Everett Porter - Hill Farmstead Brewery

haazer

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Last reviewed beer from the Blue Dog Wealth of Riches event.

A- A light brown, mocha head sits atop an entirely pitch black brew. No light gets through at all. Good head retention, and lacing trails down the glass as I drink.

S- Burnt crispy malt. Dark and bitter roast coffee.

T- A fairly dry, roasty porter. Definitely taste the coffee, with notes of cocoa as well. Fairly bitter, unsweetened. To me this seems a bit watered down. Definitely takes away from the beer.

M- Smooth medium bodied porter with medium carbonation. Quite drinkable.

O- The keep it simple approach does work for the beer, and it is good. But I don't see this porter as mind blowing as the ratings are. It tasted pretty bland to me. I would have this again and my tastebuds could've been wrecked by this point in the day anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2012 20:46:55 | More by haazer

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From 750mL growler to Portsmouth glass on 3/10/12
*From notes

-- Thanks & cheers, Eric --

A: A rich, robust chocolate brown. A good pour yields a one finger head. As it fades, decent lacing and a fair collar follow.

S: Quite green, with a good bit of coffee injecting life into the nose.

T: Thin. Watery. Cardboard. These aren't qualities that I look for in a beer, let alone a Porter from Hill Farmstead. This isn't infected or off, it's just not up to snuff with a lot of the better Porters on the market. Extremely underwhelming.

M: It feels alright, I guess. The carbonation isn't where I feel it should be, as it's (yet again) a bit thin and not overly complex or rich in the mouth.

O: How anti-climactic. HF's Everett is one of the biggest letdowns I've come across in some time. The rest of the tasting group bought into the hype with this and rather enjoyed it. But me....nah. It's simply a Porter.

Serving type: growler

03-19-2012 22:49:10 | More by Rhettroactive

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a couple snifters. The brew appears black in color with some brown clarity around the edges. A finger of mocha head sits atop and slowly fades leaving a patchy wall of lace sticking to the glass. A swirl effortlessly revives the cap.

The aroma includes roast with some bright citrus notes caught between hopiness and the citrus that is present sometimes in fresh coffee beans. Some hints of bitter chocolate to nutty aspect across the back that mixes with a bit of mineral quality.

The taste is bitter cocoa coupled with some nutty grain element. Chocolate and coffee is present with roast and quite a bit of minerals that mixes with some hints of citrus hopd. Across the back it gets somewhat fruity to floral with hops. The aftertaste is somewhat musty.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is a nice arrangement of flavor but the hops clash a bit with the roast in almost an american black ale sort of way. Also, the mineral component here was fairly aggressive throughout, id rather that not be such a significant presence in the beer if i was to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 14:59:01 | More by stakem

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.63/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark and thick, nice frothy head, does indeed look "robust" and I would guess a higher abv than 7.5% based on the appearance.

This beer is somewhat disappointing though...rich and sweet as you would expect, maybe some chocolate and vanilla, but it's too malty for me to really love. Needs either some more roast, some more hop character, or some more pronounced chocolate. Mouthfeel is thick and really nice, and overall this is a good and solid porter, but it was the weakest HF beer out of a lineup of ten and I really didn't think this was anything exceptional.

7.0/10

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 13:04:47 | More by AlexFields

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.65/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hill Farmstead Everett, 9-oz glass at Sunswick 35/35 in Astoria, Queens, New York.

Appearance: About a finger worth of mocha-colored head that lasts and lasts. Great pitch-black looks, menacing but inviting. Persistent lacing and tingly carbonation.

Smell: Smooth, hard to pin. Tad of hops. Bitterness, chocolate, high-end bakery.

Taste: Very roasty-bitter, chocolaty at the end of the sip. Liquid smoke and burnt sugar. Licuorice, nice spicy-hoppy feel in the lips. Coffee all around.

Mouthfeel: A little watery-thin, but good rich-creamy feel nonetheless. Low carbonation and body, medium flavor. Dry finish.

Overall: A good porter indeed, mighty drinkable despite the hefty ABV. Probably better than most American Porters, but not up to the standard-bearer: Founders Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 01:00:04 | More by DoubleSimcoe

Cascade77

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From notes: Poured from a growler brought back to "the city" by a friend.

A small but thick head forms. Beer is super dark and a swirl around the glass reveals a very viscous beer. It clings leaving a dark golden slickness almost like molases. As viscous as a beer twice its ABV. One of the most visualy beautiful beers I've seen.

Smell is roasted malt, a little plumb, other dark fruits. Just a whiff of alcohol.

Taste is big bold roasted malt and molasses up front that fades quickly revealing a sweet finish. Further sips bring out the sweetness.

Thick, medium carbonation, slick.

Overall this beer tastes great up front but suffers from the overly sweet finish. I understand that there is supposed to be a bit of that in a porter but it goes too far. Almost milk stout like. Could use a touch more hops to even things up.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2011 18:28:32 | More by Cascade77

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a deep brownish black color with a thin film on top. Not much head on there or any lacing either. The smell of the beer is a mixture or roasted and smoked malts. The taste of the beer gives off a decent flavor of smoked malt that isn't salty which is a good thing. There isn't much in the way or chocolate or other roasted flavors in this one. The mouthfeel was on the thinner side, kinda low in carbonation. Overall this beer is decent in my opinion, I'm not really a fan of smoked flavors but I think for people who are this beer is awesome for them. I was happy to have tried it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2012 14:07:07 | More by Knapp85

unclejazz

New York

3.75/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was excited to see this on tap at Sunswick 35/35, it looks like they are building a solid relationship with HF. Actually got to try this one a few times.

A-solid dark brown with a 1 finger heads that did not go away. Nice lacing.

S-roasted malt and a bit of cocoa. Not much else

T-heavy roasted malt taste with very little sweetness if any, reminiscient of Anchor's variety.

M-rich but not heavy, lower on carbonation like a good porter should.

O-a very solid representation of the style, but not my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 11:27:55 | More by unclejazz

andrewinski1

Maine

3.85/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Hill Farmstead glass. Nice black color with a half inch tan head (though the head was much larger on my brother's glass).

The aroma indicates slightly sweet black coffee with a note of chocolate fudge.

The taste starts out with sweet malt followed by a clean bitter roasted finish. There is a gentle hop flavor in the finish. Nothing too fancy here, but I have to be impressed by the perfect sweet and bitter balance.

The mouthfeel is robust and the carbonation just enough to make this refreshing.

Another impressive offering from Hill Farmstead. Can't wait to go back for more!

Serving type: growler

06-27-2011 01:13:27 | More by andrewinski1

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.93/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really dark porter, just a hair under black, nice pretty creamy head on it, over 1" in depth. Good retention of the lace as well. Aroma, dark chocolate, solid, but not substantial roast aroma, didn't really get much if anything in the way of coffee.

Taste, pretty smooth, like there's a bunch of oatmeal used. Very smooth, very rich. I think there's a little touch of vanilla in there. Or maybe its caramel I'm tasting and that's helping with the smoothness, not a robust porter in the sense its a highly hopped one, it really just lays something down smooth. Alcohol hid well. Carbonation is spot on. Frankly, I don't really see what is robust, its really good and all, but not because it is robust or in your face, its nice because its a smooth operator.

One of the better porters I've had in awhile. Unless you count the BBXXIII as a true porter. . . this is a very good non bal porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 02:50:41 | More by Beerandraiderfan

tewaris

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

Dark ruby garnet with a good creamy brown head. Good retention and lacing.

Aroma is dominated by roast followed by malts and a pungent tartness. The tartness is fortunately absent in the taste. Strongly roasty with intense dark chocolate, subtle grain and a hint of citrus hops.

Obscure smokiness that comes through strongly once in a while. Slightly warming minus the booze. Dry finish with a lingering roasted beans aftertaste.

Perfect level of carbonation... enough to carry the beer without compromising the silkiness. Very well designed and executed beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 18:03:06 | More by tewaris

iadler

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes taken 3/31. Thanks to exitmusic00 for sharing this bottle.

A- Pours a dark brown with a thin off white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving minimal lacing.

S- Quite smoky upfront, with dark chocolate, burnt caramel, roasted malt, and some smoked meat.

T- Luckily the meaty aroma isn't in the taste. Again smoke is prominent with dark chocolate, burnt caramel, roasted malt, char and cocoa powder.

M- Medium carbonation and a creamy full body. The best aspect of the beer and something that Hill Farmstead always impress me with.

O- A unique take on the porter with the smokiness, but the smoke presence was a bit overwhelming. Still good, but not one of my favorites from HF.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 23:23:02 | More by iadler

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to AndrewK for sharing this one at jmgrub’s tasting.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt and some slight cocoa and coffee aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that has a really roasty flavor without being too harsh.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:40:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Eulogy.

Pours a pitch black color that's completely opaque with a half finger dark mocha head that slowly settles into a thin lasting ring. Minimal spots of lacing left behind.  

Deep roasted malt aroma with a good balance of silky chocolate.  Subtle lactic cream along with hints of roasted espresso/coffee, chicory, oatmeal, nut and toffee.  Very nice roast character without smelling acrid or burnt.  Lots of coffee character without overpowering the chocolate notes

Medium bodied with a nice balance of roasted malt an sweet silky chocolate notes.  Bittersweet chocolate, coffee/espresso, oatmeL hazelnut and toffee. Pretty toasty but still smooth with milk chocolate notes.  Easy drinking and quaffable with a well masked ABV.  

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 00:32:09 | More by corby112

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Thanks to jl28r1 for this bottle!

Anyone remember Carl Everett? Man, it seems like forever ago that the ChiSox won it all with that guy... Anyway, this stuff pours a rather dark black-brown topped by a healthy bit o' light sienna foam. The nose comprises mild roasted malts, toasted biscuit, cocoa, and a touch of coffee. The taste follows pretty closely, with the roast coming in darker, more charred. and the coffee, though still subdued compared to the other elements, coming in a tad darker and more acrid. Everything melds nicely, though, with nothing taking any real stage time from anything else. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and an ever-so-slightly dry finish. Overall, a very nice porter, nothing overtly extraordinary, but a tasty, enjoyable treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 02:16:10 | More by TMoney2591

jsled

Vermont

4.03/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

P: 4/5. opaque black. a reasonable deep tan head, receding after some time, no lacing.

A: 4/5. deep, sweet roasty caramel malty

F: 9/10. nice roasty sweetness. some astringency, bur not really strong. wonderful smoothness for a robust porter.

M: 2/5

O: 8/10

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:21:25 | More by jsled

musicforairports

New York

4.03/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at The Farmhouse in Burlington, Vt.

Looks black, but some light shines through. Head leaves minimal lacing.

Smells of burnt caramel and thick chocolate. Pretty robust.

Taste is heavy on the chocolate. Some burnt black malt flavors. Dark caramel. I don't really taste any coffee here. Light bitterness in the finish.

Medium mouthfeel. Just right for a porter.

This is a solid porter. Not sure if it's the hop notes or the burnt caramel flavors I pick up, but it's a bit different than some other porters. Not a bad thing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 00:53:04 | More by musicforairports

rtaps

California

4.03/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark dark brown nice mocha head with good retention and lacing and viscous

Big Roasted notes coffee back tones, some dark chocolate

Like the nose it's big roasted mats almost has a smokey character to it, chocolate and coffee back end and the roastedness lingers afterword.

Light bodied, not as viscous as it looks in the glass. Medium carb

Overall it's a good porter 

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 20:32:57 | More by rtaps

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours very dark brown, with a big, dense, cratering mocha-tan head. Great retention and sticky lacing galor. Very nice.

Ooh, this smells nice. Coffee roasty notes, some dark chocolate, a touch of smoke, and a rich sweetness underlying it all. To put it simply, this smells like what every porter should smell like (IMO). Complex, but all the elements link together so well. Creamy, smooth, and just perfectly integrated. Wow.

Taste is less complete, and, hmm, just thinner than the smell. Much more smoke and heavily roasted stuff, and much less of the sweetness and choco-coffee goodness. Very dark and rather burned. Drifts into bitter char through the finish.

Mouthfeel is quite good. Silky smoth, creamy, mmm nice. Medium-heavy body, but enough carbonation to make it both fluffy and chewy. Lasting finish, carrying those charcoal flavors along with it.

I'm really curious about this beer, as it smells perfect, but the taste doesn't come close. Where's that subtle balance of sweetness and smoky roast? I still like it, but dang, if it tasted like it smells, it would probably be my all-time favorite porter.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:16:33 | More by zeledonia

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead tulip. No bottle date.

Appearance - Pours a black body that is translucent at the edges. Billowing mocha head that almost overflows the glass. Excellent retention and even some nice lacing.

Smell - Chocolate and coffee dominate. Some booze, which is surprising for 7.5%. A deep, ashy, almost burnt character persists in the background, perhaps detracting from other aromas.

Taste - Coffee and chocolate are the most dominant flavors. It really mirrors the aromas, even in the relative proportions of the flavors. The finish is bitter, but seemingly from that ashy burnt character. Again, it's slightly boozy.

Mouthfeel - I had this on tap and it seemed much heavier and more viscous than it does in the bottle. It's medium bodied, but slick on the tongue. The bitter ashy finish is a little detracting, but otherwise it's good.

Overall - I don't find this to be earth-shattering as the reviews suggest. It's still a solid and impressive beer. Yet another technical masterpiece from Hill Farmstead, but lacking in a certain refinement that their other beers have.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:19:28 | More by Alieniloquium

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from super growler (less than 5 days old) into a tulip glass. Huge thanks to fellow BeerAdvocate for going to the HF release party to pick up a growler for me. Pours dark brown with a nice one and a half finger khaki head with beautiful lacing that lasted throughout. Aromas of grain, oatmeal, coffee, and some vanilla. Flavors of grain, wood, some alcohol and chocolate. Gosh, this beer sure reminded me of Founders Porter, but only better! There are some light bitterness throughout the session. Thick bodied with good carbonation. Nice sticky mouthfeel. Though good, wasn’t world class as many beer raters gave it.

Serving type: growler

05-16-2012 16:55:05 | More by CuriousMonk

DarthKostrizer

California

4.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Look: Pours a dark brown nearly black in color with a 1/2 inch tan head very good retention and sticky lace

Smell: Semi sweet chocolate, coffee and roasted malt

Taste: The flavors for me a just slightly sweet. There is a nice amount of chocolate and espresso in the flavor backed up by a touch of vanilla and some piney hops. Good not great

Mouthfeel: Medium body with close to medium carbonation and a bit creamy

Overall: This was a very good porter but I am not sure if it is world class and with how hard it is to get HF stuff not sure if it is really worth seeking out

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 00:14:55 | More by DarthKostrizer

SkiBum22

New York

4.1/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown, almost black opaque with a nice tan head and good lacing.

S - Coffee, sweet caramel, roasted malt, and earthy tones

T - Big bitterness, dark chocolate, a touch of espresso, some oak. The swallow brings everything together, with big chocolate bitterness and charred toast.

M - Full bodied. Silky smooth. Low side of moderate carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

O - This is the definition of what a porter is. If you had to choose a beer to define a category this is it when it comes to porters for me. Another solid brew from HF.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 00:34:12 | More by SkiBum22

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Taken from notes from a recent trip to Montreal and Vermont.

On tap at The Prohibition Pig. Pours a pitch black color with an inch of light brown head. Some lacing. The aroma is of roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee. Maybe some hints of smoke. This beer has a nice roasted malts flavor with some bitter dark chocolate and coffee. Earthy with hints of smoke. Not much of an alcohol presence. Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, damn good Porter worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 01:12:54 | More by PicoPapa

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