Society & Solitude #2
Hill Farmstead Brewery

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- From:
- Hill Farmstead Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- IPA - Black / Cascadian Dark Ale
Ranked #2 - ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 96
Ranked #1,144 - Avg:
- 4.32 | pDev: 7.18%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 19, 2022
- Added:
- Jan 12, 2012
- Wants:
- 85
- Gots:
- 20
SCORE
96
World-Class
96
World-Class

Notes:
Imperial Black IPA
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
4.25 by Holderness from Massachusetts on Jan 19, 2022
4 by Bhubbard34 from Pennsylvania on Jan 11, 2022
4.07 by DaveCash from New York on Dec 24, 2021
4 by pepesylvia from Pennsylvania on May 14, 2020
4.19 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois on Mar 19, 2020
4.25 by Jdells09 from New Jersey on Mar 05, 2020
4.71 by lovindahops from New York on Mar 04, 2020
4.25 by jbarletto from Massachusetts on Apr 14, 2019
4.07 by user785335 from Florida on Apr 10, 2019
4.25 by hughesm12 from Massachusetts on Feb 08, 2019
4.44 by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois on Jan 23, 2019
4.25 by rpjterp from Virginia on Jan 09, 2019
4.1 by AD17 from New Jersey on Jan 05, 2019
4.24 by Rub_This_BBQ from Massachusetts on Dec 31, 2018
3.64/5 rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
by ScaryEd from New Hampshire
Poured from a growler into a tulip glass.
Pours a dark brown color with 2 fingers of effervescent tan head. Leaves a ton of lacing before settling into a thin sheet.
The aroma brings notes of charred leather, chocolate, and piney hops.
The flavor follows the nose. Very charred and smokey without notes of roasted chocolate, caramel, and pine.
The feel is medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very soft, smooth and creamy.
Overall, a solid black ale. It's definitely less of a black IPA and more true to the style. It's very roasted and smokey. Not blown away by anything here but it's still well-made.
Dec 20, 2018
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
by ScaryEd from New Hampshire
Poured from a growler into a tulip glass.
Pours a dark brown color with 2 fingers of effervescent tan head. Leaves a ton of lacing before settling into a thin sheet.
The aroma brings notes of charred leather, chocolate, and piney hops.
The flavor follows the nose. Very charred and smokey without notes of roasted chocolate, caramel, and pine.
The feel is medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very soft, smooth and creamy.
Overall, a solid black ale. It's definitely less of a black IPA and more true to the style. It's very roasted and smokey. Not blown away by anything here but it's still well-made.
Dec 20, 2018
3.5 by Phurley2 from Massachusetts on Nov 26, 2018
4.28 by hopley from Massachusetts on Aug 19, 2018
4.01 by Scottsbeer from Florida on Jun 29, 2018
4.59 by smutty33 from Connecticut on May 03, 2018
4.25 by thoglund from New York on Apr 26, 2018
4 by Jhfinn from New York on Apr 18, 2018
4.5 by lupercmda from North Carolina on Apr 11, 2018
4.54 by DCHritz from Pennsylvania on Apr 11, 2018
4.25 by Rizzy17 from Pennsylvania on Apr 11, 2018
4.5 by jkrug5 from Maryland on Apr 10, 2018
4.44/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by EmperorBevis from England
Pours a jet black body with rich thick chocolate milkshake foam head that stays around more than the foo fighters
black jack chew aroma
flavourtreacle, dark fruit and whoa
Apr 02, 2018
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by EmperorBevis from England
Pours a jet black body with rich thick chocolate milkshake foam head that stays around more than the foo fighters
black jack chew aroma
flavourtreacle, dark fruit and whoa
Apr 02, 2018
4.25 by Zekenyce from New Jersey on Feb 17, 2018
4.21/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by NolaHopHead from Louisiana
750 ml growler
Feb 13, 2018
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by NolaHopHead from Louisiana
750 ml growler
Feb 13, 2018
4.25 by peterpunk15 from Massachusetts on Feb 07, 2018
4.44 by 7irondave from Massachusetts on Feb 04, 2018
4.25 by paulish from New York on Jan 31, 2018
4.5 by TomMorris from Connecticut on Jan 29, 2018
3.98 by vfgccp from New York on Jan 27, 2018
4.72/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by GreesyFizeek from New York
Growler procured from the source.
This one pours a thick looking dark black, with a big fluffy head, and lots of lacing.
This smells more black than IPA, which works for me, as it get a deep chocolately aroma, some smoke, charred pine, and floral hops.
Leave it to Hill Farmstead to make a great version of a mostly flawed style. It's not quite as hoppy as I expected- the orange and charred pine flavors are more subtle background characters. The base black ale is excellent- creamy, lightly smoky, and very chocolatey.
This is surprisingly thick and viscous, with a killer creamy feel to it, and a very slight lingering bitterness.
This works on all levels for me. It's probably the best black IPA I've ever had.
Jan 23, 2018
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by GreesyFizeek from New York
Growler procured from the source.
This one pours a thick looking dark black, with a big fluffy head, and lots of lacing.
This smells more black than IPA, which works for me, as it get a deep chocolately aroma, some smoke, charred pine, and floral hops.
Leave it to Hill Farmstead to make a great version of a mostly flawed style. It's not quite as hoppy as I expected- the orange and charred pine flavors are more subtle background characters. The base black ale is excellent- creamy, lightly smoky, and very chocolatey.
This is surprisingly thick and viscous, with a killer creamy feel to it, and a very slight lingering bitterness.
This works on all levels for me. It's probably the best black IPA I've ever had.
Jan 23, 2018
4.41 by TedStrosser from Pennsylvania on Jan 20, 2018
4.25 by TrilliumFan from Massachusetts on Jan 20, 2018
4.35 by Patlee3324 from Massachusetts on Jan 16, 2018
4.38/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by BradMacMullin from Massachusetts
Wait for it....I like this Hill Farmstead beer. After waiting 2 hours at Treehouse I thought I deserved this at Armsby Abbey after all that hard work of waiting . Nice smoothness to this ....chocolatey initially, but this was lightly hoppy which made it distinctive from other more malty black IPAs. I think Hill Farmstead should keep making beer
Jan 12, 2018
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by BradMacMullin from Massachusetts
Wait for it....I like this Hill Farmstead beer. After waiting 2 hours at Treehouse I thought I deserved this at Armsby Abbey after all that hard work of waiting . Nice smoothness to this ....chocolatey initially, but this was lightly hoppy which made it distinctive from other more malty black IPAs. I think Hill Farmstead should keep making beer
Jan 12, 2018
4.19/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by REVZEB from Illinois
Had on tap. Slate dark black body with solid tan finger of foam. Piney and lesser so grassy hops dance atop roasted malt and smoky earth in the nose. Taste adds grapefruit and orange zest to the mix, brightens the complexion ever so slight in an artful way. While flavoring is excellent, the sip is shorter lived. Feel is roasty, smoky more than it smell or taste, artfully yet sharply hopped, and medium bodied.
Jan 03, 2018
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by REVZEB from Illinois
Had on tap. Slate dark black body with solid tan finger of foam. Piney and lesser so grassy hops dance atop roasted malt and smoky earth in the nose. Taste adds grapefruit and orange zest to the mix, brightens the complexion ever so slight in an artful way. While flavoring is excellent, the sip is shorter lived. Feel is roasty, smoky more than it smell or taste, artfully yet sharply hopped, and medium bodied.
Jan 03, 2018
4.21 by TGarbo from California on Jan 02, 2018
Society & Solitude #2 from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
394 ratings