Holger Danske (with Kissmeyer)
Hill Farmstead Brewery

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From:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
Smoked Beer
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.14 | pDev: 9.66%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
224
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 16, 2019
Added:
Nov 14, 2010
Wants:
  60
Gots:
  5
Smoked Brown Ale
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by brystmar:
Photo of brystmar
Reviewed by brystmar from Texas

4.13/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Brouwerij Lane.

Dark brown, decent head, stubborn lace. Aroma wreaks of smoked malts and wood, smells dry and roasty too which gives me hope.

Strongly roasty; malt-forward, mildly smoked. Big hop profile takes over midway through, carrying me through the end without offensive amounts of smoke. Dry, delicious, impeccably balanced. Rare for a style (smoked porter) where brewers typically go overboard with the smokey profile.

Could use more body. I hate most smoked beers and thought this was excellent.
Sep 29, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by alexsergio from New York

Nov 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.06 by fitzy84 from Massachusetts

Nov 10, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Nov 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Nov 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by xtonytx from Connecticut

Jan 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.47 by crobinso from Colorado

Dec 02, 2018
Photo of Gatch
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
On-tap at Armsby in Worcester. Can’t remember the last time I had a HF beer. This is incredible. Subtle smokiness on top of all that makes a brown ale delicious. Heavily roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, wood, earth, sweet sugary syrup. This is killer stuff.
Nov 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by lochraneg from New Hampshire

Nov 03, 2018
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.48/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This one pours a very dark brown color- it's very rich looking. There's a small foamy white head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like warm and toasty smoke, with caramel, rustic bread, rye, chocolate, and coffee.

There's a lot going on here. The malt is perfectly smoked- there's absolutely none of the off-flavors often associated with smoked beers- no plastic, no bandaid, no nothing. It's just warm and toasty and like a great campfire. The base brown ale is so rich. It feels richer than George- there's some definite dark roast coffee, lots of chocolate, a dark and spicy breadiness, and some very light caramel. This is so good.

This is creamy and rich, with a medium sized body, and a great level of drinkability. I could drink this all day, and I couldn't say that about most smoked beers.

Hill Farmstead has turned probably the least sexy style into an amazing beer. This is absolutely wonderful.
Oct 31, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by Burt from Rhode Island

Oct 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.26 by smb71481 from Vermont

Oct 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by SkiBum22 from New York

Oct 21, 2018
Photo of npolachek
Reviewed by npolachek from New York

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Solid robust smoked brown ale. Taste of dark chocolate and smokiness. Clear color and smooth for a beer of it style. Definitely drinkable at 7% ABV.
Oct 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 14, 2018
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This is a collaborative beer with Danish brewer Kissmeyer.

Near black in color but light shines through the very edge of the glass stem. Large beige head which leaves a many, many spots. It settles with a dome.

The smell reminds me of a Porter with only a hint of the advertised smoke.

The flavor starts dry with black patent malt notes like black coffee and burnt toast. From there the taste becomes drier and more like ash. The smoke is more pronounced but definitely not the major flavor. Moderate body with a higher carbonation than most stouts. This was advertised as a "smoked brown ale". It is far stronger in flavor than that style and is much closer to a robust Porter or dry stout.
Dec 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by thampel09 from New Jersey

Nov 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by edthehead from Maryland

Nov 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Nov 08, 2017
Photo of ManapuaMan
Reviewed by ManapuaMan from Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Filled a growler with this mysterious brew on a whim; figured I’d try something other than familiar names or literary references. Not a fan of smoked beers but the thinking goes that, if I could be turned, HF would be the ones to do it.

Growler filled on Saturday, consumed Wednesday. Dark brown pour with a moderate off-white head that lingers.

Aroma! Couldn’t help myself; was expecting burning tire, chimney or campfire. What I got was a subtle campfire smokiness layered atop toasted malts, light cocoa and that ethereal earthiness. Whew.

Taste is fire-toasted malt, bitter chocolate, cocoa powder, char and, well, smokiness. The latter brings a different element of taste to the fore that sets this beer apart. Otherwise feels like an Irish Stout - dry with a balanced bitterness.
Nov 03, 2017
Holger Danske (with Kissmeyer) from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 224 ratings