James Black Ale - Hill Farmstead Brewery

oline73

Maryland

4.24/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a growler into a snifter.

Pours a dark brown color with a layer of off white head. The nose is full of citrus peel hops. There is just a touch of roast. The flavor has a nice balance to it. Just a touch of roast with a nice citrus peel hop note. The finish is bitter but smooth. The finish is quite dry.

Serving type: growler

03-28-2013 01:05:36 | More by oline73

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.06/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL growler poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Big khaki head. Eternal retention. Great lacing. Very nice looking beer.

Smell - Really citrusy. Some of the roast comes through, but it's mostly citrus hop.

Taste - Bright citrus hop and roasted malt blended with the hops. Grapefruit hops. Roast is very strong, but the hops never let up. Lends a nice complexity. Slight bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Very carbonated.

Overall - Excellent. Love how hoppy it is. Really impressive.

Serving type: growler

03-12-2013 03:32:22 | More by Alieniloquium

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured out as a rich looking deep brown color what essentially looks black in the glass. There is a very nice creamy tan head on top that leaves a great lacing and a pretty strong retention also. The smell of the beer has a really nice balance of roasted malts and aromatic hops. Very nicely done. The taste of the beer is also quite good, the malts again balance out flawlessly with the hops being used in this one. Chocolate roasted flavors with the subtle bite of pine in the finish. The mouthfeel of the beer is pretty smooth, it's medium bodied with a healthy carbonation. Overall this beer is very good, Can't find much to really complain about here.

Serving type: growler

03-07-2013 15:36:16 | More by Knapp85

merc7186

New York

3.64/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Growler into snifter.

A: Black Hue, Passes Almost No Light, Brown Hue, Some Lacing

S: Dark Malts, Mild Chocolate, Mild Coffee

T: Dark Malts, Mild Chocolate, Mild Floral

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, kind of a boring beer from a supposed great brewer. Was this a tap filler? I just don't get the whole Black IPA with weak hop notes.

Serving type: growler

03-06-2013 04:10:25 | More by merc7186

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Very dark brown body with a bubbly tan head. Tons of lacing, head stays around and leaves some bubbles after a while.

S- Huge herbal hop aroma along with somewhat of of a floral hop aroma. Hops come through in a big way with a smooth, roasty malt aroma in the back.

T- Lots of herbal hops balanced out by roasted malts. Some piney, earthy hops come through towards the end. Very interesting hop variety that changes the notes that come through.

M- Medium bodied, medium carbonation, smooth and drinkable with a big hops that wear out the palate.

O- Great beer. The mix of hops is unique and the smooth roasted malt makes for a great balance.

Serving type: growler

02-16-2013 22:28:56 | More by stephenjmoore

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 to HFS sniffer

A: Very dark but more brown then black and mostly opaque if the head was not light and fluffy tan colors then this thing could pass for a stout to the untrained eye but it does retain some IPA characters.

S:Dark malt smells mix with distinctively pine/resin line hop smells I am always thrown off by black ipas but this seems to have a nice balance though neither is too powerful of a smell and there is also a hint of alcohol.

T: A lot of fresh hops upfront similar to other HFS ipas and pretty powerful for a black ipa as they are resinous. though that said there is a presence of malt sweetness and a bit of smoked flavor in the aftertaste so there is some balance with the darkness but not perfect.

M: There is a oily resinous feel that clearly comes from the hops it is sticky but not overwhelming. There is a thick heavy body but it is very drinkable and the alcohol is completely hidden

O: I like this beer but it doesn't live up to most of the other hill farmstead beers as I feel like its too hoppy for a black ipa but maybe thats my taste. Its worth a try but would not be a go to for me as someone who gets to try a lot of HFS.

Serving type: growler

10-17-2012 04:02:56 | More by Pinknuggets

Bendurgin

Maine

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. This one pours black with a dark khaki head about an inch tall. Nice thick sticky lace.

Lots of piney hops hit the aroma right away with some citrus in the background. Hints of cocoa and nice roasted malts in the background. Real nice balance here. The pallet is a bit more bitter than the aroma indicates. Piney hops with a bit of a citrus background. A little less of a roasted character in the background.

The body is medium with good carbonation. Overall this one is pretty enjoyable. A good one to grab when it's around.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2012 02:40:00 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bendurgin for sharing. There is a large mocha colored head atop a pitch black body. There is minimal lacing.

The aroma has a nice resiny hop aroma. There is nice earthiness.

The taste is bitter and emphasizes the dank hops with a slight touch of chocolate malt sweetness. The start is mellow, but the finish is bitter.

This is medium bodied with smooth carbonation. I like this one a lot, but it's hard to emphasize the hops in a black ale. This one falls a little short of greatness. It is still a great drink, and goes down quickly.

Serving type: growler

09-10-2012 02:37:28 | More by andrewinski1

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

James pours black into the glass with some brown highlights around the edges. A creamy tan head forms on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a thin sheet on the surface and leaves behind a coating of lace on the glass.

The aroma is hoppy with orange citrus notes and pine. Some chocolate and roasted malt notes and a touch of bread are also detected.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is smooth, creamy with moderate carbonation. The flavor is well balanced between citrus & pine hops and dark malts. It begins with orange citrus and pine. Soon, sweet flavors of chocolate and pale malt appear along with a touch of roast malt. It finishes dry with a hint of ripe fruit and moderate bitterness. Once gone the pine and chocolate flavor lingers on the palate.

This is one of my favorite Hill Farmstead beers. It's very well balanced and easy to drink. I had this on tap at several bars in Montpelier when I was there a couple months ago. This pint was poured from a growler a friend got me on a recent trip to the brewery.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2012 19:58:01 | More by WanderingFool

FosterJM

California

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1073rd Review on BA
Growler to HF Pint
750 ml growler

Thanks to CliffBrake for this one!!

App- A very deep rich brown with lots of density leaning towards a black color. The tan head on this one is amazing. 1st it just fell as a giant clump of foam. On a repour it was huge lines of sticky cling. One of the best looking beers I have seen in a 1000+ reviews.

Smell- A pretty straight forward Black IPA. It starts off with a little bit of a citrus punch and then slowly moves to a little malt and even gets a touch of chocolate in there. Very smooth on the aromatics and for almost 7% no trace of the booze at all.

Taste- I think the reason I am rating this one so high is the balance between layers its showing. Most black ipa's try to come across as a assertive roasty kind of note and then counter with some bitter. This was very delicate and balanced. The malts are a bit smoother with a velvety note and a bit of a orange/lemon/pine taste behind them.

Mouth- A very creamy medium body with this beer feeling out of the growler like it was on nitro. Super smooth and very creamy. A low carbonation level with enough bubbles to last for days if that makes sense.

Drink- Overall, this beer really was amazing. The appearance was magical and the feel was the stuff of legend. A truly great black IPA. This is what brewers should strive for.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2012 04:24:39 | More by FosterJM

MasterSki

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Sean for sharing this growler. Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to some wisps, a thin collar, and minimal lacing. Very dark brown body.

S - Aroma is great! If I were blindfolded I'd *almost* be fooled into thing this was a regular IPA (or at least a hoppy amber). There's a faint hint of chocolate and roast character in the periphery, but this is heavy on the citrus, tropical, and lightly herbal hop flavors.

T - The taste tends a bit more towards the balanced side of things, although there's still a ton of hop character. Juicy citrus, earthy hops and roasted grains, and a touch of tropical fruits. Pleasant moderate bitterness in the finish that stays at a manageable level.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, lightly chewy texture, with a dry finish. Some resinous hop oils linger on the palate.

D - This is exactly how I like my Black IPAs. Hopefully John Kimmich makes El Jefe again so that I can do a side-by-side showdown between these two beers. I'll probably trade for this one in the future, as I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2012 03:29:19 | More by MasterSki

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL growler.

Pours a clear dark brown, near black with a bubbly tan, ruby tinged head. Aroma is resin, pine, roast malt, and light citrus hops. Mouthfeel is suffering a little from sitting on this growler for too long. Light carbonation on a medium thick body with a slightly watery finish. Much less roast in the flavor than the nose, pine hops dominate, bitter and resiny with light citrus in the finish. Aftertaste lingers more malty than the body with soft roast and light chocolate. Having had this fresh, I won't ding the mouthfeel from this sample; one of my favorite Black IPAs.

Serving type: growler

01-14-2012 01:20:30 | More by yourefragile

321jeff

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750ml Growler provided by Michael, thanks!

Pours a dark brown that is lighter around the edges with just a bit of tan head.

Aroma is bright and hoppy with mostly piney hops but there is a nice roast note in the background. The hops really dominate here, surprising for an older growler.

Bitter pine hop resins hit up front before the roast takes over. Pretty mellow flavor profile that is brought together nicely.

I think the time in the growler has hurt the mouth feel in this one, it comes across aa little flat. Still very nice overall, and I'd love the chance to try this fresh out of the tap.

Serving type: growler

01-14-2012 01:14:03 | More by 321jeff

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml growler...

pours deep brown to black with a sizable light mocha head that retains very well and leaves behind tons and tons of lacing.

hoppy aroma of pine, fresh cut grass, a touch of citrus, with an earthy quality as well. the dark chocolate aromas come in after the nose gets used to the hops. also a bit of coffee and maybe some molasses.

starts off with deep roasted bitter coffee before the hops quickly and completely take over providing some pine and citrus, a bit of tobacco leaf. chocolate malts come in to play for a bit and there is some caramel sweetness. finishes with some resiny hops.

light/medium bodied with an extensive carbonation level with a resiny feel left behind.

wow. another masterpiece by Hill Farmstead. Reminds me of Dark Element from Element Brewing, but teeters more to the hoppy end of the spectrum.

Serving type: growler

12-30-2011 05:20:20 | More by silentjay

Sean9689

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Bob! 750ml growler split with the fiancé.

A - Pours black, light khaki-colored head, thin ring, some spotty lace, no cap.

S - An excellent balance of roast and hops. Citrus, pine, caramel, toasted bread. Again, the aroma on this is just outstanding. I don't really like my Black Ale's/IPA's with an overload of hops, but a balance of roast/malts in there really do it for me.

T - Not as roasty as the nose. Bitter hops, citrus notes, pine, light chocolate, caramel, roasted malts. Really nice and easy to drink. Finish is light chocolate and bitter hops.

M - Light, good carbonation, refreshing (for a black ale), oily finish.

O - Really enjoyed this one. I can't emphasize enough how I enjoyed the balance between hops and roast. It really makes this Black Ale easy to drink and that much more enjoyable. Recommend.

Serving type: growler

12-16-2011 13:53:58 | More by Sean9689

koopa

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler fill picked up at the brewery this past Saturday at the Thanks Given event.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown to black, opaque, and slightly murky. The crown is 1 finger, khaki, shows little retention, and good lace.

Smell: Chocolate, moderately roasty, some grapefruit, pineapple and pine resin.

Taste: Same as the nose but bigger flavor and good hop bitterness. A touch of caramel malt but mainly a bready / biscuit charge.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Really solid black ipa

Serving type: growler

11-23-2011 00:29:55 | More by koopa

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL growler purchased in early October and shared with GarrettMD a week later.

A - Black with brown edges. Mocha head, half a finger, and average retention.

S - Huge pine aroma. Not much else. So thickly resinous.

T - Bitter pine flavor throughout. Finish has some considerable roast flavor along with bitterness. Pine resin is the dominant flavor here.

M - Medium body with above average carbonation and a drying finish.

O - Brilliant Black IPA. Could use more roast character, but I love the hop profile.

Serving type: growler

10-30-2011 18:54:34 | More by greenmonstah

GarrettMD

New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black as a moonless sky. Half a finger of off-white head that stays around for a bit. No visible carbonation.

S - I am almost positive they dry hopped this beer with Chinook hops, either that or Northern Brewer and maybe a bit of Cascade, that's pretty much exactly this smell. This smells exactly like opening a fresh bag of whole leaf hops and nothing more. No malts, no roast, no sugars, just hops.

T - Still mostly hops. So much bitterness from the hops it's amazing. This is what a black IPA should be. Tastes like an IPA but with a roasted twist, but still very slight. Same hops as the aroma with a little more bittering hops than the piney flavors.

M - Medium bodied, low carbonation. Starts off bitter and wet with mostly bittering hops, flows into bitter and sweet with pine hops notes and some slight dark malts, and finishes bitter and slightly dry with chocolate, roasted malts, and a wallop of pine and earthy hop notes.

Serving type: growler

10-22-2011 06:14:39 | More by GarrettMD

cosmicevan

New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

huge thanks to baconsausage for an array of hill farmstead goodies in the Growler Plus BIF (round 2).

a - this 32 oz growler had some minor leakage in transit, probably lost about 4 oz or so, so figured the time is nigh to consume this. poured a pretty lifeless brown/black. some swirls of the glass drummed up some bubbling, but nothing much and nothing that hung out.

s - really unique. strong sweet citric hop with a roasted malt. nutty, grape, candy. very nice.

t - the nose is there but assaulted by bitterness at first. nutmeg. a bit burnt on the finish. as i drank more and more of this brew, it just became more and more tasty. the hop and malt are so nicely intermingled in the beer.

m - cooling and biscuity. bitter. a bit watery but also silky. easy drinker.

o - overall, very solid black ale. quite delicious.

Serving type: growler

10-19-2011 01:55:45 | More by cosmicevan

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

from a 2L growler poured into a pint glass

A - nice pitch black body with good head nice small bubbles sticks wonderfully and is slowly to settle.

S - big pine resin hop notes here hint of roasted coffee malts in the back.

T - taste is very similar to the nose with the roasted malts taking a more pronounced presence. great balance in this beer. pine hop taste with roasted coffee and a bit of chocolate in there for the malt side. great great beer.

M - good amount of carbonation with nice twinge in the back of the mouth from the hops and a good alcohol feel to it for the ABV.

O - superb beer from hill farmstead. can't wait to start seeing this on tap in boston.

Serving type: growler

10-16-2011 20:41:02 | More by celticfutblclub

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark charcoal color with nice cap of dense khaki brown froth, good retention and lacing. Scent is a perfect balance of roasted grain and piney and fruity hops, nose brings out more fruit towards the end with some tropical notes present. taste begins as scent did with bitter roast and light char with a resin and grapefruit profile, mellows into a fruity mix of tropical and citrus notes. medium bodied, a touch grainy and dry on the tongue. Fantastic bIPA that doesn't allow the malts to overshadow the hops or vice versa.

Serving type: growler

10-10-2011 21:34:33 | More by rfgetz

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured via growler procured at the Hill Farmstead brewery on 6/19/11. Thanks to FooFaa for sharing.

A - Milk chocolate brown with deep amber and burgundy hues around the bottom edges and a finger's worth of creamy beige foam that reduced, leaving thin, delicate lacing all over the sides of the glass.

S - Wonderful melange of dark chocolate and coffee malt at the forefront, although the hop character is equally as impressive, imparting notes of citrus rind, earthy dankness and leafy, green fresh hop cones.

T - Opens with plenty of coffee bitterness and a hint of dark chocolate malt paired with an abundance of earthy hop bitterness and some citrus attributes. Finish is extremely dry and bitter, giving the overall flavor an intensely earthy, leafy character.

M - Medium bodied with a creamy texture and modest carbonation, giving the mouthfeel an exceptionally smooth character overall. Finish is dry and bitter, though the bitterness doesn't linger on the palate for too long.

D - Awesome black IPA... or whatever they are calling these nowadays. Plenty of dark malt goodness without compromising the hop character. Delicious!

Serving type: growler

06-27-2011 05:56:01 | More by ffejherb

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler courtesy of Glouglouburp- huge thanks again to Dany my HF mule. Appearance- murky brown cola, nominal head, some light lacing. Nose- pungent dank hops intertwined with nuts and slight roast. Taste- very hop forward- solid bittering hops, citrus, then a back end wave of medium roast, caramel and dark chocolate. Lingering grapefuit pith leads a nicely drying finish. Carbonation is spot on and hasn't suffered from travelling all the way to Winterpeg. Very balanced hop forward beer if that makes any sense. Excellent stuff and another winner from the good people at Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

12-24-2010 00:37:35 | More by oakbluff

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64oz growler poured into a Hill Farmstead wine glass.

Pours dark, dark black with a small brown head that quickly fades, thin lacings starts to slowly form. Nose is awesome, it's hoppy and fruity, wild fruit and pine nots come through strongly. There's a bit of maltiness but it's not over the top which is good.

Right off the mouthfeel is really nice, it's light and sharp and quite creamy, very similar to a good American IPA, with a nice sharp finish. The taste is quite roasty and a bit grainy - I get this from all Black IPAs, and I'm not a big fan of it, but it seems to just be inherent in the style. There hop flavors are well balanced with the dark malts, and the citrus and mango flavors come through well. I think this is one of the best examples of a Black IPA that I've had to date.

Serving type: growler

11-20-2010 21:41:26 | More by kingcrowing

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.99/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Hill Farmstead tulip at the Blackback. Pours an inky black with a half-inch light tan froth embedded with tiny ringlets. Delicate spots and sheets of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose is reminiscent of french roast coffee with some earthy bitterness also present in the mix. Taste follows nose; however, the flavor profile comes off a bit thin and watery. Mouthfeel is light-medium with an even carbonation, but it comes off a little on the thin side. Overall, a solid example of the style, but not as robust as it could be in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 00:52:20 | More by Jwale73