Edward - Hill Farmstead Brewery

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden into a nonic pint.

A - Pours sunkist orange with a nice thick one finger tall white head, dissipating down to a light film, leaving spotty lacing down the glass.

S - Lots of strong, grassy, citric hops blend in well with the bready malt to form a nicely balanced nose. While the hops dominate they really never get too out of control. Good stuff.

T - Nice grassy hop bite up front giving way to a mix of graham cracker malt and grapefruit flavors from the citric hops. Finish is a bit chewy with plenty of lingering bitterness. Having had quite a few of the hoppy Hill Farmstead offerings now I would have to say this one is near the top of the list. Glad I finally got to try it.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. A mix of pine resin and chewy malt in both the feel and finish.

D - Pretty good. I really enjoyed this one quite a bit. The strong hop punch was very nice, as was the lower ABV, but the chewy feel brought it down a notch. Still very drinkable tho.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 00:55:58 | More by orangesol

womencantsail

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Shared from a growler by Bobby.

A: This one is much like all other hoppy Hill Farmstead beers: a murky orange color with a white head.

S: A very nice citrus aroma to this one. Plenty of grapefruit and tangerine with a mild tropical fruit character to it. Mild bread notes to go with it and perhaps some grass. Nice and fruity without being overly sweet.

T: Lots of tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple flavor to this beer. A mild bitterness with some clean bread and cracker malt flavor. The amount of tropical fruit flavor really kind of creeps up on you as you continue to drink the beer.

M: The body is medium with a moderate carbonation.

O: Tried this again and the descriptors are similar but the beer is far better.

Serving type: growler

02-21-2011 03:54:59 | More by womencantsail

Gmann

New York

4.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky golden color with some orange hues. No head to speak of, looks quite flat.

The aroma is quite nice. Fresh grapefruit hops dominate the aroma. Some light pine and pepper as well. A bit of musty aromas from the yeast. Definitely has a "home-brew" aroma to it.

Again, nice fresh grapefruit hop flavor. The hop profile ranks right up there with SNPA for the style. There is a yeast presence that dirty ups the flavor but its fairly light and gives the beer a rustic tone. Solid malt flavor, bready enough to support the hops but doesn't really add any flavor.

Moderate feel with soft to tingly carbonation. Sweet and bitter on the palate.

Great hop profile on this APA, very tasty. It does have a home brew character to it but its damn delious.

Serving type: growler

02-20-2011 02:54:02 | More by Gmann

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On draft at Capone's last weekend. Served in a pint glass. Along with Bullfrog Citra-Delic, this is the best pale ale that I have ever had. Congrats and thanks, Shaun.

Pours a very hazy light apricot color with a good white head and a pretty good amount of lacing as it goes down the glass. The nose simply explodes with hoppy notes ranging from tropical to citrus with a bit of floral and pine in there for good measure. Simply a cornucopia of all that hops can do to a beer. The taste drives this up to the next level--simply awe-inspiring. Wow, so good. There really isn't any hint at all of malt, other than that it adds a bit of a base so the beer's not too thin. It is quite dry, however. Dry finish with a very resiny, bitter finish. So much flavor in a 5.2% pale ale. I simply love this. One of the best beers I've had in a long, long, long time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2011 15:15:21 | More by Thorpe429

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Served with a hazy, golden-yellow body...two fingers worth of white head...it falls into a thin cap and leaves nice lacing

S - Big, juicy hops...notes of citrus and pine...the malts are way in the background

T - The malts come out more in the flavor...bready malts up front with a touch of caramel sweetness...the middle of the beer is very earthy from both the hops and malts...the malts remain bready and grainy while the hops taste green and fresh...the finish comes back bitter

M - Medium bodied...nicely carbonated, very crisp, bitter and earthy

D - This was my first offering from Hill Farmstead and I was very impressed...I'm excited to try more from them...this APA was nicely hopped with an earthy flavor profile

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 15:04:51 | More by thain709

nkersten

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Sean for hooking this one up at growlerfest part one. Poured into a Lost Abbey tumbler, a pale orange with a small off white bubbly head that sits at the edge of the glass. Grassy hop aroma with a straw like malt, very subtle and clean. Taste is hoppy and bitter, very grassy, some grapefruit, malty bread crust, some biscuit malts, not too sweet. Medium/light bodied with a light carbonation, kind of watery. A very solid APA, this one is very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

02-11-2011 19:36:02 | More by nkersten

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to tenderbranson for sharing this 1 liter growler filled at Al's of Hampden. Enjoyed multiple times from a 1/2 pint.

An appearance that is very creamy looking -almost like a creamsicle with orange tinged and very resinous look with carbonation still visible, with fast rising bubbles The head is thick rocky and white with small beading and lots of lace stickage. The aroma is dank with herbal qualities and very earthy nose somewhat like fresh mown hay with a slight floral element. The mild grassy nose is only tinged slightly with a citrus odor. The feel is highly bitter, but not sharp, just on the aggressive side with slight resinous quality which is midly oily and drying. The malt is there w/ medium body and a semi-dry texture leaves the balance in the hop side but slightly thin w/ mild citrus tone and gentle alcohol quality.

The taste has a lot of vegetal hoppiness-grassy at times with mild taste of green herbal acidic hops which gives the impression of some tea-like astringency. The hops have a spiciness w/ slight peppery heat and there is mild sweetness from the malt w/ a faint citrus element as it finishes. I think this is a great beer, but it straddles the line between IPA and American Pale: it has the hoppiness of an IPA but lacks the malt and alcohol so it comes off as more bitter and yet still is highly drinkable for the style. I think this is an excellent beer, but hard to rate it higher since it is flavorful but seems slightly out of place in the traditional American pale category.

Serving type: growler

02-07-2011 22:52:40 | More by Slatetank

AgentZero

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another beer brought by Sean to our UFC 126 gathering.

A - Burnt orange color with a white head that had some good lacing.

S - Bready malt, citrus hops, bittering resin. This is a great smelling hoppy APA, one of my favorite regular drinking styles.

T - Citrus which is slightly grapefruit, and some mild pine and floral notes. Resin is nice and bittering there on the end, and the malt backbone supports the hops well. If you gave this to my blind I would believe you if you said it was Daisy Cutter, albeit a slightly less flavorful version. Good stuff.

M - Just a touch watery, lighter side of medium bodied, healthy dose of carbonation.

D - Really good brew, this would be a perfect post-workout beer for me. good stuff i would drink regularly if I have the chance.

Serving type: growler

02-07-2011 01:00:39 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Sean for sharing this one. Served in a Heady Topper glass.

A - There's a finger-plus of soapy white foam that settles to a thin cap, leaving behind solid lacing. The body is a hazed peach-golden color with some transparency.

S - It's a hoppy pale ale! Pine and citrus zest, pale bready malt, and a bit of herbal aromatics as well.

T - Nice zesty grapefruit, some pine and floral notes. Medium residual bitterness that doesn't get out of hand. Thankfully doesn't have the yeasty character some other low-gravity hoppy beers have. Solid balance between hops and malt.

M - This is the weak point of this beer in my opinion, although perhaps it's better on-tap. Somewhat watery medium-light body, medium carbonation, smooth texture. Fairly refreshing, but could use a bit more heft to it.

D - Crushable! It's a very good hoppy pale ale. I don't like it quite as much as Daisy Cutter (or Parking Violation), but there'd be no shame in having this as your local pale. Would (will?) have again when I go to Vermont.

Serving type: growler

02-06-2011 18:20:52 | More by MasterSki

jrallen34

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Sean for bringing this to our UFC tasting. Growler fill poured into a perfect pint glass... This pours a murky medium peach with some orange notes, wish it was filtered but I like the color. The head is a bright white, good retention and lacing... The aroma is very hoppy with lots of citrus notes. Oranges, flowers, dry hopped pine, and a bit of citra hops. Pretty good... The taste is more oranges than anything, orange peel, orange juice, a little pine, with a floral finish. Tastes like a dry hopped lighter Daisy Cutter. Not bad, a little simple but a crushable pale.

I'd have this again but wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Serving type: growler

02-06-2011 16:06:57 | More by jrallen34

Cascade77

Vermont

2.8/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at the Black Back.

a - Pale orange and a bit cloudy. Very little head or lace and the bar tender had to work hard to get any on it.

s - This beer smells pretty good. Resiny, tropical goodness. No alcohol, malt, or really anything else. Just hops.

t - Really just hops. Hardly any malt. Very one-dimensional. More citrus than the smell leads on. Maybe a hint of sweet, or is that just wateriness. Not bad if you like all hops. Something a little off though. Maybe burnt rubber or bandaid.

m - Low carbonation and very thin. Not sure if it is just really dry but there is really no body to this beer.

d - I guess if you are a di-hard hophead it might be drinkable but even then I think there is something unpleasent about it. Watery hop juice really.

People seem to love this beer and I've heard great things about Hill Farmstead. I look forward to trying some other Hill beers but this one really just didn't live up to the hype. What am I missing?

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 16:57:02 | More by Cascade77

drewba

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill in Burlington, VT

A - Murky pinkish orange with a finger of frothy white head and eventually light lacing. This looks like dark pink lemonade.

S - Huge lemon, grass, pine and floral hop action going on.

T - Buttery nut and cracker or white bread malt right away. This hop profile is beefy and complex; lots of lemon, mango and tangerine citrus which adds a little bitter and a little sweet. Unbelievable balance.

M - Medium body, medium to high carbonation.

D - Drinks very quickly because of the fantastic malt and hop balance in the flavor which ends in a fair amount of bitter. This is a ballsy pale ale, could easily be construed as an ipa thanks to the huge range of tasty hops.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 19:44:34 | More by drewba

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Manhattan Gingerman into a goblet.

A: Lightly hazy pale orange body with a thin but sticky off-white head. Light lace. Just fine.

S: Fruity hops burst forth with huge mango, guava, and grapefruit. Nothing but hops here. Awesome.

T: Fruity hops start things off, followed by some cattiness, some chalkiness, and a super bitter finish. Very clean and dry, but not entirely pleasant flavor-wise.

M: Lively medium body. Great.

D: Good not great.

Notes: I love a pale ale that just bombards you with hops, and Edward does just that. It can't be denied, though, that the results of this hops attack aren't entirely pleasant. I'm guessing some young Citra or Simcoe vines contributed both to the luscious flavors and the astringent cattiness - let's hope that soon these delicious hops will reach maturity and leave the roughness behind.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2011 16:21:44 | More by woosterbill

GatheringBrews

Vermont

4.47/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had both on tap and in growlers multiple times.

Pours a nice copper color with a rocky white head that laces the glass the entire time.

Aroma is citrus and resiny hops.

Taste is complex American pale ale that stands out with any I've had. Great, hop finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2011 02:26:12 | More by GatheringBrews

mdaschaf

Washington

4.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Farmhouse Tap and Grill. Review from notes.

A: Beer came orange/amber in color with a nice white head which lasted for the duration of the beer. Sticky lacing down the sides.

S: Hop forward for an APA, very tropical, but has a little pine undertones. Get some grapefruit, mango, and a little orange peel. Smells great.

T: Tropical fruits up front followed up by more citrus fruits. Has a sweet malt flavor the round it out.

M/D: Medium bodied with perfect carbonation. Leaves a slightly sticky mouthfeel. Overall, extremely easy drinking. Would love to have this in my fridge as a go to beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2011 01:22:11 | More by mdaschaf

nickd717

California

4.35/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Brouwerij Lane.

Pours like grapefruit juice, cloudy pinkish with minimal head.

The aroma is huge and hoppy with grapefruit dominant, a little pine, and not much maltiness.

Amazing flavor, hop forward with enormous grapefruit, really intense. Some pine and just a touch of sweet malt.

Big resinous hoppy palate with low carbonation and medium body. A little undercarbed.

Great overall, although at 85 IBUs, come on, this is an IPA...or at least something other than a pale ale, although I'm not sure the appropriate style even exists.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2011 18:47:55 | More by nickd717

SneezyAchew

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a Rock Art growler into a Heady Topper stange glass. I have also had this on tap a couple times at the Skinny Pancake in Montpelier. Thanks to BaconSausage for hooking me up with this. It's one of my favorite pale ales to date.

A: Pours a clean pumpkin orange with a brief white head.
S: Sweet, tropical smell. Oranges at the forefront.
T: Strong notes of grapefruit, citrus and pine hit the palate more fiercely than one would expect for just a pale ale. Really intensely hopped. Somewhat sugary sweet, too, and the malt is barely noticeable.
M: Not all that carbonated. Medium bodied, and a tad juice-like.
D: Pretty extreme. I could drink this all night. Not really any less aggressive than a lot of the DIPA's I've had.

Haven't had a lot of Farmstead yet, and this one clearly stands out against the Harlan for me. I look forward to the Fear & Trembling BaconSausage also gave me. Thanks again, Tucker!

Serving type: growler

12-26-2010 23:55:32 | More by SneezyAchew

aerozeppl

New York

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Very nice burnt orange color. Quite a bit of haze. A finger of white head with a decent amount of lacing. One of the nicer looking pale ales that I have seen recently.

S: Wow. This is the hoppiest pale ale I have ever smelled. Huge citrus notes. Resiny and piney as well. They dry hopped the hell out of this thing and it does not come across as vegitle at all.

T:The taste is not nearly as intense as the nose. Tons of citrus hops. Nice bitterness that can be a little harsh at times. Little bit of lemongrass. They managed to get every taste that hops can impart in a beer with an ABV of 5.20. I am impressed.

M: It feels thin but it is to style. It is just this tastes like a DIPA so my mind expects the body to be a little thicker. Carbonation is nice.

D: Yes. This is one of the best sessionish beers that I have ever had hands down. I would love to see the hop schedule on this beer. My first beer from them and hopefully not my last.

Serving type: growler

12-13-2010 22:48:50 | More by aerozeppl

claspada

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Aromas of super citrus; mainly orange and lemon. No malt character worth mentioning.

The taste is extremely bitter with a strong lingering bitterness which last throughout. You really cannot detect any malt worth speaking of; maybe some light pale and crystal malts, but are those really malt flavors. The citrus hops resonate throughout the palate and are unrelenting.

Mouthfeel is smooth with ample carbonation.

Very drinkable and definitely a good session beer. I couldn't drink more than one or two though (my personal preference), because it kinda kills your palate/tongue from the abundance of hop bitterness. A real tasty offering to have just one pint of though. Crisp and refreshing with light bitterness. One of the best APAs I have have in recent memory.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2010 00:33:23 | More by claspada

Neffbeer

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Blind Tiger:

A: Golden hay with a small white head, a bit of lacing.

S: TONS of citrus hops. Hits the nose in a crushing blast. It really smells amazing.

T: The flavor does not let down, a juicy tropical hop nugget coats the mouth. There is just a hint of toasty bread somewhere in there, but the hops dominate (in a good way). For such huge hop flavor, the bitterness is minimal.

M: Moderately carbonated, juicy velvet feel.

D: I could drink this as a daily brew. At 5.2% this is a beer that would be a regular go to if it was more available.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2010 15:15:48 | More by Neffbeer

DarkStar2

Taiwan

4.9/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Purchased this at the brewery. As many others have said it is so tasty with a perfect carbonation and overall drinkability that this would be my absolute standard if I could get it regularly. I feel this beer doesnt try to over power you, it comes at you in a subtle classy way with a very fine appreciation of how to deliver the taste of an IPA without overpowering your mouth. Shaun knows what he is doing and has made what I feel is by far the best session IPA out there.

Serving type: growler

11-09-2010 10:28:09 | More by DarkStar2

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From my tasting notes. On tap at The Black Door in Montpelier, VT. I'm surprised this is listed as a pale ale, because everything about this beer made it seem like a high-quality, unique American IPA. The floral nose is exceptional, with a two-finger head and lacing that lingers for quite some time. Taste is delicious and sesionable - good hoppy bite up front, though not as hop-forward as a West Coast IPA, but very smooth with a mild creamy aftertaste, likely aided by the residual lacing. I highly recommend this beer. I am very excited to try some more offerings from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2010 19:07:29 | More by ElGallo

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Draft pour into a 10.5 oz tulip.

A: Served with two fingers of foamy white head with average (maybe slightly below) retention. Lace sticks fantastically. The body is orange amber with a hazy 70% opacity. Very good looking in the glass.

S & T: Top notch aroma, especially for an APA. Heavy mango pulp aromas. Grapefruit and mandarin orange back it up. Sweet and juicy hop bill. The nose and flavor are perfect and may be the closest an APA has ever come to an IPA. Minimal malts. Truly a work of art.

M: If there are ANY complaints to be made (and there aren't really), it's in the mouthfeel department. Not that Edward *really* needs it, but a heftier malt bill would have saved the mouthfeel from mediocrity. This brew is on the light and thin side and has semi-short flavor duration. Carbonation, however, is more than adequate, lively and fizzy.

D: This brew drinks phenomenally well and is easily better than most IPAs. How often do you come across a Pale Ale that is served in anything-less-than-a-pint-glass, all while commanding the price of a premier DIPA? And deserve it? Huh?

<crickets>

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2010 23:15:33 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.35/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Black Back in Waterbury VT
Appears a hazy orangish amber color. Large cream colored head falls to a big lump floater. Big lacing. The smell is of grapefruit, sweet malt a nice balance. It smells super fresh. The taste was of delicate floral hops with a nice sweet malt backbone. Fruity in the middle and finishes floral and slightly dry. Mild carbonation and very smooth. the body is on the heavy side of light.

Overall I really enjoyed this malt based beverage. If I had easy access I would have it regularly - an excellent pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 20:16:00 | More by ThirstyBird

NoLiberty

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This particular glass came from a growler but I've had this beer several times previous.

Pours a clear orange-amber color with a thick, frothy white head that builds to 3 fingers and slowly recedes into a persistent creamy crop throughout the drink. Sticky, high lacing tangles down the edges.

Aroma is entirely hop forward, with strong notes of tropical fruit and piney, gooey goodness. Grapefruit, tangerine, mango apricot, pineapple and pine cones. Only light residual sweetness with very little malt qualities come through. Wonderful and intoxicating.

Taste is fruity, bold but clean. Starts with tropical fruit notes and moves to light citrusy bite with pney after notes. Nice resinous flavors blend the malt backbone with full, round hop notes that dominate the mouth.

Mouthfeel is nice. Clean, light-to-medium bodied with some stickiness around the mouth the peels away in the final swallow.

This beer is so hard NOT to drink...it has that inescapable "more-ishness" that the English apparently say. My staple beer from now on...whenever I can get it.

Serving type: growler

10-10-2010 18:12:10 | More by NoLiberty