AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL18/20
adamjackson (1944) – Lyme, New Hampshire, USA – FEB 16, 2014 [delete] [move]
S – Gigantic roast and chocolate forward nose I’ve ever smelled on a stout. There’s a shit ton of chocolate, roasted birch wood, grapes and the heartiest vine fruit like heirloom tomatoes, grapes, muscadines, etc. Sweet and hearty. The nose makes me look forward to the taste that’s about to hit me in the face.
T – The fruit in this beer really stands out and it is an absolutely perfect companion to the roasted notes. You get ash, roasted espresso beans, the most high cocoa chocolate bars and then you get this burst of grapes, plums, blackberry and pears. Minor salt presence in the middle which works great. totally sweet & salty mix here that compliments so well.
M – Full-bodied, sweet, salty, thick and dry. Carbonation is spot on, even after 15 minutes, this beer still has a thick head with sticky lacing.
O – If there ever was a beer that embodied what I would imagine Damon’s spirit to be, this would be it. This beer pairs well with man’s best friend, sitting next to a fire place on a cold winter evening. It really is a sippable perfectly crafted stout and one that I feel honored to have enjoyed. This is VERY good. It easily dethrones bourbon Damon and is only slightly behind this year’s Bourbon Genealogy of Morals.
I’m adding in the review from my buddy Chris who is not a Hill Farmstead Fanboy. He picks up on some different things:
AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
AirForceHops (2522) – Epping, New Hampshire, USA – FEB 16, 2014 [delete] [move] 375 ml bottle shared by Adam Jackson. Thick sheets of lacing that coat the snifter on the way down. Tan bubbles stick to the glass. Aroma starts with oak, deep roasted chocolate and hearty amounts of port wine. The flavor maybe the best I have ever experienced in a stout. The level of roasted malts is on another level compared to 85 % of any stout I have ever had. The port vinous influence marries really well with the roasted notes. Hints of charred coffee. Almost has a brine saltiness hiding under the roast. Notes of dark berries. Thick body with an insane silky, creamy, smooth texture. The amount of flavor is almost overwhelming. Too bad this is so limited; I could drink this once a week. Mr. Hill, Bravo sir!
