Once Upon A Time In Denmark… - Southward
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

 

Bottle conditioning since Aug 5th, 2022
Pours a small dark brownish thicker head with fair to lower retention, a bit of lacing, inky jet black beer with decent legs

Nose thick heavy fudgey stout, plenty of roasted malts, char, cocoa, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, nougat, mild baking spices, caramel fudge, vanilla barrel notes with mild bourbon, a bit of a nutty note,

Taste comes on sweet, heavy rich cocoa, dark chocolate, chocolate ganache, nougat, fudge, caramel, some bitterness from the roast, light alcohol but smooth, fair nutty notes with some pecan, layers of chocolate, then into rich vanilla, a bit of bourbon and oak barrel notes, a bit of a fruity note, semi sweet finish

Mouth is full bod, rich thick a bit of warming smooth alcohol, lower carb, a touch syrupy

Overall this was a bit of an off beer for Hill, seems like a decent base stout, but way too sweet, the vanilla pecan and general sweet bordering pastry stout.

500ml bottle, dated August 5, 2022, poured into a stemless wine glass. Enjoyed on 01.20.2024, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a thick jet black color, sludge, tiny khaki film appears but yields no lacing. The aroma is nice, chocolate, vanilla, pecan, stone fruits, raisin, hot bourbon and charred earthy oak. The flavors are good, rich chocolate, toasted coffee, fruit forward and slightly acidic, stone fruits, licorice, vanilla, earthy oak, and toasted pecan. The mouthfeel is good, coating, thick, smooth and heavy body, low carbonation and a warm boozy finish.

Verdict: A nice barrel-aged adjunct stout from Hill Farmstead. Coffee is less prominent than the other two variants of this set but the pecan is nice and there is a good balance of flavor.

 

 

 

 

Bottle. Black color. Dark brown. Thick.

Coffee, roast, charred oak. Bourbon and pecans do show. Lots of cocoa and baker’s chocolate. Vanilla is faint. Bitter chocolate finish. Smooth.

 

 

This one pours a very dark black color, with a tiny head, and not much lacing.

This smells like creamy vanilla, roasted pecans, milk chocolate, lactose, caramel, and a touch of sweet bourbon.

This is as close to pastry sludge as Hill Farmstead is ever going to get. It’s much sweeter than most HF stouts, but it definitely doesn’t completely lean into syrupy nonsense. The pecan is a very nice touch, adding a nutty and caramelized dimension to the super creamy and fudgy backbone here. The use of lactose is done well here – making this really, really creamy without getting ridiculous. There’s not much barrel here, but I do get some caramel and a touch of oak.

This is very creamy, and very drinkable, with not much booziness at all.

I never tried the original version of this, but I’m very happy they decided to bring it back.

Gray & silver label on this 500ML bottle Split with the wife. I figured I should at least give her a taste of HF before I vacuum it all up.

Even a hard pour yields few tiny bubbles on a black, still surface that looks like it’s hiding something sinister. My wife yells “booze!” when I hand her a glass & yes, there’s that, plus sweet cocoa.

Once Upon a Time in Denmark – Southward is quite unlike the subtle Biscotti version of this series – it’s aggressive. Boozy, with plenty of bourbon & a soft tongue of cognac. Sweetness is second, malty, vanilla, & a quick boom of cocoa that’s both bitter & sweet. Faint nuttiness on the finish; no coffee detected. Full & easy. Good portion control.

Nothing earth-rending but a very good brew.

Poured from the 500 ml bottle into the test glass.
A - Pours a dark russet color, moderate carbonation feeds a small group of islands on the surface. A tilt of the glass gives hints to the viscousity that follows.
S - Dark caramel roasted nuts, vanilla, some toffee. With an exhale through the nose, espresso, blackberry. With a rise in temperature, dark cocoa, more barrel elements, with hints of char, and stronger vanalins.
T - All those aromatics concentrated into a single sip takes time to unpack. They are all there, plus the coffee, cocoa have a dark cherry skin thread, matched beautifully with the malts.
M - Hefty, fully coats the palate, with a sweet start, nice drying mid and back to a sweet dry finish. Palate stays coated, and there is a slight alcohol exhale with the sip.
O - A very good stout, with the goal on the label being to "revisist and explore" one is left to consider what these two talented brewers can dream up next.