Bière de Mars
Hill Farmstead Brewery

On tap at Big Fatty's BBQ in White River Junction, VT.

This one pours a golden amber-reddish color, with a small white head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like sour cherry, red wine, damp oak, cranberry funk, funky spice, and vanilla.

This is basically baby Norma, so it's delicious stuff. It's got a great dark fruit character - cranberry, red wine, cherry, etc. It's quite funky, and a bit acidic, and it's delicious.

This is slightly creamy, with a long sour finish, and a good drinkability to it.

I've wanted to try this one for a while now, so it's cool to finally come across it on draft while passing through Vermont.

 

 

 

 

 

32oz. growler into Night Shift stemware.

Pours a bright amber color with great head. Nose is cranberry and raspberry, tart lemon and peppercorn with a touch of clove. Decently aromatic. Beers opens slightly tart. Hints of coriander, peppercorn, clove and hop bitterness. Some lemon zest bitterness in the middle and cranberry and tart cherry at the end. Lightly puckering finish. Body is light with ample carbonation. Prickly and foamy on the palate and puckering going down. Messy, lingering finish.

Pretty sure Hill Farmstead is incapable of making bad beer. This is an excellent representation of the style.

If you wanted to distill the feel of drinking a light red wine in a flower shop with a nice loaf of bread, this one’s the beer for you. The musty floral notes and the dark fruity notes compliment each other well in a beer that’s light enough to float away. How it manages to still taste like a beer is a testament to the craft of the brewery. An amazing beer experience, and further evidence that Hill Farmstead is bulletproof.

 

 

 

On tap at the brewery.
Very nice reddish, orangish, pink body under a 1/4 inch very light pink head. Aromas of pink grapefruit, ruby red grapefruit and tart dark fruit. Taste mirrors nose but is so much more. Wonderful flavors of raspberries, cherries, grapefruit, lemon, and lime. Near perfect combo of sweet and sour. Nice champagne feel and overall, yessir, I would have again in a heartbeat. Cheers to Shaun for another world class offering!

 

 

 

On tap at The Reservoir. Deep ruby amber body. Smells fruity. Like cherry and some lemon from the yeast. Some caramel malt. Tastes of bready malt, caramel, more cherry. Yeast takes over. A little tart lemon flavor and some earthy bitterness. Medium body. I wasn't expecting it to be this tart. It's very good, but I think the yeast tartness is masking some of the other flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750ml growler, freshly filled, poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

The beer pours a deep amber color, burgundy hues with nice finger and a half of bone colored head, great retention and tons of soapy lace. The aroma is nice, dark amber grain, light funk, a bit of stone fruits, some leather, a bit of toffee with a hint of spice and wildflower. The flavors are good, strong amber malt, light fruity funk, lightly floral, toffee, something that is rather bitter and harsh, drying as well, can't put my finger on it though it definitely reminds me of the leather aroma that is fairly prominent but the finish is crisp with a touch of tartness. The mouthfeel is good, coating medium body, lively, crisp, a bit tart with a dry and chalky finish.

Verdict: A good Biere de Garde from Hill Farmstead but far from my favorite farmhouse ale they've made. A bit clunky and this rather bitter and harsh flavor that comes across really dominates and takes over this beer.

Interesting beer - there was some off taste that put me off slightly that I can't put my thumb on...but I literally got the last half 750 ml growler before the tank kicked and they didn't charge me so I was really glad I just got to try it. I get the sense that if they bottled this beer, the ratings would have been much higher.

 

 

 

 

 

Served on draft.
Pours a beautiful ruby garnet with good clarity and one finger of bubbly head.
Aromas are lovely with a lot of good yeast, sweetness from the malt.
Flavors are lovely here too a bit of sweet toffee, yeast, good complexity.
Mouthfeel is really nice.
Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. Complex and full of flavor.

 

 

On tap at the brewery served in a globe.

Lightly tart, floral, some grainy malts. Gets better as I continue to drink. A really interesting and unique brew. A hint of mineral flavor.