Society & Solitude #5 | Hill Farmstead Brewery

4.09/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a growler into a tulip. Dank hops with somewhat off-putting hints of garlic/onion. Perfect carb and well-hidden alcohol presence. A solid offering.

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4.42/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours goldish orange. White head. Smells of grapefruit. Tastes like grapefruit. I was worried about some soapiness on the finish but the soapiness isn't too overbearing. It's a nice way to cut the fruit. The mouthfeel is soft as ever with a Hill DIPA. This is an excellent DIPA.

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4.34/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From the growler filled on August 20, 2016. Sampled on August 25, 2016.

Orange-yellow and murky tone underneath a moderate white head.

Big aroma of pineapple, citrus, and spice and a white bread malt note.

Medium to full body.

The herbal and spicy characters are more forward in the flavor with the same white bread malt base. Lingering juicy bitterness at the finish.

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4/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's true to style: hoppy, not bitter; background hop fruitiness.
It does what it's supposed to: taste good, be complex, something to talk about over aprez ski happy hour.
I didn't think it was as fantastic as everyone says it it. The flavors aren't crisp, they're muddled. Too much going on at the same time. But it could be just me. Try for yourself...

★ 355 characters

4.53/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

From a growler filled a week ago. Pours cloudy orange-yellow, with a thin, quickly dissipating head. Aroma of citrus, not strong. Pleasant hoppy taste, lingers well. Feels very smooth and creamy. Very enjoyable.

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4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank on draft at Armsby Abby brunch today, 8/7/16, in a wine-like tulip glass; another great hoppy brew from Hill Farmstead, completely hidden ABV and very easy to drink

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4.63/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Amazing beer. Perfect mouthfeel. Not a lot of smell but tastes great some vanilla, earthy, just great. Liked it better than the double Galaxy. Complex profile. Poured from growler one week after visit. Get this one!

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4.45/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled on Saturday, opened last night...

Look: Hazy yellowish orange color with a white head. Looks great.
Smell: Grapefruit, tangerine and melon. I get lots of melon.
Taste: Melon flavors really shine which make this a super smooth drinking DIPA.
Feel: Med carbonation and damn near perfect.
Overall: Another outstanding offering by HF. They are so consistently excellent across their entire portfolio.

★ 414 characters

4.72/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Growler filled on Friday, opened Sunday.

Look: Hazy golden straw with a pure white head. Inviting.

Smell: Grapefruit and tangerine juice meets melon pineapple and papaya

Taste: Holy shit. Huge, but refined flavors of grapefruit and honeydew melon shine. Amazing.

Feel: Classic Hill Farmstead perfection.

Overall: Absolutely amazing.

★ 337 characters

4.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pour: On draft at the Jeffery in NYC. Poured into a tulip glass. Appearance: Very hazy and light straw in color. Medium white head. Aroma: Tropical fruit. Good hoppy citrus notes. Taste: Complex yet balanced. Immediately thought provoking on the first sip. First there is a very earthly quality which then reveals citrus, hops and pine flavors. Aftertaste: Hoppy citrus and pine recedes and finishes with earth and grass. Overall: Very interesting and complex brew. Really enjoyed it! Excellent. 4.68 out of 5.

★ 510 characters

4.66/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

fresh growler drank from most recent release

Pineapple and grapefruit juice bomb mixed with some nice earthiness. An incredibly enjoyable and balanced DIPA and one I will seek out again. Not super familiar with the New Zealand hops, but I will seek out if they always make this great of an IPA. Slightly malty to allow for a nice creamy beer but also very juicy and refreshing. Thanks HF!

★ 393 characters

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fresh from the brewery. Nice citrus nose. Lots of grapefruit notes and a strong hop presence with this one. Clean and crisp finish. Wish I was able to get more

★ 159 characters

4.84/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a growler into a nonic pint glass.

Pours a cloudy golden orange color with a 2-finger fluffy white head. Nice retention and clingy lacing.

The aroma is very tropical. I get a lot of papaya and mango, with just a slight hint of grapefruit and pine resin. Subtly floral. Beautiful aroma.

The taste follows the nose, but brings a lot more citrusy grapefruit and tangerine flavors. There's a touch of lemon on the back end that gives this beer a very subtle tart character. The biscuity, slightly grainy malt is extremely subtle but present. Overall great balance on the flavor.

The mouthfeel is just ridiculous. Perfect body with a perfect amount of carbonation. So creamy and so smooth. Lightly dry with a subtly bitter finish. Like drinking a perfectly fluffed pillow.

Overall, an absolutely fantastic DIPA, and one of my favorite beers from Hill Farmstead. The flavors are extremely bright and well balanced, and the mouthfeel is absurdly good. Drinks like a smooth pale ale with all the flavors and boldness of a double IPA.

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5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is probably my favorite beer that I have had from Hill Farmstead. Nice and 2 finger head, with a gradient turbidity from yellow to orange. S&S#5 smells of strong citrus and tropic fruits. However, the taste is rather mild with some balanced acidic bitterness with balanced sweetness and full smooth mouthfeel. The bitterness remains in the middle notes but completely drops off at the end for a clean finish.The overall notion of this imperial IPA is utter drinkability as its stability between bitter and sweet is completely in tact.

★ 539 characters

4.35/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A deep straw pour with a thin head but nice lacing. A sweet hop scent leads to a balanced citrus and grapefruit taste. Mild bitterness. The alcohol is well masked, nombooziness. Solid.

★ 184 characters

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

very smooth and refined offering from HF.. pours the classic HF straw yellow hazy.. smells of citrus rind fruits.. so smooth to taste.. taste follows the nose.. mouthfeel is great.. awesome stuff from HF

★ 203 characters

4.62/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Glowing yellow color with a tremendous amount of haze to it. Is this a wheat beer? Looks like it. Solid white head almost 1/3". Tons of tropical fruit and grapefruit on the nose. Super dank and impressive.

Taste just keeps the fruit flavors coming without any degree of grating bitterness. Peach and soft pink grapefruit along with tropical vibe. Super dry, conceals alcohol well, hops shine. This is just super elite 1st tier double ipa stuff.

I want to hate trill farmstead, but damn if they don't serve up some awesome stuff.

★ 540 characters

4.25/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a month old growler that a friend picked up at the brewery. Light golden, hay colored DIPA. Great hop aroma with a little more bitterness than expected. This may have sat a little too long, but was still very good

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4.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I love everything about this beer. Cloudy and hazy, beautifully unfiltered, with a super tropical nose. The taste is fantastic. Juicy tangerine, mango, slight passionfruit and grapefruit, and pine on the back really showcase the variety of hops in here. Nice creamy like mouthfeel as well. Perfect balance between American and NZ hops.

★ 335 characters

4.39/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On draft into tulip. Bright peach tangerine orange, hazy, phenomenal lacing. This beer is excellent. Their house yeast makes their beers so special, and it comes out strong here. You get some nice bitterness from the hops, along with tropical fruits, kiwi, some grapefruit. Mouthfeel is great too, slight tartness on the finish.

★ 330 characters

4.46/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2L growler filled 10/29/15. I'm settling in to drink it all by myself so if I don't post again, send someone over to check on me. Poured into a 12oz tulip, a gloriously murky pear colored brew with a big sloppy head that fades down to leave great gobs of lacing on the glass. The smell is of a load of tropical fruits spread out on a slab of white bread. Sharp and clean. Taste: 'Think grapefruit' nails it. Beautifully bitter from first impact right through to the lingering aftertaste. Dank, with citrus notes dominating, vanilla bread-iness and mineral astringency. Feel: Medium body, clean and smooth, slight fizzy carbonation ideally complements the sharpness. O: Not a super-complicated brew but who needs complicated? And who could be happier than me? I could have gotten a 750 but I got the 2L instead - absolutely-freaking-outstandingly-good beer coupled with good decision making on my part.

★ 902 characters

4.46/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler poured into a snifter.

Overall - Very interesting beer. Initially wasn't sure but as it warmed I became a fan. Good job HF!

Taste - Big pine and resinous notes turning to citrus as it warms.

Smell - Pretty tame on the nose.

Mouthfeel - Medium attenuation, medium carbonation.

Look - Hazy orange hue.

(B+)

★ 318 characters

4.48/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had poured from a 750ml growler, 7 days old, into a small tulip glass. Nice citrus smell and taste and a pale yellow color with off white and golden accents. Excellent beer that I would go back for again and again.

★ 214 characters

4.37/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Another amazing offering by Hill Farmstead! Have heard great things about S&S #5 and this one didnt let me down!!! Enjoyed with friends from a 750ml growler. Nice citrus notes and smooth finish but tons of hops character!

★ 224 characters

4.55/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

So I'm at the only brew house in my area that gets Hill Farmstead. They always have something from HF on tap. I walk in and just ask for HF without even looking at what it was because I haven't had anything that wasn't excellent from HF. I hear some moaning going on at the other end of the bar and I find out I got the last pour. The keg kicked. First thing I think is damn - this is a great brew but I'm only gonna get one. But then the manager says " no worries - we always have another ready to go " well now were talking. They wipe the board and write in " Society & Solitude #5. I had #4 while in VT so I was pumped and it didn't let me down in the least. Another home run from HF. Wonderful flavor that was deep and went on forever. Great mouth feel. Light for a DIPA and very fruity. Just wonderful. I wish more spots would get brews from HF as the one is 40 minutes from me but hell - its worth the ride.

★ 922 characters