★ Review: Hill Farmstead Genealogy of Morals

   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 13/20

Picked this up at Hill Farmstead a few weeks ago. Enjoyed at 60 degrees F in an HFS tulip. Thanks Shaun for your time and care.A – 30-seconds after I uncapped the bottle, foam starting pouring out so I quickly grabbed a glass to catch it. Poured black out of the bottle. Not as viscous or midnight-esque as Damon. More like a darker version of Everett. 3-Finger coffee colored head that faded to a thin ring after a minute or so.S – Big coffee notes, oak and sweet raisins / figs on the nose.

T – This is a far sweeter beer than expected. Very much like a sherry or (no surprise) Madeira wine taste up front. The middle is a nice spicy peppery sweet porter taste with hints of cocoa. The finish is dry burnt espresso and very sweet Madeira wine with toffee, caramel and sugar.

M – High-Medium body, heavy carbonation and very sweet finish.

O – I expected a beer that was just a little smoother, a bit less sweet and, unfortunate to say, a bit more balance on how the coffee, Madeira and chocolate come together. The rye is there but it comes at the finish as sort of a masked nuance to the coffee. This is still a great beer but not a beer that I will seek out again. Sorry Shawn.