusetts on Jan 04, 2018
4.5 by edthehead from New York on Dec 29, 2017
4.34 by RickyBfromCT from Connecticut on Dec 28, 2017
Twilight Of The Idols from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
1146 ratings