Flora - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.7/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 750 mL bottle slightly chilled and split with a friend. Poured into two Hill Farmstead tulip glasses. This is a Batch 4 that I picked up from the Brewery Saturday.

Appearance: Light straw yellow in color. A bit hazy. Gushed just a bit upon opening, but none of the beer was lost. Really nice white head.

Aroma: Really strong tart notes are noticable right off. Lemon, some definite funk, green apple are there. Some light wine barrel notes do a nice job smoothing this out too. Took me a while to want to taste this as the aroma was so outstanding.

Taste: Nice, crisp but strong sourness upfront. The lemon and green apple notes are really big. This almost feels more at home being called a sour than a saison. Plenty of funk and a slight sweet tone to balance out the sour from the wine barrel. The wheat does well here too as a counter to the tartness. Really refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and really light. The carbonation is pretty spot on.

Overall, I thought this bottle of Flora was near perfect. Really strong sour character and bright flavors really work well here. I have had batch 3 previously and I don't remember it being this sour or nearly this good. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 19:02:36 | More by Gosox8787

glid02

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle shared by Sally – thanks! Judging by the reviews this is Batch 1, it’s unlabeled except for an “F” on the cage.

Pours a hazy golden color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of light malts with hints of wheat and large amounts of funk. Also present are earthy and floral hops, light citrus, and mild white grape aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though it manages to be even more complex. Light malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by crisp light citrus and moderate amounts of funk. Midway through the sip a slight wheat twang works its way into things along with leafy hops that dry it out a bit. Near the end of the sip white grape flavors with hints of oak make an appearance, carrying through to a very crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass very quickly and could have a lot more of these.

Overall I was very impressed with this beer. Everything was done just to the right point and no one component was overdone. Very complex and well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 20:10:34 | More by glid02

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 3

Pours hazy medium yellow/straw with a small off-white head and some aggressive bubbles. Slight lacing down the glass.

Aroma features light fruits such as lemon and pear with a little bit of a grape like sweet. Good funk and a nice clean tartness.

I'm not sure words can describe how good this beer tastes, but I'll try anyway. Starts out with lemon, apple and pear flavors. As it rolls over the tongue, the tartness increases. Never getting overly sour, but pleasantly tart. Some white wine notes come into play as there are moderate amount of oak and a little chardonnay flavor. Finishes grainy and sublimely tart.

Creamy mouthfeel with good carbonation levels making the tartness really pop. I could've drank 3 bottles of this in one setting.

This is the best HF beer I've ever had and that's saying something considering how much I laud most of their stuff already. An absolutely perfect sour that was well balanced and complex without any one flavor or sensation overpowering the rest. I savored the last few sips of this and let it roll around all the parts of my tongue getting every last drop while secretly wishing I had chosen this to drink by myself instead of split with the girlfriend. Outside of Lente (which I'd need another taste of to compare) probably the best sour I've had.

If you have any bottles of this, please disregard the above review. They are bad. Send them all directly to me now for proper disposal.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 17:53:52 | More by jmarsh123

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.9/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 4. 750ml capped bottle into a Cantillon tulip. Shared with schen9303.

A slow gusher. Pours a .5 finger foamy white head with as always, great retention. Beer is a crystal clear goldenrod that reveals ample carbonation. Lacing is thick, layered and web-like with excellent cling. Perfect.

Nose is white grape must tartness, some cobweb, wood, and floral/citrus/spice notes like coriander, orange peel, and a dash of peppercorn. Pretty mellow but very appetizing.

Opens citrus, froth, wood, and funk. Grape skins, coriander, and some Brett funkiness towards the middle. More spiciness at the back with a citrus and grape finish. A light, spritzy champagne-yeast tartness in the aftertaste. Delicious. Probably the best HF Saison I've had to date.

Light bodied with ample carbonation. Prickly and lively in the mouth and goes down quenching, smooth and aggressive. Messy finish with a dry, lingering aftertaste. So incredibly drinkable and quenching at the same time. I could easily take down gallons of this and enjoy every sip.

This beer is almost perfect in every way. Possibly one of the best beers I've had from Hill Farmstead... which is saying a lot considering all of their world class offerings. Flora is magnificent from start to finish. It looks incredible, smells incredible, the flavor is complex, yet light and quaffable and the body and ABV are such that I could drink this all day, every day. Flora is a masterpiece. Do yourself a favor and seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 01:33:40 | More by SpeedwayJim

Bardwashrind

Colorado

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 3

As many have stated, there are characteristics in the beers from Hill Farmstead that ring true and nearly iconic. I certainly have caught the bug and fallen under the spell that come with each new bottle or growler from this impressive brewery. I have had a previous experience with Flora, and yet, Batch 3 caught me off guard.

This is simply near perfection.

Funky but restrained, wild but with character, tart but wonderfully balanced and complex in such a long, heady way, there is something special about this bottle. While it shines with flavors that are comfortable and even defined, there is still a slight edge of origin that can't be replicated. This beer, possibly more so than other HF brews, sings with sincere voice of truth as to where it was created.

Flora doesn't plow one over with loud intensity, it's the subtle whispers that infect your head as the first glass is nearing end. Each sip is like a growing beam of light that takes over, heightens the moment and boarders on euphoric. I'm in envy of any within a 100 mile radius of this brewery.

It's the space in-between movements. The silence after the bang. The first light from beyond the darkness.

If this is the direction Hill Farmstead is taking with their spontaneous cultures/wine barrel aging program than we have a great deal to look forward to. This truly is the most engaging and exciting brewery in America, possibly the world. I only hope to one day see the view from the farm.

ISO: Flora batch 3, permanently.

Fucking magic right here.

Batch #1
Bottle came from the generous hands of RSchaeffer. Thanks so much for kicking things off like this.

The obsession fully takes hold after this bottle.

Upon the warmth of a later summer evening, the thought of a wine barrel finished Saison made perfect sense.

Flora poured with a lively head that topped our glasses with thick foam. Yeasty bread and peaches came to mind after first whiff. Some barrel notes, perhaps nutty and even hay based without being at all funky. Pleasurable with a rustic styled approach.

The initial taste brought upon a faint smile for it was so bare bones in application. Brett, stone fruit (peaches), more yeast and a distinct Saison element showed through. The mouth feel came off a touch on the lighter side but multiple sips allowed for the barrel presence to continually be felt. Quite nice because the base style could still be known. Not dominated by wine or oak but fairly obvious that more than just stainless was being applied.

Only the third Hill Farmstead I have tried but the first where I feel I understand where this brewery is coming from. While intentionally looking for subtle flavors, they can be found, if just drinking for thirst quenching reasons, the beer is still delicious.

Most likely one of the closest comparisons to that of the rural breweries of Belgium/France that specialize in farmhouse styles.
Flora was very enjoyable and the end of the bottle brought a sense of desire through delight that will only be fulfilled by experiencing more beers from Hill Farmstead.

4
4
4
3.5
4

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 16:15:14 | More by Bardwashrind

cfrances33

Illinois

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 3 and batch 4 bottles, about a week apart, poured into a Hill Farmstead glass. Flavor profiles and review notes were checked and were nearly identical for both batches.

Pour: A hazy, glowing light orange with a nice two finger white fluffy head. Head is pretty sticky and leaves very nice lacing. Body is quite radiant.

Smell: Tart lemons and pear skin up front, followed by a light funk and light breadyness. Some white wine notes in there as well. A really nice oak comes through as it warms.

Taste: Tart lemons, pear juice up front, and a white grape must. A light funk, and some bready sweetness. A little bit of oak towards the finish really rounds everything out. Finishes tart with lemon juice and is quite dry.

Mouthfeel: Insanely drinkable. The beer is supremely refreshing. Very juicy, yet equally dry. Begs you to have another sip right after the first.

Overall: This beer is perfect. More simplistic, yet more elegant than Juicy. More drinkable and flavorful than Civil Disobedience #5. Fantastic. If any difference between batch 3 and batch 4 were to be noted, batch 4 had a slightly greater wine barrel presence, potentially due to the longer maturation in the barrels

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 18:48:33 | More by cfrances33