Farmhouse Stout
Hall Brewing Co.

January 1st, 2014 - The Farmhouse Stout from Hall was my companion for the evening, alongside a small, white fluffy dog, and a fireplace. Great environs for a great brew, which begins it's performance right out of the bottle. The color is conventionally dark, but the head kicks up an ornate, complex cloud, like a chocolatey coral reef, or an explosion, paused right before the flame billows out. In many ways, the foam looks like a brown version of a golden ale, which seem to consistently out perform other styles in lacing acrobatics. Once this wall of fluff abates, I catch aromatic glimpses of jerk spices, roasted root vegetables and soy sauce, conveying an overall bouquet of fresh bitterness and darkness. The palate comes before the flavor, sudsy and palate, partly a result of foam settling down and easing onto the tongue. While cold this beer comes off as a little staid. A little warmth teases out the soy sauce from the aroma, bitter chocolate, and burnt ends - fine, but not as enticing as the aroma or even the eye-candy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

been staring at this one for awhile, i figured it was time. it looks the part, with a deep dark chalky matte finished black color and a decent head of khaki froth. the nose is nice too, loads of coffee overtones to it, and bitter barley. i get nothing farmhouse at all from the yeast, although i now understand that its called that because of where its made, not its yeast. maybe not the best marketing there. the flavor isnt bad either, although mine seems a little stale. the coffee seems old, but still intense in the flavor, very bitter but not harsh. dark chocolate and roasted barley are there too, and there is again very little yeast character. my biggest problem here is the mouthfeel. its very flat on the tongue, and has basically no body. i dont know if thats because this bottle is a little dated, or because its just made too thin, but its almost watery in feel, which detracts from some of the darker richer flavors if the beer. that part really turns me off. not the worst thing ive had from hall, but a far cry from the best. i think the new cans they are launching will bring them back into relevance here shortly, but this one was forgettable.

Beer pours black as coal and think like oil. There is a huge brown head on top of the beer. Seems to be overcarbonated.

Aroma is subtle, roast and a hint of chocolate. No hop aromas.

Mild, not overly bitter.

Good body, although carbonation is over done.

Overall an okay beer for the style, no technical flaws, just nothing jumps out.

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with uninspired label an standard unbranded pry-off pressure cap acquired via a friend and served into an Odell stem-tulip in me friend's gaff in high altitude Fort Collins, Colorado. Reviewed live. Reviewed as a farmhouse stout because the label identifies it as such.

Served cold - straight from the fridge - and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Gushes upon opening.

A: No bubble show forms as it's poured.

Pours a four finger wide head of shockingly dark tan colour. A bit thin and airy. No lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes. Head retention is above average - about 3-4 minutes. Okay creaminess.

Body colour is an opaque solid black. No yeast particles/sediment is visible.

Overall, it's looking strange for either of the styles it's hybridizing.

Sm: Dark malts, caramel, chocolate malt, and farmhouse yeast (but no funkiness). No hop character is detectable.

An unpleasant aroma of mild strength. It's a bit off-putting.

T: Dark malts, some faint harsh bitterness, light farmhouse character (but not any funky brettanomyces), caramel, and...that's about it. There's very little going on here. I'm unimpressed. Imbalanced.

Not complex, subtle, nuanced, or intricate. Not a gestalt build, nor a cohesive one. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour.

No hop character or real yeast character comes through.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Fair creaminess. Overcarbonated. Okay body and thickness. Okay presence on the palate. Doesn't suit the taste very well at all.

Not oily, astringent, harsh, or gushed.

Dr: Downable but mediocre. I wouldn't get it again. A bit mundane. I wouldn't recommend it to friends. Not much of a farmhouse ale, nor much of a stout.

C-

Whoa. The soap sure flows out of this beer. Lost half of the bottle to way over carbonation. Soapy appearance is a major turnoff for me as is losing 1/2 my bottle of beer...

Unpleasantly smokey. Coffee, missing chocolate base... Not a stout, but sure is a farmhouse dark ale. Too much like a porter than a stout. This is a miss.

Horrid over carbonation makes the brew nearly impossible to drink. There's nothing to this beer. It's thin, watery, under-flavored, and far from a stout; it's a mess. Sweetness is awkward and dryness is wet and misplaced.

This brew is infected to the 9's and not my speed. Not sure I'll be returning again for another sip. Can't recommend.

 

Opaque black body with a thin, brownish head. Coffee grounds, chicory, and charred toast smells. Bitter and milk chocolate flavors; slightly acidic. Relatively light body, smooth and silky.

A smooth drinking stout that goes down easy and packs just enough unique flavor to let you know this one was made with heart.

 

 

This is quite the malty stout, nice and full.
Pours dark brown, bordering on black. Off tan head is mostly thick with a touch of soapiness.

Aroma has gobs of toasted/roasted malt. Rich. While a bit one-dimensional the aroma isn't bad. Hints of coffee and earthy hops

Flavor is strong with the roastiness. Almost tree-bark coarse, but smoothes out. Hints of coffee. Tannin middle and bready finish.

A bit light for a stout, but still chewy. A solid beer from Hall, which has hit some bumps with the previous two I've tried