Everett Porter - Hill Farmstead Brewery

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Poured a deep brown with spot on carbonation leaving a dirty tan cap. Looked very sexy,

S: Big roasted malt, milk chocolate, hint at espresso and nuts

T: Starts out with a big and rich roasty smoothness, milk chocolate backed up with a hint at bitter cocoa and very small, quick dash of Earthy hops, light booze and dark fruit;has a nice robust finishing taste but smooth bitterness from chocolate and roasted malts.

M: Body is medium to big, well carbonated, smooth, light booze is warming and thie flavor is persistently great on the palate.

O: Of all the porters I have had this one takes the cake. If I imagine the perfect porter this would be it and if all porters were this well crafted, tasty and drinkable, porters would be among my favorite style.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 14:15:25 | More by barleywinefiend

smakawhat

Maryland

4.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A wonderful creamy mocha cocoa brown and light chocolate head, forms really nicely, settling down to a nice three finger controlled head, some swiss cheese character, but mostly even on bubble size. Lots of valleys and retention in the head. Body is a nice dark dark walnut brown getting near black, almost red hue, slight red hues even for the entire body, a little bit of flake of yeast at the bottom not a lot, and some rising carbonation but you really have to look. Really sexy looking beer.

A great nose on this brew just flat out wonderful. Coffee, warm chocolate, wonderful milk cream, and roasting malts. Great chocolate sense, rich creamy dark chocolate, milky sensations with cream egging on the coffee angle and nice small sweetness. Just flat out wonderful and great.

Taste is just unreal. One of the most perfectly balanced beers for its style it seems, knocking out flavors that some Russian Imperials could only dream of. Fantastic chocolate sensations, and dry malts, with tobacco mixing finishes. Thick body rich without syrup and a light porter body. Creamy unbelievable mouthfeel with still a light body, in just a hint .. a hint of playful carbonation. I don't know how they got that. Coffee and chocolate is just EVERYWHERE on the palate. Even a small lingering hop so faint.

This brew is literally the definition of every taste and beer component done to perfection, and balanced so nicely. This is hands down the best porter I have ever had to date. I haven't had every Porter imaginable, but this is a practicaly working definition of the "perfect" beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 02:35:49 | More by smakawhat

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

500ml bottle purchased at the brewery.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1/4" dark brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head fades ever-so sedately, with leggy, slow-falling lace. Aroma is the definition of robust. Hearty dark malts and sweet chocolate.

Taste starts with thick chocolate, creamy chocolate milk in the middle, balances out with some bitterness and coasts through the close. Mouthfeel is amazingly smooth, and drinkability is superb.

I told myself I wouldn't be misled by the label or the brewery, but I swear, the contents support the accolades. One of the definitive standards of the style out there right now. Don't let the dirt roads deter you.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:31:09 | More by ppoitras

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.97/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

thick black as night opaque oil color with a nice two inch head that ever so slowly faded and stayed at about a half inch until the bottom. Very nice thick lace down the sides, gooey and creamy, very nice look to it. Smell took a while to warm up, at first was strong alcohol and caramel sweetness. As it warmed some more subtle smells started to come through, hints at chocolate and coffee started to overtake, and the alcohol quickly faded, leaving a very nice overall aroma. The taste followed the smell with the caramel hitting first. Nice flavors of coffee followed, maybe even a hazelnut hint in there, well rounded.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 01:56:52 | More by mikesgroove

chalsk

New Jersey

4.96/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

On tap at Torst. My maiden beer there. Pours a dark brown cloudy color with a caramel colored head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate, caramel, alcohol and slight slight spice. Sweet creamy chocolate taste with coffee notes and slight spice pinch. Perhaps a slight vanilla to add silkiness. Love it. Best porter I have had. It gets as close to a stout as a porter will get without crossing the line.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 02:02:15 | More by chalsk

GatheringBrews

Vermont

4.9/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a growler on multiple occasions. Deep, rich brown/black in color with tan head that laces nicely. Finish is slightly malty and roasty. My favorite of all the HFB offerings. Its balance of subtle coffee, chocolate and roastiness makes for an amazing experience.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2011 01:45:18 | More by GatheringBrews

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.9/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

500ml bottle poured into a Founders snifter. Shared with schen9303

Appearance is absolute perfection. 1.5 finger dark mocha head with great retention. Oily legs and thick patchy lace that really sticks around. Beer is pitch black with a nice density.

Very aromatic. Notes of coffee beans, chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, liquorice, and vanilla. A very subtle hop presence floats in the background too. Super appetizing.

Opens chocolate, cocoa, and light iced coffee. Some roasted malt peaks towards the middle but not enough to overpower the sweetness, only serving to balance it out. Very small notes of dark fruit at the end with more cocoa powder and chocolate. Molasses sweetness right at the end with a fudgy and roasted malt aftertaste. Doesn't get better than this.

Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation. Smooth and rich in the mouth and goes down smooth and slick. Spot on. Finish is slightly messy and filmy with a lingering aftertaste. Leaves me craving more.

I've never given out all 5's but this is as close as it gets to perfection for me. For a brewery known for its pale ales and saisons to put out a porter of this caliber... Shaun Hill is a master and Hill Farmstead may just be the best all-around brewery on the planet.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 01:23:20 | More by SpeedwayJim

Arbitrator

California

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: The body is a very dark brown with just the faintest edge translucence. Even a mild pour produces two fingers of tan head with excellent retention and lace left in its wake.

S: Roasted coffee -- done in that perfect way that brings out beans and smoke without char and vegetables. It's so prevalent that I find myself scanning the bottle to see if this, like Earl, is made with coffee. It is not. Whatever grain selection or yeast went to work here, it did its job right. Milk chocolate (a mild lactic sweetness), smoke, and dark fruit are also evident.

T: As in the nose, this beer is quite coffee-forward, though I'm aware at this point that the flavor is an effect of grain and yeast doing their work. I'm extremely impressed by its nuances of smoke, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. A lightly spicy bite in the finish complements the resurgent smoke flavor. Wow.

M: 7.5% ABV isn't a heavyweight for my tasting group, but it's certainly a bit bigger than your usual beer. Yet Everett shows no trace of alcohol, perhaps due to the slightly fuller-than-medium body it boasts. It's not completely smooth; the peppery bite in the finish gives it a mild harshness that is unusual for a porter. I'm torn, because the pepper adds so much to the flavor, yet it detracts from the mouthfeel. I don't care. I'm rounding up.

O: I simply could not stop sipping this. Rarely do I encounter a beer I could not put down. This is one. Seek this out. It's a gold standard for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 07:23:31 | More by Arbitrator

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a brown head of about 2 fingers, dark head for a porter. Retains easily at a finger and leaves some lacing behind.

Wow, intense smell. Fresh espresso beans right out of the bag, caramel, some roasted malt and hints of dark fruit.

Taste somehow beats the awesome nose, this stuff is excellent. Coffee, vanilla, roasted malt and milk chocolate all balanced to perfection. I don't know how they got some of the flavors without actually adding coffee, but damn this is one tasty beverage.

Silky smooth mouthfeel, perfect balance, no alcohol at 7.5%. This drinks like an iced coffee concoction without being overly sweet.

A damn fine way to end the fest for me, this was my favorite of the beers I tried with an honorable mention to the Edward Pale Ale. I'd love to try this again from the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2011 14:53:22 | More by Chico1985

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on tap at the Armsby Abbey during Hill Farmstead tap takeover. Reviewed from notes.

A - Poured a thick, oily black with a nice mocha head that reduces to a thick creamy blanket leaving some nice light side lacing in its wake.

S - Excellent aromas here with strong chocolate and coffee along with vanilla and roasted malts. So, so inviting.

T - Taste is spot on with the nose. Super coffee notes along with a TON of vanilla. I mean, a TON of vanilla. Lots of chocolate and roasted malts. This is amazing.

M - Mouthfeel is excellent, nice and silky velvety smooth. So enjoyable.

O - Overall this is a very, very good porter. Love the vanilla and everything else that was in this porter. Could drink this stuff all day long! Easily the highlight of the night.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 02:36:44 | More by rudzud

BeerMeFitz

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My first time at the the brewery so I had it on tap!

A: 2 fingers of creamy brown head

S: Coffee, cocoa, and vanilla.

T: Sooo smooth, with the perfect blend of coffee and cocoa. Hints of vanilla and sugar really add to the beer nicely.

M: Light but remained creamy.

O: This is the best I have ever had as of today at 10:27 am..

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 15:28:02 | More by BeerMeFitz

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Drove up there a few weeks ago and feel now that I should have bought more. Don't ask to trade me as nothing will beat this.

A-deep black with a nice 1 finger fluffy tan head.

S-lots of roastiness and almost a subtle coffee/chocolate note. Toasty malt also, very earthy smell goes with it.

T-Very smooth creamy and delicious velvety chocolate and roast come in and smooth right down the throat. I don't give 5's ever but this one is damn perfect.

M-very thick and viscous. very velvety and smooth and creamy. very nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 21:19:41 | More by danedelman

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.85/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

500ml bottle split with some local beer geeks 17/7/11

A near black with a little cola at the edge, nice dark tan head falls to a thin film leaving a few specks of lace

S a little smokey with a chocolate blast, very big chocolate nose, smells like something I want to eat

T even better then the smell, somehow there's even more chocolate and a blast of coco powder, with some slight coffee and it reminds me of chocolate covered raisins, pretty rich and I wouldn't change anything

M thick liquid and bubbles cream it up a fair bit, quite rich and there's zero booze detected, what impresses me the most is the length of time the flavors sticks to your mouth, toothpick anyone?

O this is one of the better examples of the style, robust is an understatement, this is a wicked brew without doubt,

this one blew me away, I can't imagine anyone not loving this beer, search for it boys and girls its worth it

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 20:39:30 | More by wordemupg

harrymel

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled: unk

Pours a nice black with a sheet of mocha foam. Smells robust son! Chocolate, coffee, roasted barley, coffee (faint), cocoa powder, graham and more toasted malts. Flavor follows suit with a good earthy roasted character, a strong cocoa flavor, nice bits of coffee nib, and a sweetness I'm surprised at that is transient in nature and does not linger. Great flavor. Full bodied with tight and sharp carb loosely scattered, this leaves your mouth coated and satisfied, yet wanton for the next sip. This is a world class beer, and I think the best porter I've ever had. Sincerely wish I had a clone recipe.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 04:31:56 | More by harrymel

Viciousknishs

Virginia

4.8/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- pours a deep ebony with two and a half fingers of creamy dark tan head. Superb head retention with some beautiful lacing.

S- rich chocolate aromas with warm cake like character. Caramel and mocha notes in the middle. Finishes with an aggressive hop character for a porter giving a floral undertone in the finish.

T- rich chocolate mousse, caramel covered chocolate cake and the perfect touch of roasted malt envelope the palate. Hop flavors blend in as well with floral and orange marmelade notes. Lingering malt sweetness in the finish with a mocha like character.

MF- lucious creamy velvet mouthfeel with a heavy medium body. Fine soft carbonation.

D- superbly drinkable. I was picking up a different facet of the beer with each sip.

Overall a world class porter!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:38:51 | More by Viciousknishs

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

4.79/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A - Pours a very dark brown opaque color with nice, 2 finger, mocha colored head. Little bit of lacing along the side.

S - I could smell this when I was pouring it. It's actually just a tinge fruity in the beginning. That dark fruit, with molasses smell. Good amount of burnt coffee, plenty of roasted malts. Excellent blend.

T - Incredibly full, robust blend of dark, roasted malt, again, just a tinge of sweetness, before finishing with bitter, full, roasted coffee. That's an incredible taste. It goes from phase to phase seemlessly. Perfection.

M - Exactly what you want in a porter. Perfect mouthfeel here. It's creamy, a little thinner than a stout, and smooth.

Overall - This is it. World's best porter, and I love porters. Hill Farmstead has it. Absolutely excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:05:59 | More by BeerBuckeye

jrallen34

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler poured into my Hill Farmstead glass... Pours a dark brown, almost black with a nice medium tan head. Good carbonation, retention is nice, no lacing... Aroma is outstanding, the epitome of what a porter should smell like, perfect coffee, a hint of alcohol, and dark fruits, simply perfect... The taste is equally perfect. Only thing that I wish it had was smoke to come to close to the Captain Lawrence Imperial Smoked porter. Roasted coffee with hints of chocolate, a slightly bitter finish. Did I say perfect?

Serving type: growler

02-13-2011 04:07:35 | More by jrallen34

spycow

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to Sean for this fresh growler. Nice dark/black with minimal carbonation with minimal head and nice lacing. The smell is roasty, chocolate, light buttery, syrupy light molasses or maple not sure which. The taste is thick, rich, oaky, leathery, and smoky. Great porter. Great mouthfeel and carbonation. This and Captain Lawrence porters are top of this class. I've had this in bottle and growler a few times and it never fails to impress. If you like porters, this is a must have and even better readily available.

Serving type: growler

07-10-2011 00:38:10 | More by spycow

largadeer

California

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle from bring. Thanks, Barry.

Appearance: A ton of foam upon first pour, with a small amount of black liquid beneath. Swirling out some of the carbonation leaves me with an opaque dark brown beer topped by a frothy, lasting head. While it's excessively carbonated for the style, it's a great looking beer once the foam settles down.

Aroma: Cocoa, subtle smoke, licorice, coffee, roasted malt, roasted peanuts. Smells fantastic, wow. There's a lot going on here.

Palate: Nearly perfect for the style. Rich without a ton of sweetness, though it's plenty malty. Roasty, bready flavors roll across the tongue first, followed by smoke and licorice, coffee, roasted nuts. Medium-full body with a bitter, toasty finish that leaves a lingering note of anise. Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 17:07:35 | More by largadeer

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

pours a pitch black with a layered dark chocolate colored head that sticks around a while and laces impeccably.

a bit more of a lactose-like sweetness in the bottled version than I remember in my few experiences from the growler. tons of dark roasted coffee, bitter cacao, some roasted/candied nuts, vanilla extract, and roasted malts obviously. I think my experiences from the growler have shown more of a charred/cacao powder aroma, while the bottle shows a bit more sweetness.

flavor just does not quit. I have only taken a small sip so far and can pick up so many flavors its ridiculous. cacao, coffee, roasted nuts, vanilla, molasses, burnt brown sugar, woody and earthy hops. just amazing.

a bit lighter bodied than an imperial stout, but perfect for a robust porter. carbonation is there, but remains in the background. no alcohol heat or burn.

growler, on tap, or in bottles, this is THE porter to compare all other porters to. Can't wait for the barrels to mature, because I can only imagine what some bourbon character could add to this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 05:20:21 | More by silentjay

maximep

New York

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Yeah, this shit is brolic.

A- Ruby up to light black with no light khaki head big bubbles

S- sticky coffee toffee and chocolate. bit of plum and smokiness

T- huge chocolate coffee and boozy raisniness. tastes like chocolate malts + a touch of special b

M- perfectly creamy, round and rich. chewy, and delicate at the same time.

O- perfect example of the American Porter. Big in character yet easily accessible (very complex and appealing). left me wanting more

Look forward to more Hill Farmstead offerings.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 06:37:08 | More by maximep

Treebs

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to Eric (Holland) for giving me this as an extra(!!). 500 ml bottle served in a CBS snifter.

A: Pours a solid black color with a brown head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin cap and collar that leaves some nice sticky, soapy lace down the glass.

S: Roasted malts and coffee beans up front. Some light bakers chocolate and some toffee.

T: The taste is transcendent. Milk chocolate, nice roasted malts and some chocolate covered espresso beans all fill my mouth and run across my taste buds. Delicious vanilla sweetness with a light toffee richness to it. The finish is a little bitter bakers chocolate, a hint of burnt sugar and some light molasses as well.

M: Creamy mouthfeel with a medium body. Medium low carbonation with a nice combination of roast and sweet notes on the finish with just a hint of dryness. The drinkability is off the charts.

O: This is an incredibly decadent treat. Rich and creamy with great notes of roast, chocolate and espresso. This is the best porter money can buy. I will be seeking this out again, and very soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 00:09:22 | More by Treebs

AgentZero

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jason for sharing this growler.

A - Almost black beer with some ruby on the edges. Tan head that fades to a partial cap with some spots on the sides.

S - Smoke, wood, burnt cocoa, roasted malts, little bit of an earthy/peaty hop quality to it as well as a peatyness to the smoke. Very nice, a lot going on, and it's all good.

T - Don't really know how to improve on this. Coffee, roasted malts, burnt cocoa, great touch of smoke, oak, some dark fruit. Really has it all, and in all the right amounts. This is fantastic.

M - Nice carbonation on a full bodied beer.

D - Goes down easy, can really drink a lot of this, highly recommended.

Serving type: growler

03-01-2011 00:30:31 | More by AgentZero

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle poured into a snifter

Pours an ink black with a two finger, thick, dark khaki cap. Cap rose quickly and settled in raindrop fashion. Excellent retention with dots and sheets of lace everywhere.

The nose on this beast is of deep roast, bakers chocolate, dark cherries, light citrus and a faint touch of ethanol. Everything is big and robust.

The flavor profile explodes on the palate. Deep, delicate roast and bitter dark chocolate take over initially, then dark cherries and light citrus before the roast/chocolate comes back in the finish. Just a faint warming from this guy.

Near perfect. Full body with maybe a touch too much carbonation to make this lush and velvety. Still, very smooth and soft on the palate.

This is definitely the best porter I have ever had. I knew that on the first sip. I so didn't want to buy into the hype, but this beer has it going on. This is an exceptional porter.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 00:41:37 | More by ColForbinBC

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at HF a while back.

Oh dear. This is the best American porter I've had in recent memory. Pours a near black with a large mocha head with impressive lacing and retention. Aroma is complex and subtle, a blend of chocolate, roast malt, coffee, dark fruit, mild bitterness, and smoke. Flavor is similar, with roast and smoke providing a strong backbone for the sweet chocolate and dark fruit. Medium thick, with soft full bodied and soft carbonation. Edmund used to be my favorite American Porter. Now Everrett is.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 04:37:00 | More by yourefragile