I’m lucky to be in a tasting group who has been buying Hill Farmstead beers since the opening celebration 2 years ago. Therefore, when we do a tasting with Shaun’s beers, some very classy items show up. This also includes some beer reviews from this weekend. There are some I haven’t entered yet but I’ll get around to it this week.
Hill Farmstead Life Without Principle #1
AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A – Light clear light orange beer. Light golden.
S – Simcoe and Citra hops scent. citrus and some pear as well. Plenty of orange zest.
T – Nice up front oranges. Plenty of chewy simcoe hops. Nice pineapple and pear finish. Very light and very drinkable! Forgetting to add the bitter finish.
M – 10% carbonation. Light body.
O – Wow. It’s incredibly drinkable.
AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 18/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 11, 2012
AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A – Sort of a darker nut brown color. Light 1 finger head that fades to a small level of carbonation on the edge of the glass. Decent head lacing.
S – Amazong scent. Really solid funk. Excellent grape skin taste and this musky grape juice scent as well. Dry as well.
T – Wow. Yeah, it’s a super dry up front wine taste. Sauvignon Blanc. Nice bretty dryness and really bitter orange finish.
M – 80% carbonation on the mouth swish. Medium body.
O – Wow. You can taste the age on this beer. It’s super bretty and light funk. Almost a flanders taste as well. Solid and far bigger than any saison I’ve ever had.
AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A – Dark golden orange. No lacing. Minimal head.
S – Wow. Smells nice. Lots of citrus, some funky yeast and some vanilla.
T – Up front with honey taste. Almost a mead up front taste. Mild bitterness but not too much. Floral notes, roses and hibiscus. Some sweetened candi sugars. Finish is this dry champagne like belgian yeast.
M – 20% carbonation. Light body. Grape-skin finish.
O – This was a very special beer. It has an exceptional taste. Truly a phenomenal world-class beer.
AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A – Dark brown pour but black in the glass. 1-finger head subsides to a thin line of head pretty fast.
S – Solid up-front charred oak and vanilla with a boozy hot bourbon barrel notes. Very small level of espresso beans that aren’t so fresh any more but smell once pretty great.
T – Wow. Okay, so the bourbon dominates the first taste. Smoked malts follow with hints of vanilla at the finish. There’s this slight grassy taste as well.
M – 40% carbonation. Heavy body. boozy finish with this grassy vanilla taste.
O – This is a beer I would have preferred to have fresh. Even still, it’s delicious and tasty and very enjoyable.
AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A one finger coffee head , oily slick black. Pitch black. Lacing some alcohol legs
S cocoa nibs. Coffee. Cream espresso , maple syrup, sugar
T wood smoked wood and malt. Red wine (Cabernet)
M – 50% mouth feel. Heavy bodied. Wood and oak linger
O – Pretty good. Definitely an A grade
AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
adamjackson (522) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – AUG 12, 2012
A – Pours a very dark brown to black. Small head that faded immediately. Decent lacing that fades pretty fast. Almost black in the bottle.
S – Mild bourbon scent, lots of coffee and mild smokiness. Hints of cocoa.
T – Mocha coffee taste. There’s a slight bit of boozy bourbon heat but it’s very mild at this point. The tannins of the cabernet blend nicely with the smoky baltic porter. I get some vanilla and charred oak.
M – 10% carbonation. Heavy body. Very soft red wine finish.
O – Wow. This is very nice.
