Once Upon a Time in Denmark Biscotti Break
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

Pours a dark inky black thick beer, a little brown head that fades quickly, no real lacing but good legs,

Nose brings loads of dark malts and chocolate, cocoa, some roasted malts and coffee, dark chocolate, almonds and a bit of marzipan like, rich vanilla, candy vanilla and spice, a bit of vanilla oak and flash of bourbon, some chocolate wafer cookie, baking spices,

Taste brings loads of dark chocolate, cocoa, a bit fudgey, pretty sweet overall, chocolate brownie into more almond and marzipan, vanilla cake and vanilla icing, a bit of roasted malts and coffee, some bourbon barrel notes and vanilla oak, thick chewy cookie dough and a little nougat, baking spices, then thick chocolate ganache lingering, semi sweet sticky finish, lingering everything, smooth alcohol

Mouth is thick chewy heavy, med to lower carb, light warming tingly alcohol but smooth

Overall pretty nice, a nice overall imperial stout that brings some nice characters, thankfully not too sweet and the additives don't overpower the beer

500ml bottle, dated March 25, 2022, poured into a stemless wine glass. Enjoyed on 01.16.2024, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a thick and viscous jet black color, thin film of khaki head with a few spots of lacing. The aroma is nice, rich chocolate, charred oak, hot spirit, light coffee, modest nutty almond, vanilla marshmallow and stone fruit. The flavors are good, bittersweet chocolate, dry almond, slight toastiness, vanilla, acidic coffee fruits, dark pitted fruit, licorice, bourbon spirit and earthy oak. The mouthfeel is good, coating, thick, super smooth heavy body, low carbonation with a warm finish.

Verdict: A nice barrel aged stout from Hill Farmstead. The almond quality is well expressed, good complexity and depth, but super hot.

 

 

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells nutty, but also disappointingly peppery, with lots of roast and astringency.

This is probably the worst from this series, or maybe it just should have been drank ultra, ultra fresh I guess. There’s some nice nuttiness and barrel here, but the pepper has gone off completely here. It’s just peppery, slightly too fruity, and not great. Hill Farmstead has the ability to make great coffee beers, and they’ve had coffee beers that have aged well, and this just not one of them.

This is medium bodied, creamy, and astringent, hampering the drinkability.

Hill Farmstead remains my favorite brewery but this was a big swing and a miss.

 

This is a dessert but not the super sweet one that is typical of North America. It's a dessert that while intense in flavor it's not cloying and can therefore be fully enjoyed and appreciated. Another stout masterpiece by Hill Farmstead.

Drinking out of a small snifter at the brewery.
Nice mahogany color with a thin filmy head.
Strong imperial stout nose.
Pretty strong sweetness overwhelming the taste.
Very smooth. No trace of booziness.

 

 

Poured from the 500 ml bottle ino the test glass.
A - Dark cocoa color, gentle carbonation feeds the mocha colored ring.
S - Vanilla, almond, bakers chocoalte jump out of the glass, batting second, light roast coffee, a bit of caramel candy.
T - First impression is barrel driven with the vanilla, mingling with char. As the offering opens up the almond, makes its way forward. Coffee is the next phase. I find it interesting that the individual elements present when cold. As the offering warms, they come together quite well.
M - Thick, hefty, fully coats the palate, semi sweet start, manages to avoid tipping the sweet scales, the center has a drying movement, with a pleasant bittering. Finish is abrupt, with yes a Biscotti linger. Every exhale has a whisp of alcohol
O - A fine "how do you do?" Big stout, with a broad range, not to sweet, adjuncts applied deftly, yield a complex sipper.
From start to finish an absolute delight

 

Thanks to CSull for my first batch of Hill Farmstead in a long, long time, including this broody little 500ML number.

Bad guy black with a small enough number of bubbles that I could count them. The nose leans into nuts first, bourbon, vanilla.

Once Upon a Time in Denmark – Biscotti isn’t of this generation. It’s a subtle, sly, slinky imperial stout. The nuts are wildly all over this, even out-headlining the barrel, which is strong but holding some of its fire (yeah, that makes no sense, I know). Chocolate & vanilla are faint, contributing more of an unfocused sweetness than distinct additives. Coffee? Nah, not here. Full. No problem putting this bottle away.

A very good beer that borders on excellent - & maybe that’s my problem. I’ve been inoculated with big, beefy, meaty beers over the past several years & this is a throwback. Borderline excellent.

 

Pours an opaque solid black with a nice head and lacing.
Aroma has generous biscotti and chocolate hints.
The taste follows the nose with biscotti and chocolate flavors
A medium bodied very well done well balanced beer
A great Imperial Stout