Arthur - Hill Farmstead Brewery

kidkarma1971

4.74/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Another gem from the Hill, this saison brings great yeasty and grainy taste that is essential to good saisons. I found the carbonation a bit lighter than expected, but still possessed some mysterious quality that gave it some smooth wavy tartness that just stuck on my tongue.

A-hazy yellow color with good lacing

S-lemon, yeasty, a touch of pepper perhaps?

T- great grainy, yeasty, solid bitter finish, pepper

F-medium body with light carbonation, awesome edges/crispness

O-a winner Saison with light but yummy flavors,

growler at Buddha Beer Bar in NYC.

Serving type: growler

02-02-2013 01:25:16 | More by kidkarma1971

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler pour into a Hill Farmstead longstem snifter - cool glass. Big thanks to Chowdahead for bringing this one down to share with the wives at a recent tasting.

Straw color, decent head for a growler pour, and good lacing. Smells of orange & lemon, grass, some pepper. Taste has some subtle citrus, grass, light bready malts, and low doses of spice, which I loved. Mouthfeel was crisp and fresh without the annoyance of spices that frequently sink saisons. Overall this was a great, fresh example of the style. Very refreshing.

Then Chowdahead tells me this has been in the growler for a week and a half. Say what cupcake?! Tasted like it was filled that day. I am once again very impressed by Hill Farmstead. Seeking more. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

05-12-2011 02:23:18 | More by ElGallo

largadeer

California

3.3/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks, Arne. 32 oz growler into a tulip.

The brilliantly clear golden body is topped by two fingers of white suds. Head retention isn't great for the style, but I'll cut it some slack for coming from a growler.

Grainy and fruity on the nose, the yeast contributes a lot of bubblegum, green apple and white pepper. A whiff of citrusy, grassy hops are noticeable beneath the strong yeast profile.

The palate opens with a rough grainy character, along with bubblegum, unripe pear and citrus. The body is thin, and the beer feels too refined for a saison. Hop flavors show up mid-palate, lemony and herbal, leading into a grainy and dry finish that ends with notes of banana and fresh herbs.

There's plenty of complexity here, but the flavors don't seem entirely harmonious to me. I'm also not crazy about the yeast, which brings too much cloying bubblegum flavor.

Serving type: growler

01-07-2011 00:30:34 | More by largadeer

GatheringBrews

Vermont

4.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tart, citrusy aroma with trademark saison yeast and spice. Pours a light golden color with a nice, fluffy head that laces well and sticks around for a while. Light, refreshing flavor with citrus and hops in excellent balance. Nice dry finish and just a touch of hops.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2011 02:10:59 | More by GatheringBrews

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

32oz growler shared at a tasting hosted by HopStoopid120. Thanks for the invitation, Tony!

A: Clear gold body with a finger of frothy white head. Average retention and some nice lace. Great.

S: Clean, mellow aroma of pale malt, light spice, and great pear esters. Very light, but beautifully balanced.

T: Follows the nose precisely, with the addition of an ultra-dray, almost chalky finish. Crazy dry, and all-around delicious.

M: Light-to-medium body with low carbonation that makes it feel more viscous than it should. Definitely not the beer's strong suit, but some of the blame my lie in the growler.

D: Perfectly dry, balanced, and tasty. Very drinkable indeed.

Notes: Great saison. While it lacked the funk and complexity that have been the hallmarks of my very favorite exemplars of the style (e.g. Fantôme and Upright), Arthur delivers a perfectly clean, dry, and balanced package of classic Belgian flavors. If there's a complaint to be made it's that this beer is a rather boring example of an often exciting style, but I'll take boring and delicious over interesting and medicinal any day (I'm looking at you, Stillwater). I can't wait to try more stuff from Hill Farmstead.

Cheers!

Serving type: growler

12-12-2010 06:35:46 | More by woosterbill

koopa

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I got the end of the keg at DeCicco's today....

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy yellow to nectarine color with a 1 finger white crown that shows some retention and lace.

Smell: Muted notes of fresh grass, bubble gum, nectarines, and some soft brett.

Taste: Same as nose.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with softened carbonation which lowered the creaminess I experienced with fresher on tap samples in VT.

Drinkability: So sessionable but this sample is past peak.

Serving type: growler

12-10-2010 20:38:15 | More by koopa

Billolick

New York

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$12.99 32 ounce growler pour from DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY.

Pours a dull shade of amber with a tangerine hue, clouded, with plenty of bubbles rising to the top. Head is loose, moderate, and tiny bubbles. Nice looking sheeting, with webs of lacing rise from the collar to the top of the glass.

Fruity, earthy and some peppery spice picked up in the nose.

Fresh, zesty and fully flavorful saison. More pepper, fruity, some grassyness with a kick of Belgian yeasty goodness.

More high quality and well worth seeking out brew from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

12-07-2010 02:56:45 | More by Billolick

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2 liter pop-top growler poured into a Hill Farmstead wine glass. The growler is really nice, as is the glass.

Pours a hazy amber color that's like a pale apricot. It's got a fairly small white head with some light lacing. Nose is funky fresh fruit. Apricots are here, and some nice Belgian yeast.

Taste is very fresh and fruity, also get that apricot taste here (seeing a theme?). Mouthfeel is nice and full, creamy and rich. Light carbonation is perfect for the style. This is one of the best saisons I've ever had, no idea how Shaun does it but keep it up!

Serving type: growler

10-03-2010 00:28:19 | More by kingcrowing

GonzoHomebrewer

Massachusetts

4.61/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Rough day at work and this was calling my name from the back of the fridge

A- Holy hell this is beautiful. Great golden hue with no haze at all and signs of life bubbling from the bottom of the glass to the top, which is covered by a frothy white head that lingers, just a great looking beer; I'd say Arthur looks inviting

S- Some light bready malt character with rustic yeasty notes with some slight green apple notes, smells good but not mindblowing

T-Now we are back to mindblowing. You notice the yeasty/green apple/funk notes right away while the bready malt notes spontaneously help keep the funk in check. Its not very often that when I'm half way done a review of a 750ml bottle that I'm also more than half way done the bottle.

M- The carbonation is just enough to keep the funk from linger too long, yet remains soft and pleasant, a wondrous balancing act

O-This is insanely drinkable, the flavors come together so well, giving you a little funk with your malt. This is a fantastic brew and i cannot wait to get more. I'm adamant about Saison DuPont being the standard bearer for the style, but Arthur blows that out of the water (with all due respect, DuPont did have the Saison standard bearer title for a very long time for me). Another great beer from Shaun Hill

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:18:41 | More by GonzoHomebrewer

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Golden in color with good clarity. Four fingers of thick, foamy white head retain wonderfully and leave thick spidery clumps of lacing in its wake.

S: Dry bready and biscuity malt base. Rustic yeast lends a light musty, funky scent and whiffs of green apple. White pepper and spices. Tropical esters of pineapple and tangerine.

T: Funk and must are the predominant tastes at the start. Green apple and a moderate level of sourness move in shortly. Tropical esters of starfruit, pineapple, and tangerine. Grassy hops. Hay. Slight phenolic pepper and spice hide beneath the funk. Bready and biscuity malts stay dry throughout. Layered yeasty tastes of musty funk, sour apple, and light spice ride it out into the finish.

M: Lighter medium body. Very fluffy and creamy in the mouth with an airy impression. Very mild scrubbing carbonation.

O: Not the most complex saison out there, but it's extremely drinkable. Refreshing and quaffable, even. One of those 'simple pleasures' sort of beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 23:23:29 | More by ryan1788a5

mahak213

New York

4.48/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from the most recent batch, into HF stemware. Started to foam over a bit when I cracked it open, and then continued to foam over very slowly for the next 2 minutes. *At the end of writing this review, the foam was still trying to creep up out of the bottle, it was pretty funny!*

Appearance- Hazy, bright yellow body with a huge, soapy, pillowy white head. Tremendous lacing.

Smell- Bright, lemony and a little funky with a big grassy, herbal hop note, and some biscuity malt rounds to round things off

Taste- Light herbal bitterness up front that fades into a crisp breadiness and some peppery notes. Finish has more black pepper, and a really mild lemon tartness

Mouthfeel- Crisp, very dry, super refreshing. This is the highlight for me, if I could drink this beer and only this beer all summer long, I'd be a happy man.

Overall- Nothing fancy here, just an incredibly well crafted, refreshing, easy to drink saison.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 18:27:26 | More by mahak213

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.39/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Hopshopenstein for sending me a bottle of this in a trade, shared with my friend Tony (ahalloin) who's a big saison guy.

The look is amazing, a bright golden body, huge frothy head and great lacing. Very hazy and opaque, really the look is perfect for a saison.

The smell has all the earthy and barnyard notes that make a saison a saison. Great taffy like sweetness, some citrus rind hops, slight funk and yeast, nice table spice like coriander and has a nice must to it too. An excellent saison aroma it's both sweet and savory.

The beer is nicely carbonated and has a nice lemony straw malt and slight sweetness, but it's mostly dry and clean in the taste; it has a good malt backbone and is nice medium to light in body. More of an easy drinker than a real palate stretcher, it just has a nice bitterness and slight barnyard funk but not much. Some peppery notes too.

A very nice beer, super solid!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 22:47:10 | More by Dreadnaught33

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On-tap at Churchkey, served in a snifter.

A- Pours a hazy gold yellow color, topped with a white head, nice retention and lacing.

S- Lots of fruit and hay, lemon, peach, some spiciness, nice funkiness. Smells really nice, this was my favorite part of the beer.

T- Similar to the aroma, more subtle lemon/peach fruitiness, which is a bit tart, bready yeast, has a decent amount of black pepper towards the finish.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth feel, dry finish.

O- Another very tasty saison from HF, compared to Vera Mae this was my 2nd favorite, but I would gladly drink this again any day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 04:37:13 | More by WillCarrera

davey101

Connecticut

3.94/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle purchased during the Norma release. Poured into a tulip glass. Opens with a slight gush over.

A - Pours a hazy dark yellow body. Tons of white soapy foam that fills the rest of the glass. It eventually settles down into a half finger cap. Excellent lacing and retention.

S - Pretty much exactly what I want out of a saison. Lots of lemons, wheat, grass, and a pleasant and soft earthiness. Smell is just super inviting.

T - Tart lemons and big blast of wheat and grain. Kind of bready. A bit of a funky earthiness and cheese to balance it out. Some bitterness and spicy black peppercorn on the finish which I'm not a huge fan of. It is very drinkable and the pepper is not at all overpowering, I just don't enjoy any pepper like flavors in a beer. Mouth feel is medium bodied and well carbonated with a clean finish.

O - A damn solid saison, but I much prefer Anna or Florence over this. It is rustic and a bit spicy and bready. I just prefer fruitier and sweeter saisons.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 04:47:54 | More by davey101

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served from a 750ml bottle into an Allagash chalice.

Appearance- Beautiful clear golden color with outstanding two finger head that shows no sign of dissipating.

Smell- Sweet lemon, bready yeast, yeasty funkiness, farms, hard work, oakiness.

Taste- Yeasty lemony flavor, light funky tartness, smooth crisp hops. Finishes light and crisp with mild tartness.

Mouthfeel- Super light and generously carbonated, mild tartness on the tongue. I could drink this all day.

Overall- Hands down the best saison I've had period.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 03:04:57 | More by Seanniek91

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Gorgeous, hazy, golden-yellow. Slightly more golden-hued than Anna. As expected, a huuuuge, bright white, fluffy, lumpy head that settles into pillows of foam. Great lace and nice retention.

S: Maybe it's because HF used the term, but..."rustic" describes this beer well. Noticeably more earthy than Anna. Less fruit. Barn, hay, funk, that fresh, morning farm smell...Vermont Farmhouse.

T: Just f'n amazing. Light fruit, plenty of barn, and a bit of sour funk! A tad chalky as I find HF Farmhouse Ales to be. Superbly refreshing! Massive flavor. Wow. Special stuff.

M: Body is incredible. Perfectly yeasty. Carbonation is other-worldly. Just a joy to drink.

O: A crazy delicious example of what I hope every Saison/Farmhouse Ale tastes like when I put my lips to it. Perfectly executed. As with all their beers...the hype is real.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 00:48:16 | More by Gatch

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.36/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Golden body with a large, fluffy white head that leaves tons of lacing. Body is not entirely transparent, but light shines through easily.

S- Bready farmhouse yeast, hay, fresh grass, citrus, tree fruits. The aroma is big and noticeable from a distance, but has subtle variations of scents.

T- Earthy and grassy up front, big juicy fruity citrus flavors in the middle, while the finish brings in some of the bready, grainy yeast flavors. Very good mix of flavors that make for a tasty saison.

M- Medium carbonation, medium bodied, slight tingle, quenching and somewhat dry on the finish.

O- It's not barrel-aged, it's not a Brett-bomb, this is just a straight-forward saison with great flavors that change subtlety through each sip. This one does not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 23:47:20 | More by stephenjmoore

kevanb

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead stemmed glass.

The beer pours a light, golden honey color, touches of orange and light copper when struck by the light. It sports a hazy, opaque texture with a few visible bubbles rising to the top of the glass. A dense, soapy, white head towers above the beer, nearly 3 fingers high that recedes slowly leaving a lovely layer of froth above the beer with a little bit of sticky lace left on the glass. Lots of funky yeast hits the nose straight away, light citrus with some wildflower and dandelion earthiness that brings out some pale grain. Yeast is again the frontrunner on the tongue, touches of banana and citrus fruit with lemongrass and weeds, a bit of rustic spice plays nicely with the grain on the finish that has a nice bread crust bite. The body is nice and lively, coats the mouth nicely, dances on the tongue that has a mildly dry finish.

Verdict: A pleasant saison from Hill Farmstead, but the earthier, rustic elements of this beer aren't really my favorite. Compared to Anna, which was much more vibrant, this seems rather pedestrian. I'd still recommend this to anyone who enjoys a Saison or Farmhouse style beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:13:52 | More by kevanb

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.89/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to 67couple for sharing this one at a recent Random Sunday Tasting! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured a hazy pale yellow with a one finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, earth, fruit hop, and spice. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, spice, earth, and fruity spice. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. There was quite a bit of fruitiness going on in this one that definitely balanced quite well with the Saison aspect going on in it. The spicy and earthiness from the style definitely shined through and was quite well incorporated with the rest of the brew and managed to compliment the other aspects well. I just wish there would have been a little more complexity going on to take it to a new level. Glad I got the chance to try this one, but not the best Saison I have ever had to this day.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 13:42:04 | More by thagr81us

mdaschaf

Washington

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy golden/straw color with a nice white head on top. Great retention and lacing.

S: Very nice aroma, some light wheat with lemon and a bit of spice. Slightly tart.

T: More lemony flavor mixed with a surprising amount of tartness. There was a little bit of barnyard funk and some spice on the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied, very easy drinking.

O: Fantastic beer, loved the level of tartness mixed with the lemon/zest flavors going on in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:39:32 | More by mdaschaf

lovindahops

New York

4.69/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Can't believe after the amount of Arthur's I have had I have never reviewed one! I love Hill Farmstead and what they push out

A- a bursting darkened fluorescent yellow with a wicked foamy white head. Off the charts retention and vicious slashing of lacing on the edges of my HF stemware. Hazy and brilliant with the colors and amazing foamy head

S- a lemony and peppery blast of bready yeast and lively flavors. This is a hardcore example of barnyard funk being collected in a bottle. A little citrus and Brett scent carries over at the end

T- same lemon and pepper scent flows into a delicious yeasty treat. Full of citric flavor bready flavor that is equivalent to some sweetly enrobed Belgian candy. Absolutely flavorful with a dry finish that keeps me wanting more of the funk and tart flavor

M- carbonated just right and flavor that coates your mouth

O- what a saison. Barnhouse Funk! Arthur delivers as a delicious mouth watering saison. I will say this again... Hill farmstead is the best brewery in the world!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:48:57 | More by lovindahops

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.39/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy light straw with a big fluffy white head interspersed with chunks of air. Amazing retention and lacing.

Light lemon aromas. Wheat, a bit of yeast and some must. Maybe some coriander, but nice and light on the spices.

Lots of lemon flavor up front. Good tartness through the middle mixed with a little funk and tangy wheat. Finishes with lemon zest and an almost white wine like component. Light pepper and coriander although thankfully the spice component is toned down.

Light bodied. Carbonation is high accentuating the tartness. Wonderful creamy mouthfeel that is typical of HF beer.

Very easy drinking beer. Just the right amount of tartness to keep me wanting more, but not to overwhelm the palate. I hate most saisons, but whatever HF does with them is gold because this is another winner.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 15:14:48 | More by jmarsh123

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.29/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle split three ways

A: Pours a hazy light golden color with three fingers of fluffy white head. Great retention and amazing lacing.

S: Quite yeasty, but I poured some of the bottom of the bottle into the glass. Light lemon zest and musty Brett funk. Mildly spicy, I get some coriander and a bit of clove. Light lactic acid smell adds to the complexity.

T: Lots of lemon and orange zest here in a lightly lactic flavor with just a hint of musty Brett. This is extremely refreshing with a light, very fruity character. A bit wheaty, a nice component adding to the complexity.

M: Quite strong, but creamy carbonation with a light thickness.

O: Extremely refreshing and quite complex. I love this Saison and imagine drinking it in the Belgian countryside.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:40:19 | More by coreyfmcdonald

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright golden yellow with a moderate white head. A lot of these HF saisons seem to look much alike but they're very pretty.

Smells like a pretty standard saison--dry farmhouse yeast, some mild honey sweetness, some floral character.

Taste is almost completely different. Tart where I didn't get any sourness at all in the nose; lemon zest and maybe some other citrus.

This is probably the least impressive of the Hill Farmstead saisons but it's still very tasty.

8.1/10

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 16:01:51 | More by AlexFields

suspect

New York

4.71/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 750ml into a Founders snifter.

A: Murky yellow-golden beer. Aggressive pour leads to a pure white fizzy two-finger head that fades relatively quickly leaving spotty but pure lacing.

S: Lemon zest, bready yeast, funk and black pepper. Spicy and complex. Brings the nose of a gueuze.

T: Not at all like the nose except for the citrus zest. Brings more of a trappist yeast note with a mellow ending to the flavor.

M: Big crisp finish, perfectly carbonated.

O: A fantastic beer. I might have liked this better than Abner and this is coming from a big time hop head. The complexity in this beer is top notch.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 05:07:21 | More by suspect