Everett Porter - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Overlord

California

4.13/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks ineedabeerhere!

Pours a slightly brown/ruddy black with a large light tan head.

Smells primarily of char and ash, with notes of coffee and a slightly bitter ... chocolate? Maybe something bitterer than that .. kind of an espresso cacao aroma. Smells good.

Taste is surprisingly more rounded than the aroma, with notes of dark fruit, a surprising amount of espresso/coffee, and a light, very very light, undercurrent of malty chocolate sweetness. Unfortunately, the ash/char/smoke continues to make its presence felt in a big way, and it gets a bit distracting.

I like it. Good, robust mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 08:46:03 | More by Overlord

SDStoneEnthusiast

California

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-19-2013 16:52:44 | More by SDStoneEnthusiast

shuajw

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-19-2013 00:56:04 | More by shuajw

scotv

New York

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-19-2013 00:18:24 | More by scotv

afrokaze

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-18-2013 22:23:47 | More by afrokaze

MoistPope

California

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-17-2013 15:50:22 | More by MoistPope

gpawned

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -22.6%

05-17-2013 05:13:42 | More by gpawned

thegoon55

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -11.5%

05-17-2013 00:52:54 | More by thegoon55

Thomas_Picton

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-17-2013 00:06:10 | More by Thomas_Picton

BeerMe13

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -6%

05-16-2013 12:29:02 | More by BeerMe13

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The perfect blend of boldness, robustness, masculinity, and smoothness are the ingredients that work best in this American-style Porter of world class status.

Somewhere in the Porter or Stout register, the beer pours with a creamy and lavish separation of darkest "bark" brown ale and light mocha-tan meringue that forms on top. Firm withstanding and intricate lacing patterns emerge as the foam character easily endures the session. To the eye, the beer is as good as advertised.

Strong roasty-sweet aromas are easily confused with Stout, but the scent shares elements of heavy toast, walnuts, bold-roast coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and an almost milkshake-like malty-sweet undercurrent.

And that milkshake like taste is alive on the early palate as the taste of burnt caramel, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and near-yougurt milky tang all make a mark early. Simultaneous taste of strong fresh coffee, roasted nuts, bitter chocolate, and heavily charred toast balance the sweetness and creaminess and offer an identity of their own. Nearly strong enough to suggest Stout, the beer restrains its deep roasty dryness to win over the Porter argument. A finish of coffee-like bitterness and roasted nuts close the beer malty-dry and decadent in taste.

Full bodied, creamy and velvety- the Porter rivals any Milk or Oatmeal Stout on the market. The beer simply blankets the mouth with a cocoon of creaminess that latches onto the mouth and seduces it with its silk. The beer retains its creamy structure until very late in the session where rummy alcohol warmth, light bitterness, and drying roast malt sharpens the textures to signal a long and roasty aftertaste.

I'm not sure if the ale is more of a Porter or a Stout, but style-police aside, this is a sultry and savory beer of roasted proportions that soothes the sense of taste like few can. Its remarkable drinkability would allow for a greater rate of consumption if its savory creaminess didn't act so dessert-like on the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 05:50:50 | More by BEERchitect

BAsbill

California

4.25/5  rDev -6%

05-15-2013 20:55:49 | More by BAsbill

greg4579

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-14-2013 17:01:49 | More by greg4579

ScottO

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-14-2013 14:25:14 | More by ScottO

salvy31

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -6%

05-14-2013 05:06:03 | More by salvy31

Dirtinabottle

New York

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-14-2013 01:51:21 | More by Dirtinabottle

flipdog0

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +10.6%

05-13-2013 18:43:21 | More by flipdog0

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +10.6%

05-13-2013 15:43:13 | More by leftstagebrew

Michigan

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-13-2013 01:18:19 | More by Michigan

KGMIbeer

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-12-2013 21:56:20 | More by KGMIbeer

lpayette

Vermont

4/5  rDev -11.5%

05-12-2013 19:54:11 | More by lpayette

Hopbully

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev -0.4%

05-12-2013 05:53:27 | More by Hopbully

JaySchneider

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -11.5%

05-12-2013 03:09:55 | More by JaySchneider

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Railroad Street, Linfield, PA.

Appearance: Standard porter. Deep black, small dark tan head.

Nose: Fragrant fresh coffee beans, rich milky chocolate, and a subtle hint of green apple in the background.

Taste: Very clean and rich. Initial taste is freshly brewed dark coffee, there's some lightly tart green apple in the middle, and it finishes with an incredibly rich chocolate covered espresso bean flavor.

Mouthfeel: Perfectly creamy and carbonated. Very drinkable, as a porter should be.

Overall: Easily my favorite porter to date. It's a fairly straightforward style that's taken to a new level of richness and sophistication by Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 13:40:20 | More by fdig23

cwelsh55

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%

05-11-2013 03:45:17 | More by cwelsh55