Vera Mae
Hill Farmstead Brewery

 

EurHop 2024 (October 18-20, 2024) - "USA BOTTLE CORNER" - 6 Tokens a half glass became a whole thanks to the kindness of the person pouring.
Farmhouse "spring" with organic buckwheat and malted organic farm-grown wheat from (Maine Grains - Maine, USA) with the addition of common dandelion flowers from their farm in Vermont (in Greensboro Bend) and Vermont wildflower honey from Northwoods Apiaries (in Westfield).
75 cl bottle - VINTAGE 2022, uncorked under my nose.
As soon as it was uncorked, rustic aromas (straw, hay, wheat, wet wood), herbaceous with a sweeter halo at the end (at first it reminded me of yellow-fleshed fruit).
In the glass it appears Straw yellow with the classic little foam of a Farmhouse, only slightly cloudy.
On the nose the aromas of hay mixed with yellow-fleshed fruit expand: an elegant rustic.
In the mouth you find the taste of a balanced Farmhouse Ale that on a medium body brings out thirst-quenching flavors of grass (freshly cut, straw), wild flowers, hay, hints of wheat and cereals followed by a pungent, but rapid acidic/sour note of lemon grass. The tongue also remains slightly dehydrated, but the sourness, as mentioned, does not last long and leaves a pleasant taste of durum wheat and flower petals on the palate.
Honestly, I have not identified the actual taste of honey but it probably falls within all those floral nuances that characterize that rustic and peasant taste that is the basis of the beer.
Thirst-quenching, rich in flavors and aftertastes and above all a commendable balance: elegant and refined.

 

2024-08-02
750ml bottle served in a tulip. "Bottle conditioning since October 5, 2023." Handed to me by @Roguer.

Pours clear light yellow, big head on the pour, thin dense head after settling, moderately amount of moderately slow carbonation at rest. Smell is bright lemon and floral, some spicy funk, sweet honey and bread, something vaguely fruity and a background earthiness.

Taste is on the tart side, lemon is stronger and deeper, more on the rind side than the lemonade side. Tartness doesn't quite mask the honey, but it does cover up a lot of it. Floral stuff comes through, now something sort of chardonnay like comes through, I wonder if that was the vague fruitiness in the aroma. Earthiness comes across more clearly and woody/bitter.

Mouthfeel is very light, very dry, very airy. Overall, this is a very nice beer.

 

Fantastic. Sublime. Wonderful. Phenomenal.

That pretty much wraps it up, doesn't it? Oh, you wanted more? Fine.

Sour, but not pure vinegar. Funky, but not cheesy. Flowery, but not earthy.

This beer takes basically every element of a sour, wild saison to 70-80%: huge, but never pushing the envelope. It's on par with damn near any funky/sour saison as you'll find - American or otherwise.

My only detraction is the bright, spritzy mouthfeel is a touch bubbly and champagne-like, and not what I've come to expect from a Hill Farmstead saison or sour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seemed fitting to crack open this 2021 vintage for my 50th Hill Farmstead review. For me this beer represents the epitome of what they make -- it has the classic farmhouse character of Arthur/Anna with that wonderful balance between bretty funk and a hint of pedio/lacto acidity, has the additional complexity brought on by wine barrel aging, and has a nice dose of community spirit thrown in with the dandelion flowers that are harvested annually from their fields in a celebration day of sorts that is open to the public. Plus the usual fine effervescence from the natural carbonation and extended bottle conditioning prior to release. Emblematic.

91/100

 

 

2021 Release.

Straw golden yellow pour. Soft white carbonation.

Sweet, floral notes on the nose. Damp earth. Slight vinous funk; musty white wine. Rounded sweetness from the honey, with a touch of malted grain on the finish.

Mouthfeel with an amazing delicacy. Soft, mineral water-type carbonation, with a touch of acid and lemon zest to round out a predominately organic, earthen profile.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the dandelions, but that slight tang and leafy quality really worked when complimenting the citrusy undertones.