Hill Farmstead (2020)

I like not knowing hops used, because people now act like beers with different hops can't have similarities. So instead of Cascade it uses some other C hops and Simcoe or whatever. Big whoop.

Honestly, the first time I had Edward, which was at Armsby maybe 7 or 8 years ago, it reminded me of the first time I had SNPA. I know there's some big differences, but despite a bit of haze (it's not that hazy), it's pretty light on the palate, has a robust bitterness, a fair bit of pine, citrusy, and a dry finish making you want to take another sip. SNPA checks the same boxes. They aren't the same, but they're more similar than they are different.

Honestly? I'm still pretty happy with the comparison. I'm guessing Shaun Hill would take it as a compliment.

Damn it, now I need to buy some SNPA.

Bit of a non sequitor related to the hop rant above: HF makes another beer called Harlan that, if you kept the hop profile secret and did a blind tasting, I'm guessing roughly 0% of beer geeks, especially newly minted ones raised on NEIPAs, would guess it's a single hopped Columbus beer. Sometimes knowing the hops can be cool, but honestly wgaf.

eta: hmm, maybe the Harlan recipe changed. At one point it was all Columbus. Now the site is telling me Nelson and Simcoe as well.

 

Untappd and this very site would confirm the Columbus. EXCLUSIVELY.

 

I mean the HF website says Nelson and Simcoe too. Gonna go with the HF site.

 

I was agreeing with your hypothesis that they changed things.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure those descriptions are from the original descriptions of the beer.

 

I love all the hazeboi/new money type aspersions in your responses to anyone disagreeing with you. I personally think the hall mark of the newly minted beer geek is finding Edward to be a broadly bitter beer. Carry on though and sorry people disagreed with your hot take.

Also I agree with the other person’s point that the two beers are similar in terms of reputation/impact etc, but then if you go down that route you could go past two APAs that don’t taste remotely alike to a completely different beer altogether - and say that Edward is “like” Allagash White. However that rabbit hole has already been fully explored in the “Most Impressive Beer in New England” thread.

 

Yeah this and plus they never put Harlan in cans either. Weird though the first time I had Harlan, Dan described it and on the HF fill board as 'West Coast style IPA'. Things have changed

 

Shaun Hill has said he still drinks Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and reveres it as the standard for consistent brewing standards. Based on that, I don’t think the comparison is as crazy as you’re making it sound.

 

It sounds crazy? I don't think it sounds crazy.

You can both revere and enjoy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (as I do, myself), while also making a beer with a similar ABV that is drastically different.

I mean, it is drastically different. It isn't a more perfect version of SNPA. SNPA is a perfect version of SNPA.

Edward is a hazy New England style beer.

The two beers couldn't be any more different for a similar ABV, lighter malt type non-adjuncted ale.

Literally could not be any different.

 

From a taste/style perspective they aren’t that similar (but there are plenty of beers that are farther from SNPA than Edward).

I do think from a “culture” perspective there are some parallels. SNPA is sort of the gateway craft beer, widely accessible and viewed as the original/epitome of one of the most popular styles. Edward checks some similar boxes but is a level deeper (not quite the right phrase but hopefully you get my gist). What SNPA is to shelf craft beer, Edward is to brewery only craft beer. Accessible (I think it’s just about always available at HF and is the most likely of their beers to find on tap), forefather of the NEIPA, etc.

 

As you recognize:

• Both pale ales
• Both use pale and caramel malt
• Both use ale yeast
• Both are 5%

But Edward uses oats, so we can only properly compare Edward to other hazy New England pale ales?

I know they are not the same beer, or even use the same hops. But we are not comparing apples to oranges here:

 

You just put sabtos in a body bag and I’m here for it. You succinctly summed it up.

 

Lol!

The experience is nothing alike.

Again, I repeat:

It's like saying Julius is a more perfect version of Stone IPA



No, seriously.

 

Thank you kind sir.

 

With all respect OGShotzy - as I know you are a bona fide Suarez Boi - three of those four bullets are verging on meaningless. May as well include:

• brewed on Planet Earth

They are both pale ales as you say. So by definition they have many similarities. You could pick almost any two APAs at random and boldly say “Beer X and Beer Y are very similar”.

But personally speaking - I am completely failing to see what is similar about Edward and SNPA beyond what you’d expect from two beers that are of the same style. I wouldn’t swing the other way and say they are at opposite poles either, but they are definitely far apart.

And re: the reputation/philosophy/impact points people have made - which I agree with - you can’t taste those (although one or two people in this thread will claim otherwise)

 

I am really struggling with Double Riwaka. It's not bad, but holy shit it tastes like a plate of vegetables.

I'm not terribly familiar with this hop but I've got 4 cans left and I'm not sure I can finish them. It's like eating some mangoes and then immediately chowing down on some garlic covered broccoli then biting into a raw onion.

 

Dammit.