Abner - Hill Farmstead Brewery

pmarlowe

California

4.31/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Teku glass.

A: Pours orange-tinted pale colored with two fingers of dense, fluffy off white head which slowly deflates. Very good retention, leaving a thick ring and some surface head for much of the duration, and generous swaths of lacing.

S: Pretty long-reaching aroma, I can initially smell it from a foot away. Candied tangerine, hint of a tropical note, peach, pink grapefruit, an undertone of breadiness/cracker.

T: Floral and light pine notes, pink grapefruit rind, pale crackery malt, finishing with a mild, lingering bitterness and noticeable sugar. Alcohol is almost completely hidden.

M: Kind of a yin-yang, with soft, milky medium-full body and sharp, medium carbonation. Leaves your mouth completely dry.

O: Very good, well constructed beer. Quite drinkable. That being said, it wasn't quite blow-my-mind good, and it seems that there are much easier to get options out here in SoCal (e.g., most IPAs from Alpine would be better than this). But I was very glad for the opportunity to try this.

Serving type: growler

06-18-2013 03:37:29 | More by pmarlowe

SBXLII

New York

5/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

There's only so many words that can capture beers as good as this, let alone with the likes of What Is Enlightenment, Legitimacy and Heady Topper. Blasts of unfathomable citrus, the taste goes on and on and on. These here Hill offerings are the best of the best, hands down - the end of the line.

Serving type: growler

06-13-2013 01:10:00 | More by SBXLII

harrymel

Washington

3.45/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml growler to the face.

Pours a hazy peach honey with some soapy top suds. Smells of peaches, mangoes, some resin and some biscuit malts. Not that impressed on the nose. Flavor is malt, more peach, some pear, grapefruit, lemon, resin and more crackery malts. A little sweet, but some bitterness in there too. Medium bodied with moderate carb and an off dry finish. Although decent, not overly impressed with this one either. Of the imperial IPAs I've had from Shaun, I've yet to really feel like he has done much for me, a little too sweet in 2 out of three (best so far was S&S4). The pale ales have been tits though.

Serving type: growler

06-12-2013 06:23:04 | More by harrymel

NuclearRich

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750mL growler filled at the brewery on 6/5/13 and poured into a HF snifter just now, 6/8.

A. Hazy light amber with a white head, fading quickly and leaving the faintest of lace

S. Beautiful floral bouquet of citrus, pine, a light caramel-like malt.

T. Wow. First softly floral then immediately eviscerated by a strong pungent piney resin that has serious follow through. Just enough lightly sweet malt to keep the hop punch in check. The sweetness is slightly tropical in quality, especially as the drink warms; apricot, pineapple, peach. The sweetness is very secondary in nature, the shoulders and neck to support the mind full of hops.

M. Just a tad into medium, fairly light bodied. Coats the tongue and imparts its bitterness leaving your taste buds daydreaming. Crisp enough, where the bitterness and the bubbly are harmonious, and not struggling or raging.

O. One of the finest DIPAs I have ever had. Complex, unabashed, and simply delicious.

Serving type: growler

06-08-2013 19:36:27 | More by NuclearRich

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

poured into a stemmed HF glass

pours a light golden yellow, hazy, thick fluffy head. nice lacing and retention.

complex citrus fruits. loads of tropical dankness with a slight hint of pine resin.

hop dominating. bitter citrus through out. sweet bitter grapefruit and tangerine sticking out the most. faint pale body hides as hops just showcase. very clean.

for a DIPA, a nice lighter body. not overly malty like some of the 10%+ DIPAs. very smooth and easy with a mild to moderate carbonation.

overall, really good.

Serving type: growler

06-08-2013 01:23:11 | More by hooliganlife

BeerZack

North Carolina

4.41/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Cloudy pale orage color with decent white head that laces a bit. Aroma on this thing is killer! Smelled it once and started giggling it made me so happy, orange and ruby red grapefruit juice with hints of pine. Flavorwise, it's everything the nose leads with plus an added strong earthy hop punch. The earthiness starts to come out in the nose at it warms as well. It can be described as a bit garlicy. I get a bit of that sauteed onion and garlic with fresh herbs type of impression right after the initial citrus juice impression, but it fades on the finish. Super smooth bitterness here, very drinkable 8% IPA!

Serving type: growler

06-07-2013 23:40:14 | More by BeerZack

nesarebad

Pennsylvania

4.96/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Abner - 750 ml swing-top growler filled at HF two days ago. Poured in to my Hill Farmstead custom made glass. Got this on my trip up to Vermont to sample the wonderful beer that has come out of Vermont's booming beer scene.

A - Pours murky and cloudy with hues of amber and orange. Voluminous frothy two finger head. This is not a filtered beer and will not be losing any points for that. This is what a hoppy pale ale should look like - stunning.

S - What can be said about something that is near perfection. Juicy, punchy, dank, and substantial. The aroma of this beer hits all the right hop notes - pine, citrus, and herbal. A harmonious blend that tempts you to dive right in.

T - The promise on the nose is upheld in the taste. A harmonious(using this word again) blend of all the right hop notes. The C-hops are front and center here, but at just the right blend. A citrus punch if I have ever had one in a beer, and that is right not wrong. You get a tight juicy delivery that is just so...legit. This beer is delivering on all accounts for me.

M - Smooth and slightly effervescent. This drinks well for a 'double' pale ale. You could drink this all night, but it would begin to pack a punch after your 2nd or 3rd beer. Nothing harsh, nothing over the top.

O - Hill Farmstead prides themselves on making hop forward pale ales, and this is a shining example of their craft. Not like many of the Imperial IPA's you see out there that seem to have either bitterness or sweetness turned up to ten. As they classify this as an Imperial Pale Ale, I see this designation most fitting. You get the best of a nice clean pale ale with the best of a Imperial IPA showing off its hop muscles. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone as this is a beer that transcends all tastes. Impeccable...

Serving type: growler

06-01-2013 04:17:52 | More by nesarebad

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.99/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 2L growler into a tulip glass

A- pours a hazy, golden orange with about a finger and a half worth of white head.

S- upfront I get aromas of pine, citrus and melon. Also, a little grassy, earthy scent. Very dank.

T- Lemon with orange peel is what comes through at the front/middle of the tongue giving way to the hop bitterness. Very well balanced and light and smooth. Very easy to drink.

M- leaves a dry finish in the mouth with a residue of the bitterness as well as a citrusy, lemon taste.

O - Abner is one of the best DIPAs I've ever had that compares and rivals Heady Topper. Definitely is worth the hype and worth seeking out. Very well balanced, smooth and very easy to drink. Hill Farmstead really has crafted a masterpiece with this beer. Will always get this when available.

Serving type: growler

05-31-2013 19:47:27 | More by nootch23

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Franklinn for this one.

A - This is a perfect looking Double IPA. Great thick head that goes up to one finger and leaves some spotty lacing as it diminishes to a nice cap and ring. And the hazy apricot color is beyond beautiful, its almost radiating

S - Big hit of tropical fruit and sweetness. Hop oil comes through big almost imparting a "bitter" smell similar to aspirin. Huge citrus and pine. It seems the hop profile gives this beer an awesome depth as almost all hop bases are covered just in the smell

T - Almost perfect balance between malt and hops, the malt is just barely there to bring the hop rocket back to earth. For having 170 "theoretical" IBUs this beer is not overly bittered. It is so damn smooth I would never think that the alcohol was above 5%.

M - Slightly heavy on the medium side of viscosity. I could use just a little more carbonation, but I'm just nit-picking, this is some great shit!

Worth seeking out, definitely memorable!

Serving type: growler

05-31-2013 06:09:51 | More by hopoilcrazy

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.79/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Beer pours hazy golden with about a finger of head that leaves an awesome lacing. I don't know if it's the hype, or if this beer really is that beautiful, but it's something to behold.

Huge smell. Simply huge. The beer is full of citrus and hop aroma. Tangerine, orange peel, and grapefruit are all there with a fresh, perfectly balanced floral bouquet. Some malt sweetness is surely present, but not in anyway standing out.

So drinkable and perfectly balanced. all the flavors of the smell coming together in perfect harmony. Sweeter than expected with an awesome hop resin bite after each sip.

The mouthfeel is medium, a little on the heavy side for IIPAs. The carb on this growler is a little low, but nothing generally representative of the beer.

Overall this is one of the best IIPAs I've tried. Definitely in close competition with heady. Very different from Permanent Funeral and Hopslam. I wish it were just a tad easier to get in Wisconsin.

Serving type: growler

05-30-2013 05:37:17 | More by lunarbrew

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750ml Growler with swing cap filled late in the day on 05/15/13. Immediately stored in fridge and after 10 days still tastes great with good carbonation levels,(still had a small CO2 cloud upon release.) Served cold into a over-sized wine glass.

A: Pours hazy, quite cloudy, lots of carbonation bubbles trying to escape the glass and sticking to the bottom walls....beautiful finger+ head, bright white, lots of micro bubbles bursting through heavenly clouds.... dies down to frothy, sticky lace fingers all over the glass as you finish...

S: Smells like apparently all the hills in Vermont (if HF, Alchemist, etc is anything to go by...) but on a serious note.... wonderfully aromatic, the tropical fruits and florals typical of these hops really are well presented, mango and pineapple sweet sourness, hints of pine, very light citrus and a final bit of perhaps the yeast or alcohol that leaves a bit of a acidic/funky smell...

T: Starts off pretty floral again, then moves into more the citrus, lemon, grapefruit pith bitterness... and then more mango, piney resins...finishes more malty, I'd say more sweet than bitter, and again like the nose, I get a very small hint of a underlying HF yeast/water/ Appalachian magic unicorn funk in there somewhere... oh, and all very balanced in the flavour department.

M: High, natural carbonation.... sparkles on the roof of your mouth but not in an annoying way... in a attacking the extremely dry sticky hypothetical 170 IBUs sort of way that allows this beer to remain fresh and extremely drinkable.... really smooth, balanced, not really any hit of booze, and not really sticky or dry...

O: What can I say? I drove for hours into the Hills of Vermont with 3 other people wondering where the hell I was taking them.... then out of the dark clouds a beam of light lit up a small farm in the lush green Vermont Hills, where a lovely lady brought us cold samples of sweet nectar.... and on a serious note, this is a seriously good beer.... I don't want to say it is less complex than Heady, but I would say it doesn't try so hard to highlight every single hop known to man....and as my gf states "it doesn't make your face feel like its being blasted off with hops)... what it does is take a large amount of hops, balances them extremely well, keeps them in check with natural carbonation, still bursts forward with amazing aromas and adds a little of that special "ingredient" that makes HF worth that never ending drive... a very well made beer that lives up to the hype that the brewers have tried so hard to get away from.... (if you believe that...)

Serving type: growler

05-26-2013 02:00:57 | More by 4ster

brentk56

North Carolina

4.81/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: The cloudy honey-colored liquid pours out of the growler, generating an impressive head; terrific stickage with shards of lace poking up from the foam

Smell: Candied citrus, with ruby red grapefruit and ripe mango and a hint of apricot; quite floral

Taste: Floral tones dominate the front, with tropical fruits galore; ruby red grapefruit dominant, with mango and just a touch of apricot adding a different edge; the malt takes a definite back seat as the bitterness builds, in the middle; after the swallow, the dextrose brings to the sugary sweetness to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: The first time I have tried one of the acclaimed IPAs from Hill Farmstead and the hype is for real

Thanks, nc41, for the opportunity

Serving type: growler

05-25-2013 01:57:48 | More by brentk56

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml Swing Top - Thanks to pushkinwow!

Appearance - Slightly hazy amber colour with a large size frothy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for 4-5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit, lemons

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and the taste is made up of caramel and malts and hops. It also has apricots, lemons, grapefruits, and a bit of a grassiness. I can also pick up on some dry floral/woody notes and some lemon zest. It ends with a dry very hoppy aftertaste.

Overall - Another winner from these guys. Not as good as some of their other beers that I have tried but still a way above average brew. If you like more of a floral/dry (but still with some fruitiness) DIPA, you will love this stuff.

Serving type: growler

05-21-2013 15:50:37 | More by spinrsx

MrKsBeer

Massachusetts

4.99/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Screw a traditional review. This is not a traditional beer.

Imagine you're on a tropical island. The sun is setting, and the edibly humid air has cooled down to just above a little chilly as you navigate on foot through the jungle. You happen upon a field of wild fruit trees and the sweet smell of pineapple, mango, peach, apple, grapefruit, and banana permeate and saturate the early evening air. As you look closer you realize there are wild hop vines that have grown up the tree trunks, and the giant green hop buds, that appear to be everywhere, are glistening with dew. The crisp hop bud funk cuts the ripe fruit in the air in such a way that you feel more refreshed with every breath. You excitedly pluck a huge bud from the nearest peach tree and raise it to your nose with a large expectant inhale. "Oh my God," you think to yourself, smiling like a fool. "This is it. This is the freshest, crispest, ripest, funkiest, most delicious thing I have ever encountered. If only I could bottle this and take it with me..."

Well... fortunately for us, Shaun Hill did it for us, and because I don't know how he did it, I will just assume that he's some kind of wizard.

After years of drinking and evaluating beer, Abner reminds me why I loved beer in the first place. Halfway through the bottle I became angry when I realized that I couldn't have more of it without driving up there, which is easier said than done. Then I put the glass to my face and took another deep breath through my nose and the anger melted into acceptance and appreciation. Abner is an amazingly crafted beverage. I love it.

My humblest thanks to you, Shaun and everybody at Hill Farmstead. You deserve all of the praise and respect that I can give.

Serving type: growler

05-01-2013 00:56:08 | More by MrKsBeer

mltobin

Connecticut

4.44/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a growler of Abner on the way up to Jay Peak.

Poured into a tulip glass, the appearance is a honey tone with a finger of head. The nose on this DIPA has oranges, hops, sugar, a bit of lemon. Moving on to tipping it back and I taste pineapple, grass, bread malts, a general low-key sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium, near-perfect carbonation level on this. All in all, another very good-great DIPA from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

04-13-2013 01:10:04 | More by mltobin

Hamburgers

California

4.45/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful bright orange with thin white head. Strong aroma of citrus fruit with sweet floral notes and a slight yeasty quality. Flavor of white grapefruit, grass and mango. Wonderfully medium bodied with light carbonation. Very fine bubbles give it a smooth mouthfeel leading to a crisp finish. Lingering bitter aftertaste. No doubt a world class beer.

Serving type: growler

04-06-2013 05:00:19 | More by Hamburgers

phuntasy

New Hampshire

4.95/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

I had before, but had to go and get my own. I had from a 750ml growler, wish I got the larger one!

Hazy, bright orange with a pearl colored head and lots of lacing. Smooth feeling.

Citrusy and floral, pine and a perfect amount of funk. Sweet and bitter, perfect blend.

I know what makes this special is its hard to get, but I wish it was a little easier. I love this so much I want to drink it year round.

Serving type: growler

04-05-2013 23:22:16 | More by phuntasy

Skrip

South Carolina

4.46/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml growler poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

A~ hazy, glowing orange with a slight white head and lots of lacing. also a good amount of sediment, not as bad as heady though haha.

S~ sooo much citrus, and pineapple. a little bit of earthy pine and a little hay funk.

T~ like the nose, lots of citrus hop bitterness. lots of grapefruit and pine. the hay funk comes in on the end along with a lot of bitterness.

M~ very smooth and dry on the finish.

O~ definitely a great IPA, i love how their saison style comes through a little bit on this one. i could drink this every day when i'm in a hoppy mode, recommended for sure!

Serving type: growler

04-05-2013 02:26:46 | More by Skrip

jealousmonk

California

4.59/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A -- Poured from a growler. Hazy, thick orange beer with substantial head and moderate lacing.

S -- Piney, citrusy hops. I don't get a lot of fruit or flowers. Also a fairly barnyardy IPA.

T -- Again with the cirtus hops, especially grapefruit, and a piney finish. Not much maltiness to speak of here. The funk present in the nose also comes through here, but is less prominent.

M -- It might be partially the appearance and the thick head, but it also has a fairly full body. However, it is also quite carbonated and does not seem overly heavy. No hint of the alcohol.

O -- It was great to get a chance to try this beer! Delicious and definitely worth grabbing a growler if you get the chance.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2013 03:06:37 | More by jealousmonk

MCain04

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Transported back to Chicago in a 750ml Growler, poured into a HF glass.

A: Opaque deep yellow/amber body with a pure with head of 2 fingers and good retention and lacing.

S: Packed with juicy fruity goodness, tropical fruits and citrus, floral, grassy, and piney as well.

T: Very flavorful with layers of hope taste following the nose and bitterness throughout. As with the other HF beers I've had, however, a little watery feel to it throughout and on the finish.

M: Medium carbonation, that watery feel is present, dry finish, medium body.

O: Very pleased to have this and well-enjoyed. Not the best DIPA I've ever had, and perhaps not worth an intense journey to get it, but this is a finely crafted DIPA.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2013 00:16:52 | More by MCain04

80x2HopHead

Vermont

4.63/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Straight up im a sucker for that insane doub smell and the abner delivers a smell thats right up there withe the best DIPAs. Hops for days hits you in the face and it hurts so good. I think of this as a perfect mix between Lawsons doub sunshine (more tropical) and Heady Topper (more citrus). I found a perfect mix between citrus and tropical fruit, however that hoppyness took the cake. I pick up on some more earthy resinous tastes that I quire enjoy, but not as much as some DIPAs- well ballanced I was fortunate to drink it fresh as hell so the carbonation was on point. One of the best HFs I have tried so far and not too far removed from the Society & Solitude #6 but on a differnt level- whatever there so damn good its hard to go wrong with an HF

Serving type: growler

03-19-2013 06:33:22 | More by 80x2HopHead

suspect

New York

4.21/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a HF growler into a Founders Snifter. Thanks to mightyatom for the hookup.

A: Hazy pale golden color. Aggressive pour leads to a thick 2 finger head that fades slowly leaving sticky thick white lacing down the sides of the glass.

S: HUGE grapefruit bomb. Hop-forward for sure with a monster malt bill hiding nicely behind.

T: Again, big grapefruit forward brew. Booze shines through the taste a little but not much.

M: Smooth, silky finish. Not oily, doesn't kill the palate.

O: A good beer...a great beer. Absolutely wonderful. Top tier of the DIPAs.

Serving type: growler

02-17-2013 03:54:54 | More by suspect

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.55/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled 2 days ago after a visit to the brewery.

The beer pours an effervescent, hazy yellow-orange with an inch of a dense, creamy looking white head. A vigorous swirl regenerates the head and washes away the lacing. The nose has a subtle hoppiness that's slightly floral and citrusy followed by a modest sweetness. The taste manages to pack in even more flavor that reminds me of a cleaner, more drinkable heady topper (...which seems insane to say). The beer has an absolute perfect balance between hop fruitiness, bitterness, and sweetness from the malt and added sugars. The aftertaste is slightly citrusy and bitter and finishes semi-dry as a gush of carbonation carries the beer down into the depths of my innards. This beer is certainly world class and worth trying...but I can't see it being bottled for the masses.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2013 23:52:49 | More by ThePorterSorter

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This poured out as a nice hazy looking yellowish orange color with a big foamy white head on top. The Lacing was sticky and the rentention was very good as well. The smell of the beer has a large amount of floral and fruity hope aromas. The taste has a nice sharp pine flavor in there that is surprisingly balanced with the malt base. The mouthfeel is lighter and very drinkable. The carbonation was good also. Overall it's a great brew. Definitely something I could see drinking again in the future.

Serving type: growler

02-07-2013 20:38:05 | More by Knapp85

jimmy82063

Connecticut

4.44/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler courtesy of a friend. I owe him big! Poured into some Hill Farmstead Stemware. This beer has a nice murky orange hue. There is a slight head to the pour and some minimal lacing. The smell is of sweet and bitter citrus. The taste starts off with some swwet hoppiness, think orange and pineapple and finishes up with some bitter lemon zest that lingers nicely. You want to repeat this all day! The carbonation is spot on and this beer is easily drinkable. Happy to have tried this!

Serving type: growler

01-30-2013 02:38:22 | More by jimmy82063