Everett Porter - Hill Farmstead Brewery

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.

A: Pours a very deep, dark brown. Close to black, but not quite there. A moderately aggressive pour yields about 3-4 fingers of creamy brown head. Retention is spectacular, and large sheets of clumpy lacing blanket the glass.

S: Fudge, french roast, German chocolate cake, some nutty and earthy yeast. Black cocoa powder and whiffs of charcoal-like roasted malt. Hints of vanilla and caramel. Very mild alcohol ester and some darkfruits in the background. Fig and plum.

T: Chocolate syrup, double chocolate cake, roasted coffee beans, a bit of a woody impression. Caramel and a slight creamy vanilla impression in the background. More chocolate cake. Very subtle fruity tastes of fig and date. Long, lingering finish of semi sweet dark chocolate, fudge, and roasted coffee beans.

M: Medium bodied. Extraordinarily creamy and velvety smooth. Low carbonation. You rarely come across a mouthfeel like this.

O: This is truly one of the top porters I've ever had. Its shining points are a layered, nuanced, and shifting malt complexity and an uncommonly creamy and smooth body. Its weaknesses are none.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 04:21:27 | More by ryan1788a5

flexabull

California

4.35/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of cbeer88, thanks again!

Pours a deep dark brown color with a very nice tan colored head.

Aromas are nutty, with notes of heavily roasted malts, some light dark fruits, cocoa and mineral hops. Nose is nice, but subtle.

Upon first sip I can see why this is highly regarded. Light cocoa, dark bread, coffee and slightly sweet cream flavors up front. Finish is crisp, with a nice earthy hop bite. Nice flavors, and great balance.

Mouthfeel is good, smooth, soft, and full, with nice carbonation.

Overall, a top notch porter, one of the best I've had in a while. The first Hill Farmstead beer I had was good (Holger Danske), this one is very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:54:51 | More by flexabull

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color porter with a large brown foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of dark roasted malt with light espresso notes with some light vanilla notes. Taste is a very robust porter with quite strong roasted malt notes with a side sot of espresso and light subtle green hops. Body is super full with strong carbonation, no apparent alcohol and a nice creamy texture. Probably one of the best porter I ever had a chance to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 02:50:36 | More by Phyl21ca

kcbaby

Texas

4.7/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2012 Vintage courtesy of Auror. Many thanks!

A: Requisite deep brown, nearly opaque black color. Creamy and deep - surprisingly deep - tan head with dense lacing that breaks like that of the most viscous stouts. Remarkable.

S: Roasted and chocolate malt, dark chocolate, hazelnut. Considerable smoke from some unknown but heavenly source. Some lactose-like sweetness at the end.

T: Everything in the nose, plus: begins to taste like a smokehouse smells (lightly) as it warms, tobacco in the middle, light earthy hop bitterness in the aftertaste.

M: The pour suggested that it may have been a bit too carbonated; fortunately that was not true - it's velvety and smooth.

Overall: The benchmark American porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 16:18:46 | More by kcbaby

kscaldef

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a large, dark tan head. Moderate retention and good lacing. Aromas of roasted coffee and cacao. Rich roasted flavors, dark chocolate, mild herbaceous notes. Bitter, but balanced. Moderate-high carbonation with good linger.

Overall, a very solid porter. My biggest complain is that it's a little over-carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:35:09 | More by kscaldef

nataku00

California

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

Bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a dark brown, bordering on black with a finger of chocolate brown creamy head mixed with a few bubbles. Nice lacing as the head dissipates to a slick of head.

Big roasted notes, medium roasted coffee, dark roasted malt, a light smokiness, dark chocolate. A hint of citrusy hop bitterness and dark fruit as it warms a little.

Taking a sip, bitterness upfront, roasted malt and coffee with some earthiness, then mellows to fruitier coffee flavors, bittersweet chocolate, sweet almond, graham cracker. Lingering coffee and roasted malt flavors on the tongue after a swallow.

Probably on the lighter side of medium, but the good carbonation helps contribute to a slightly creamy mouthfeel. A very nicely crafted porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:58:54 | More by nataku00

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

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

500ml bottle 7,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.

Thanks to Futura123 for this bottle.

Appearance: Wow, Everett is one dark porter! It appears pitch black in the glass, with a back light only showing a some faint red-brown streaks along the edges of the glass. A rough pour yields a massive creamy tan coloured head, that lasts really well and leaves some thick lacing.

Smell: Mmmm, this smells delicious and a lot roastier than I expected from a standard porter. The initial nose offers dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, dark toasted grains, some char, a hint of smoke and some cocoa. As the beer begins to warm, more toasted notes become apparent, alongside earthy tobacco, brown sugar, milk chocolate, molasses and the faintest hint of vanilla.

Taste: As with the nose, the flavour initially leans towards the roasted side of things, with an underlying sweetness becoming apparent with warming. Notes include: Roasted malt, dark chocolate, some coffee, a touch of smoke, some ash/char, dark toasted grains, a little milk chocolate, a touch of earthy tobacco and an underlying sweetness that is reminiscent of dark fruits and molasses. The finish is fairly bitter and lightly astringent. There is no trace of the 7,5%.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is just about perfect for a standard porter and makes for a fantastically drinkable beer. Medium (or just over) bodied, with a medium level of wonderfully creamy carbonation.

Overall: Everett is an outstanding porter and certainly deserves its place on the top 100 list. I would kill to have this available locally - a few pints would go down wonderfully well over the course of a football game.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 15:12:37 | More by Thehuntmaster

pmarlowe

California

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

Thanks to seeswo for this. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a rich, shiny black with a tall two fingers of dense, red-tinted dark brown head. Very good retention and some nice swaths of lacing.

S: Roasted malt, coffee, dark molasses, and some dark chocolate. Dark fruit as it warms (plum, fruitcake).

T: Lots of roasted malt up front, with a little coffee, with some dark molasses imparting some nice sweetness.

M: Ultra smooth, medium-full body, slightly creamy, with light carbonation providing very good mouthfeel.

O: Just a really well balanced porter. Great example of a roasty porter. I wouldn't mind a little more chocolate on the palate but that's splitting hairs.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 06:23:10 | More by pmarlowe

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

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Papat444. Big thank you for this one.

Beer pours black with a large tan head. Incredible retention- head just sits there. Good lacing.

Nose contains chocolate, bitter roast malt, some coffee. A bit of caramel. Slightly woody.

Taste is very good. Lots of roast flavours, malt and burnt caramel, with some bitter dark chocolate. Some molasses. Finish is bitter with some coffee flavour. Very rich and tasty.

Full bodied, nice and thick, with a moderate carbonation level. Smooth.

Overall, excellent. A terrific robust porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 20:03:25 | More by jrenihan

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

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

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

500 ml bottle courtesy of Mike. Thank you very much for this opportunity!

Into my Central Waters snifter: pours black with a nice mocha colored head with some substantial staying power. My wife actually said, "that looks nice. Can I have a glass?" She's right, this looks scrumptious.

Loads of chocolate on the nose along with a dry bitter roast. Coffee with cream, light yeast, and a touch of herbal hops as well.

Velvety dark chocolate in spades and big dry bitter roast from the nose loom large. Some bright orange notes from the Columbus hops punch through the middle, coupled with the medium roast coffee. Long and lingering light bitterness on the finish that I can only describe as barky...not the dog type, but the woodsy tree type. Not sure it makes sense, but I pulled a ton of that from Daybreak and I find it here as well. Soft vanilla on the back end.

Creamy and luscious and simply soft and luxurious. The first small pour seemed over carbonated, but the bottle seems to have settled down. Alcohol is non existent throughout.

If other porters even considered moving into the neighborhood, I'd be a hell of a lot more interested in the style. Then again, Everett would kick those lesser porters' asses and make them feel a fool.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:21:27 | More by BarrytheBear

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted blindly courtesy of Blind BIF #7. Poured into tulip.

Appearance: Talk about a sexy head… words don't do it justice. The lacing is comparable in its thick and lush layers. Inky thick black into the glass.

Smell: Coffee, roasted malts, tobacco. Very nice.

Taste: A luscious blend of coffee, malt, hops. Not bitter in the least. This guy is a little bit on the sweet side, but otherwise nails it.

Mouthfeel: Thick and chewy, but perfect for the style. Perfectly carbed.

Drinkability: Pretty high. It's sweetness might get to me after one bottle, but the one bottle is awesome.

Overall: This is a fantastic beer. This is a porter but almost seems to push into coffee stout territory, and this one pretty much nails it.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:39:08 | More by cbeer88

eclipse54

Idaho

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

A 500 mL bottle split into tulips. Big thanks to inlimbo77 for sending this one my way.

Pours a dark brown to black color with a caramel colored head. About three centimeters of head forms and lingers for a bit before receding to a healthy, bubbly ring and patches across the surface of the liquid. Scattered patches of sticky lacing decorate the glass.

The aroma is of chocolate, brown sugar, roasted barley, a bit of toffee or caramel, and a hint of dark licorice.

The taste is of bitter chocolate, licorice, caramel, brown sugar, roasted barley, some muddle, earthy grains, and a vague hint of citrus. It’s fairly sweet when you break it down, but it’s exceptionally balanced by the roasted characteristics.

The mouthfeel is spot on. Slightly bitter from the cacao and hops, full-bodied, and rich, but finishing quite cleanly and going down smoothly. The bitterness/roastiness subsides towards the back of the mouth, taking on a more velvet-like feel.

Overall, this is a phenomenal porter. I pulled some strange individual flavors out of it, but they worked together beautifully. Well balanced, easy to drink, and simply delicious; a pleasure all around.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 02:03:04 | More by eclipse54

jmarsh123

Indiana

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

Pours black with a light brown head. Good retention and lacing.

Very roasty aroma with a little bit of chocolate. A little bit of a burnt character to the roast.

Lots of roast in the flavor as well. Burnt malts with some dark coffee flavors bringing some chocolate along for the ride.

Medium bodied porter with medium carbonation levels. As normal, creamy mouthfeel gets the most out of the individual flavors. Very much on the dry side.

Very enjoyable although perhaps a bit disappointed from the hype. A very well made enjoyable porter I'll seek out again, although nothing that screams "best porter ever".

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 14:50:40 | More by jmarsh123

pmlondrigan

New York

4.4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

For a porter this is a nice looking beer. Hazelnut head that produces some sheeting and a thin coating of foam that hangs around for a little while. The aroma reminds me of coffee grounds, dark chocolate and cacao nibs. Maybe some chicory too. Overall the aroma is clean for a porter, no real hop or yeast quality. Dark chocolate, cacao, chalky. Coffee is certainly big. I look for but can not find vanilla. There is a dry bitterness associated with roast. The body is full without being sweet.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:33:47 | More by pmlondrigan

quirkzoo

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Funkyaudio for this one.

Pours straight black with half of finger of khaki head that recedes to some splotchy lacing in the glass.

The aroma is powerful and complex lots of chocolate up front with some roasted coffee in the background. Very "clean" aroma, everything fits together and nothing clashes.

The taste is more of the same. In the wine world I would say this beer has good concentration. It is full of flavor but does not taste harsh or cloying. Just enough bitterness to cleanse my palate and keep me wanting more.

The mouthfeel is phenomenal, smooth, just a touch creamy, very drinkable, glad to take down the whole 500ml by myself.

Overall I tried to keep my expectations in check and started with a very critical eye but this beer delivers, this is definitely becoming a perma-want.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 03:09:46 | More by quirkzoo

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thank you to both Hoppypockett and Jayhoop for each getting me a bottle of this. My first HF!

Appearance. Pours pretty darn black with half a finger of light brown head.

Smell. Dark chocolate and dark roasted malts. There's some dark coffee a little dark fruit and some sweet black licorice. Smells really good.

Taste. Nice dark chocolate, a little dark fruit in the middle and some nice fresh dark coffee in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with medium-low, very smooth carbonation.

Overall. A very nice porter, probably the best I've tried of the style so far.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:14:25 | More by Rutager

SpdKilz

Illinois

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

Wow, first time reviewing a beer in quite some time. Thanks to bootswithtrees (Nick) for this beer. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours into my Darkness tulip with an opaque black color. Held up to the light there is just the faintest light coming through around the edges causing the beer to look dark brown. About a finger of mocha colored head that dissipates slowly leaving decent lacing.

Smell – Heavy roasted malts, bittersweet cocoa, slight coffee, vanilla, and just a hint of anise licorice.

Taste – I will be the first to admit I love a good porter. I will also be the first to state that I have never really gotten into the “hype” with HF. I by no means am saying their beers are bad (I have been able to sample MANY of their beers thanks to numerous generous Chi-town BA’s), just that when I drink them, I rate them as if they didn’t have the hype surrounding them. That said, damn this is a good porter. Begins with bittersweet cocoa mixed with a milky chocolate. A bit more coffee in the flavor than the aroma let on, which is followed by a prominent amount of roasted malts (which I enjoy more than less in my porters). At the tail end you can taste the licorice and a hint of sweet molasses, though it does finish a bit bitter (also what I look for in a good porter).

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, moderate to lower carbonation, very rich and creamy in texture. Finishes nice and dry.

Overall – I am happy this is one of the “easier” to get beers from HF. I will be seeking this out in the future again for sure. An extremely well put together American Porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 02:01:33 | More by SpdKilz

djmichaelk

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle into a tulip.

A - Pour is an dark coffee-brown, with a fluffy mocha-colored head that doesn't want to quit. Superior retention and awesome lacing that leaves spiderwebs all the way down the glass.

S - Cocoa, molasses, a bit of tobacco, and roast. Some hint of alcohol lurking in the background.

T - Milk chocolate and a bit of coffee upfront. Plenty of roast, some light hoppiness, and vanilla in the finish. Absolutely fantastic.

M - Full bodied, with light carbonation. Slightly drying in the finish. Could maybe benefit from the prickliness that comes from somewhat more aggressive bubbles.

O - There's some minor room for improvement, but this is still pretty easily the best straight-up porter that I've had to date. Shaun Hill is a damned wizard.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 04:32:16 | More by djmichaelk

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a dfh snifter

A: pours black with a finger of mocha head that slowly recedes to about a 1/4 film that sticks around for the rest I the glass, beautiful lacing, great lookin beer.

S: milk chocolate with a light roastyness, some caramel sweetness, and a light hint of hops. There is also a light touch of smoke.

T: milk chocolate with a touch of roast and smoke, givin the brew some nice coffee like notes, there is a bit of sweetness in the middle, with notes of caramel and toffee, and then the hops come in lightly on tennis palate to the finish adding a light citrusy note, tasty and well balanced.

M: I love the mouthfeel here, it really makes the brew or me, thick, decadent and creamy, drinks with a beautiful velvetyness crisp carbonation on the high end of medium keeps the mouthfeel going, and a nice you h of dryness on the finish from the hops , leavs the mouth coated in deliciousness.

O: a good porter, I personally would have enjoyed a bit more roast and a bit less sweetness, but that is splitting hair w/ a brew this tasty, another great one From hill farmstead, I would recommend grabbing any offering you could find from these guys.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:44:23 | More by PeterIngemi

GuyIncognito

Maine

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

I've been reading a lot about Hill Farmstead, and this beer lived up to the hype. A beautiful opaque pour, with an amazing coffee colored head. This beer is big, with wonderful overtones of coffee, dark chocolate, and fresh baked bread. As I drank it and it warmed up a little, I got some subtle smokiness. This beer screams "WELL MADE WITH INCREDIBLY HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS." I cannot wait to go on a roadtrip to Vermont to try every beer they have available.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:22:45 | More by GuyIncognito

Gobzilla

California

4.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a very dark brown in color almost black with brown highlights and a nice half finger of head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: great porter features in the aroma such as chocolate roasted malts, some sweetness coming from the toffee, hints of caramel, I suspect a little oat grains, slight coffee, and hints of brown sugar.

T: the chocolate character was just as apparent on the palate alongside toffee caramel sweetness, hints of nuttiness, oat grains coming through with vanilla accents and a touch of molasses.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a sweet, roasty, rich chocolatey, and silky finish.

O: damn solid all around, great example of a porter. HF doesn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:15:51 | More by Gobzilla

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

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