Society & Solitude #5 | Hill Farmstead Brewery
Brewed by:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
Vermont, United States
hillfarmstead.com
Style: American Double / Imperial IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.10%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our experimental Double IPA series continues.
Imperial IPA. American and New Zealand hops. Think Grapefruit.
Added by Brad007 on 09-23-2012
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 1,426 | Reviews: 167
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.64/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On-draught @ Pony Bar, New York, NY. Currently #92 in the Top 250 beers list. Brief impressions below:
Creamy white head dies within 30 seconds, leaving nice frothy lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes. Still, retention is poor overall - even given its 8.1% ABV.
Body colour is a murky cloudy yellow-orange. No yeast/lees are visible within. Vibrant enough.
It's a nice appearance for an imperial IPA, but lacks any unique or special characteristics.
AROMA: Tropical fruit. Passionfruit. Floral hop aromatics. Hop oils. A blip of grapefruit citrus. Pale malts seem to keep it in balance; I don't pick up on any overly sweet caramalt or crystal malt.
Aromatic intensity is moderate. No off-the-shelf or booze is detectable.
TASTE: Lovely. Ample hop flavour with nice hop pungency though depth of flavour could be improved. Tropical fruits: passionfruit, faint guava. No melon, papaya, tangerine, or the like.
There's mild accompanying bitterness, but this beer is well balanced with pale malts and 2 row keeping it in check instead of saccharine Crystal or caramalt.
Individual constituent hop flavour could get more vivid and distinct. Not the most expressive brew out there.
TEXTURE: Light to medium-bodied. Aptly carbonated, with a slight crisp bite. I'd like more of an oily soft feel on the palate, but this is refreshing, smooth, and wet, and avoids feeling boozy or overly heavy like many expressions of the style.
OVERALL: If like to revisit this in finer grain given its evident quality. Hop profile approaches that tropical creamsicle vibe observed in many of these Johnny come lately hazy (I)IPAs but doesn't downplay bitterness to the point that it just tastes like stale alcoholic orange juice. Very drinkable and balanced with a good but not great hop profile. I don't regard it as world class, but it's damn solid work, no doubt.
B (3.64) / GOOD
1,881 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On-draught @ Pony Bar, New York, NY. Currently #92 in the Top 250 beers list. Brief impressions below:
Creamy white head dies within 30 seconds, leaving nice frothy lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes. Still, retention is poor overall - even given its 8.1% ABV.
Body colour is a murky cloudy yellow-orange. No yeast/lees are visible within. Vibrant enough.
It's a nice appearance for an imperial IPA, but lacks any unique or special characteristics.
AROMA: Tropical fruit. Passionfruit. Floral hop aromatics. Hop oils. A blip of grapefruit citrus. Pale malts seem to keep it in balance; I don't pick up on any overly sweet caramalt or crystal malt.
Aromatic intensity is moderate. No off-the-shelf or booze is detectable.
TASTE: Lovely. Ample hop flavour with nice hop pungency though depth of flavour could be improved. Tropical fruits: passionfruit, faint guava. No melon, papaya, tangerine, or the like.
There's mild accompanying bitterness, but this beer is well balanced with pale malts and 2 row keeping it in check instead of saccharine Crystal or caramalt.
Individual constituent hop flavour could get more vivid and distinct. Not the most expressive brew out there.
TEXTURE: Light to medium-bodied. Aptly carbonated, with a slight crisp bite. I'd like more of an oily soft feel on the palate, but this is refreshing, smooth, and wet, and avoids feeling boozy or overly heavy like many expressions of the style.
OVERALL: If like to revisit this in finer grain given its evident quality. Hop profile approaches that tropical creamsicle vibe observed in many of these Johnny come lately hazy (I)IPAs but doesn't downplay bitterness to the point that it just tastes like stale alcoholic orange juice. Very drinkable and balanced with a good but not great hop profile. I don't regard it as world class, but it's damn solid work, no doubt.
B (3.64) / GOOD
1,881 characters
4.46/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.44/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at The Reservoir, Waterbury, VT. The appearance was a moderately hazy burnt orange color with a bar pour’s kind of slim looking film of a white head. Barely any lacing. The smell had a sweet pulpy grapefruit bursting over some bitter pine and subtle lemon rind. The taste takes the previously mentioned flavors and adds a nice drying effect on into the aftertaste and finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed good with enough harsh bitterness on my tongue to definitely show some great DIPA effects. Overall, this was a very nice DIPA that I would have again.
656 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at The Reservoir, Waterbury, VT. The appearance was a moderately hazy burnt orange color with a bar pour’s kind of slim looking film of a white head. Barely any lacing. The smell had a sweet pulpy grapefruit bursting over some bitter pine and subtle lemon rind. The taste takes the previously mentioned flavors and adds a nice drying effect on into the aftertaste and finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed good with enough harsh bitterness on my tongue to definitely show some great DIPA effects. Overall, this was a very nice DIPA that I would have again.
656 characters
4.6/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.55/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3.87/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.35/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.58/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.44/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.78/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.43/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.41/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Society & Solitude #5 from Hill Farmstead Brewery
4.49
out of 5
based on 1,426 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25