Genealogy
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

#83 of a unique Hill Farmstead beer.

bottled 2/21/18; consumed 4/26/22. 4 years and 2 months old at time of drinking this stout.

Side by side tasting with Genealogy of Morals - Edilfonso Espresso. Both beers poured into Durobar Charente stemmed bulb glass sporting the Hill Farmstead logo because proper glassware is a must for drinking these two beers side by side.

Shared the side by side tasting with a friend as Hill Farmstead crew suggests on the beer label: "share, consider, enjoy".

Appearance: black bodied / tall dark brown head with lots of varying size soapy bubbles that are densely packed. Really thick lacing left on the glass. Very photogenic and beautiful looking beer.

Smell: Nice coffee noted without even requiring my nose getting into the glass.

Taste: Big coffee still. Mild chocolate notes.

Mouthfeel: Wheat stout makes the texture very creamy and silky smooth bodied. A medium bodied with a lower medium level of carbonation.

Overall: This held up really well. No signs of oxidation. Lots of coffee still. Not too often that I have ran into a wheated stout brewed with coffee.

500ml bottle from 2018. Pours an inky black with full tan head. Grains and coffee dominate the nose. These are accompanied in taste by chocolate. Medium mouthfeel and nicely carbonated. Overall a solid brew from Hill.

 

 

An opaque dark brown color with a thick and sturdy tan head, reflecting the wheat presence. The aroma was fairly pronounced for this style and presented roasted grains, milk chocolate, floral hop notes, and faint coffee. The taste largely followed suit with a thick and rich chocolate presence that was balanced with soft, floral hop bitterness. The coffee flavor was subtle and most noticeable on the finish, after the chocolatey malt notes faded away. The feel was full and velvety. Slightly sweet with a slight warming on the finish, but not boozy. Overall this was an outstanding Imperial Stout, but the coffee seemed to be dominated by the chocolate notes. Quite alright with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottled 2/10/16; drank 5/13/16 @ Golgi Apparatus.

Black/brown appearance.

A nice, noisy dark tan head which quickly dissipated; minimal lace.

Fresh flowers, honey & milk chocolate notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Cherry & milk chocolate flavors up front; fresh flower & honey notes on the finish. No booze heat.

A bit sweet (and where's the coffee?) but this was above average & interesting.

 

 

500ml bottle, dated February 21, 2018, poured into a Hill Farmstead etched Rona wine glass. Enjoyed on 11.24.18, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a jet black color, a bit thin out of the bottle with a massive tan head, excellent retention and lacing. The aroma is pleasant, strong roasted grain, toasted wheat with dark bitter chocolate, light stone fruits and a touch of mild coffee that is lightly acidic. The flavors are very roasty, lots of toasted wheat, bitter dark chocolate, acrid coffee that does have a mild bourbonesque presence and a lingering touch stone fruit. The mouthfeel is okay, medium body that is very lively and carbonated, a bit thinner than I'd like for nearly 10% ABV, coats well and finishes nicely but with a drying sensation.

Verdict: A good coffee stout from Hill Farmstead. For my tastes, too roasty, a bit too harsh and the coffee gets lost in this one. It's pretty sessionable for the ABV, which is nice, but all in all, a good beer but nothing special from Hill Farmstead.

 

 

 

 

This was a small four ounce pour at the brewery of the original 2011 batch.

A: dark brown and black body with a huge creamy light mocha colored head that stick around.

S: Lots of chocolate and dark fruit like figs and raisins.

T: More if the same lots of depth here. It starts off just a mouthful of thick syrupy figs and candied fruit. Then transitions into light grainy chocolate and finishes with a little more of the fruit.

M: Syrupy and full

O: This has held up remarkably well for being 7 years old. I suspect the deep fruit flavors developed as the years went by.

 

 

 

550ml bottle poured into an oversized wine glass
2018 Vintage

A- pours pitch black in color with a two-finger creamy and silky khaki colored head that has great retention and leaves a bif of lacing behind

S- malty and rich aroma with notes of chocolate malt, caramel malt, bitter chocolate, herbal & earthy coffee that gives just a hint of green pepper. Undertones of toasted wheat, anise, vanilla creme & charred malt that compliments the coffee

T- charred malty notes up front gives notes of dark chocolate, caramel/toffee, molasses & anise, Mid-palate brings out the coffee addition and adds some earthy and green pepper notes, along with vanilla whipping cream. The finish gives more charred malt, as well as chocolate and caramel into the linger

M- heavy body with moderate carbonation produces a thick and creamy mouthfeel that continues into a silky and velvety finish

O- in the flooded market of barrel aged beers, sometimes it is nice to have a simple, well made coffee stout. This is certainly one of them

Mouthfeel on this was great, the rest of the beer, not so much.

 

So this will be my first brew from Hill Farmstead. Let's see what's in store. Pouring from a 500 ml. bottle into a tulip glass. This beer pours out a beautiful coffee like dark brown and forms a creamy caramel colored crown. The smell brings a roastiness that is like fresh brewed coffee. The first taste I was amazed at how creamy and smooth this was while still letting that roastiness go all the way through. Very nice coffee flavor that lingers on the lips with a vanilla like sweetness. The grain comes through in the after taste. The feel is even on the coffee side, not too thick but just full of flavor. Overall, you can just tell how well this beer is made.

 

had this on tap. beautiful looking brew, aromas and palate are matched nicely and overall this one is very rich, roasty, and smooth. brings some dark chocolate, toasted malt, and sweet molasses/sugary qualities. mellow amount of bitterness from the hops and the roasty coffee and malt notes are balancing the sweetness beautifully. full mouthfeel is velvety smooth and overall this one is complex and rich while still being quite drinkable.

 

 

I only wish I'd had this on a cold winter's night. But still, an amazing stout. Deep brown head, complex flavors with a nice bite of wheat. The aftertaste doesn't just last, it marathons. Delicious! A wee bit of bitterness creeps in as it warms, but that's quibbling. Sensational stout.

 

 

Obsidian black with a large, dark tan foam dome that settles to a persistent lumpy blanket leaving an insane array of leopard print lace completely decorating the entire glass.

The aroma is an unfortunate misstep, with an old school American hop profile of Brillo Pad, pine wood and rug. A deep roast and dark coffee is present, but far in the background, as more almond and chocolatey-ness arises as it warms, somewhat successfully leaving the hops behind, thankfully.

Taste is bitter coffee and a strong, savory dark roast with cocoa and toast and even a hint of smoky maple. Hops become slightly woody and cedary, as a backing peanut butter wafer emerges with time.

Slick and smooth with a medium-thin body, the mild minimal carbonation brings you to a finish that is chewy and paper dry.

 

 

Gifted a bottle dated in February and consumed while on vacation in mid-April.

Black body with a tan head that lingers for a few minutes before slipping away; like dark roast coffee with a head.

Aroma is coffee-forward but not imbalanced or acrid; there’s a rich, robust roasted malt aroma complemented by dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

Taste is espresso, fudge, bitter chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark roast cold press, and a light char.

Just nails the feel - that classic juxtaposition of a big, flavorful beer with a smooth, somehow soft feel on the palate. Fantastic beer.