Twilight Of The Idols - Hill Farmstead Brewery

billab914

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a tasting glass. Black in color with a huge frothy head to it. Nice head retention and great lacing. Great looking porter overall.

Aroma has very nice notes of both chocolate and vanilla. There is a herbal almost piny presence to it as well. Vanilla is pretty good, but the aroma doesn't seem to quite come together as well as the taste does.

The taste has some really nice roasted malt, chocolate, and vanilla flavors to it. The vanilla lingers into the finish. There is a little coffee to it as well. Very smooth and drinkable and the vanilla compliments it perfectly.

Mouthfeel is creamy and somewhat thick with carbonation being moderate. Great mouthfeel for the style. Overall, it was a very good beer. The aroma was a little off but the taste completely made up for it. Very good beer overall, I especially loved the vanilla component.

Serving type: growler

12-21-2012 17:21:03 | More by billab914

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks go to BA Deuane for sharing this growler over the weekend. I got to have several pours into a snifter. The brew appears black in color with thick mocha colored head. The cap fades slowly producing a full wall of lace. A light swirl revives a finger back to the surface.

The smell is pretty strong with vanilla beans. Almost a sticky feeling to the nostrils before the onset of roasty coffee, charred grain, earthen elements and then citrus hops. Across the back as this brew warms up, it is somewhat reminescent of an oyster stout with its mineral inclusion and roasty elements.

The flavor is super roasty with dark kilned grain and an accenting bitterness of citrus bitter coffee coupled with herbal hops. A pronounced sticky vanilla bean flavor and sweetness persists though the middle of this brews flavor profile. The finish goes back to a bit of that previous mentioned oyster stout feel with plenty of mineral character somewhat earthen and reminescent of cinnamon bark.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is smooth and easy drinking with lots of pleasant roasty stout quality contrasted by sticky sweet vanilla bean addition. I had no problems finishing my glass and reaching for more. My only complaint is the mineral aspect thy seemed a bit out of place.

Serving type: growler

11-13-2012 15:19:49 | More by stakem

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a HF tulip.

Pours pretty typical for the style. Very dark, virtually black. Mocha colored head rests nicely on top.

Smell is very roasty. I can catch a hint of bitter chocoalte as well.

Taste is in line with the smell. It's very roasty up front along with a little bitterness.

Considering the smell and color, I would've expected this to be much heavier and thick. It isn't a light beer, but it's certainly not heavy. It's really a smooth beer.

Not my favorite of styles, but I enjoyed this.

Serving type: growler

11-05-2012 22:48:48 | More by DaveHack

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by starrdogg. Thanks Matt!

The beer is dark brown with a quarter inch of beige head. The aroma is roasty, with a touch of spice. Vanilla presence hits immediately upon the first sip. While vanilla presence is muted in the aroma, it is rather assertive in the flavor. Smooth, silky feel with lingering vanilla, chocolate. Delicious. Another fabulous beer from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

11-03-2012 01:50:30 | More by Huhzubendah

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to Prost76 for sending me this one in time for the tasting.

Beer pours black with a thin off-white head. Smell is really excellent - roasted malts, coffee and some spice all come together quite nicely. Flavor follows the nose, it has that same awesome porter flavor as Everett, but adds some coffee and spice to the mix, really impressive. Sadly I'm not getting much vanilla, but I can deal. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, this is yet another fantastic beer from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

11-03-2012 01:49:39 | More by starrdogg

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another nice beer shared by Matt, starrdogg.

It pours a really nice black to dark brown color with a nice tan ring of head and some great lacing left with a swirl. The smell is a great melange of the added flavors of coffee, vanilla bean, and the some kind of astringent malts. The coffee isn't a great quality coffee, almost like a instant coffee almost, and has some spicy notes to it. The taste is very nice with a great vanilla bean flavor added to the coffee flavor and nice malty porter base. Taste pops nicely. The feel is ok, kind of drier than I like in a porter with additions like this and medium in body. Overall a good beer but I don't love it as much as others at the tasting did.

Serving type: growler

11-03-2012 01:48:38 | More by Dreadnaught33

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yup, it's black alright. Bit of tan head sits on top but fades kind of quickly. Quite a strong vanilla note to start things off, some cinnamon and a nice solid porter to back it all up. Some chocolate aromas and a healthy dose of coffee roasting going on.

Really digging what the vanilla bean and cinnamon have done with this porter. The vanilla is more prominent here than I expected given other vanilla bean aged porters I've had. Cinnamon naturally pairs really well with these flavors and it's a shame you don't see more spiced beers go as dark as this (too many generic winter warmers seem to be boring amber ales with spices added). Anyone that's had Everett knows that HF makes a mean porter so naturally the base beer in this holds up really well. Not as roasty and robust as Everett but I think that gives the other flavors a better chance to shine.

Full-bodied and creamy mouthfeel. Really, this might just be the perfect winter beer.

Serving type: growler

10-29-2012 01:17:55 | More by Kinsman

brystmar

New York

3.93/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mac comes through with the pre-hurricane growler! What better way to ride out Hurricane Sandy than with a fresh growler from Hill Farmstead?

Deep brown body, nearly opaque. Fluffy dark tan head, excellent retention and lace, all of which are par for the course for a Hill Farmstead brew.

Aroma is exceedingly dry, and yields only a hint of cinnamon. Other than that, it smells like a regular robust porter without extra ingredients. Surprisingly minimal roast and spices here; this isn't what I expect from HF.

Fortunately, everything shows up on my palate. Predominantly roasty malt layered with smooth vanilla, leaving a lingering cinnamon flavor in the back of my throat. Coffee is the weakest of the flavors, and I'd like a more coffee-forward profile here.

Pretty sure I prefer Everett to Twilight of the Idols as it stands. I like this combination of flavors moreso in theory than in this particular beer. Perhaps the next batch will be better?

Serving type: growler

10-28-2012 19:14:24 | More by brystmar

Arbitrator

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Chilled growler into a glass. I think this was shared by nickd717. From long-ago notes.

A: The growler was a bit cold, so the beer (black body) initially poured flat and eventually generated a tan head that lasted briefly before receding into a thin collar. No lace.

S: This is more chocolate-forward than Everett (which to me is primarily roasty). Vanilla, coffee, roasted grain, and some smoke are noted.

T: Again, chocolate-forward, but roasted grain is stronger here than the nose implied it would be. Coffee and vanilla are also weaker than the nose implied. There is a nice spice kick (cinnamon?); that and a nutty molasses flavor give the beer a wintry feel.

M: Medium-bodied, with low-medium carbonation. It has a little lingering stickiness, but it's not oily.

O: An outstanding porter. I think Everett takes the cake for me, but this is a fine entry in Hill Farmstead's recipe book...

EDIT: In retrospect, uploading this review maybe 2 years later, I realized that this must have been the base beer for Birth of Tragedy. Nice. No wonder that beer turned out to be so exceptional.

Serving type: growler

10-17-2012 18:29:41 | More by Arbitrator

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler fill from the source. Nice drive if you have the time!

A: Beautiful chocolate brown body with a dark brown head.

S: Nose is deep, dark, rich chocolate malt. Just scrumptious.

T: Flavor is smooth and rich chocolate with a noticeable spice contribution. Molasses, pumpkin pie, cinammon. Truly a wonderful sipper.

M: Slick and smooth. Even leaves a smooth residue.

O: Very nice porter. I'm sure I didn't get all of the complexity that is in there, but I really enjoyed this brew. One of my favorite porters ever.

Serving type: growler

04-21-2012 23:56:14 | More by ghostwalker

iadler

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml growler courtesy of dciBA. Much appreciated!

A- Pours a deep black with a small light mocha head that dissipates into a thin cap. Some spots of lacing are left behind.

S- Freshly roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, roasted malt and vanilla.

T- Coffee beans with dark chocolate, vanilla, start anice and some roasted malt in the finish.

M- Low to medium carbonation with a smooth rich body.

O- A smooth and easy to drink porter. The flavors complement each-other as nothing was too dominant. The spices weren't as evident as I thought they would be, but still another solid offering from Hill Farmstead.

Serving type: growler

01-12-2012 04:22:19 | More by iadler

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a sampler from a 750mL swingtop. Pours jet black with a thin head. Nose is roasty and sweet. Taste is mildly smokey with a nice tinge of bitter ess. Mouthfeel is pretty decent. Well carbonated, slightly astringent. Im not a huge porter fan, but this is one of the beat examples of the style I've had.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2012 01:50:05 | More by Retail1LO

silentjay

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml growler. review from notes from a week or so ago.

pours black as a starless night with an avg mocha head that laces well while quickly settling to a thin film.

coffee, vanilla, molasses, a touch of cinnamon as it warms (though I'm not sure I would have noticed it without reading it had it in there). sweet, roasty, and balanced.

smoooth. vanilla, molasses, day-old coffee. a touch of a cinnamon cuts through the sweetness on the finish.

velvety smooth, medium bodied with a subtle carbonation.

an easy-drinking beer that has plenty of flavor, is well balanced, and is slightly complex. A very good beer, but it doesn't wow me as much as a few other Hill Farmstead beers.

Serving type: growler

01-04-2012 06:19:20 | More by silentjay

pwoods

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Kels bf for picking this up for me.

750ml growler poured into a snifter.

A: Pours pitch black with no light. Moderate head with only some retention. Decent lacing.

S: lots of fresh brewed coffee with a hint of vanilla but with a pepper/chili kind of spice... Though I don't think there's any in this beer. Some light roast.

T/M: Coffee is big but not dominate. Vanilla is mild and not very sweet, as well as the spices. Roast is slightly bigger. Body is medium full to full and creamy with medium to mild carbonation.

D: Pretty drinkable for the weight of the body, but everything is very balanced and pretty tasty.

Serving type: growler

01-03-2012 01:54:49 | More by pwoods

ggilman

Maine

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured vigorously from a HFS growler to a Sebago Brewing Company tulip glass.

Deep dark black, much blacker than Twilight! If I swirl the beer in the light I can pick out some faint chestnut around the edges. Minimal mocha head, with a little brook trout patterned lacing. Vanilla comes through big in the nose, followed by coffee grounds and then kahlua. Some coffee roast, but everything is overshadowed by vanilla bean. So silky smooth. Vanilla, bourbon, and coffee. Rich and chewy. Milk chocolate, root beer, amaretto. A little bit of booze and bitterness, but overall a creamy delicious beer. Not sure I could polish off a growler alone. A little heavy and rich. Ecstasy-inducing in small doses.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2011 03:59:03 | More by ggilman

Bardwashrind

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes. Shared with the lady of the house and our good pal, Rake. Thanks to RSchaeffer for always coming through.

Drank while listing to Gorgoroth's Twilight of the Idol's. Crushingly appropriate.

Grower was filled to the point of nearly overflowing, full is a good descriptor of it's condition. Mocha colored bubbles arose from the glass and a delicious aroma of sweet chocolate and vanilla wafers followed. Almost black in color with just the slightest hint of light making it's way at the beer's edges. More aromas of burnt sugar, fresh brewed coffee, toasted bread and a little bit of charcoal. Insanely inviting.

The first sip was full of a harmonious balance of sweetened chocolate ganache, espresso, raisins, vanilla beans and black pepper. Quite amazing, the balance of richness with the drying finished left me speechless. The charred flavor of the darkened malts tied everything together and made for one seamless drinking experience.

Unreal. The subtle flavors and the sheer level of rounded integration of each component was just remarkable. These beers speak so softly and yet they say so much. I swear it, my bags are nearly packed, I'm just about ready to drop everything and lurk in the woods around Hill Farmstead with hopes for more tastes of these beers. World class for sure.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2011 16:20:47 | More by Bardwashrind

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sinister black pour into my Lift Bridge snifter.

Quarter finger of khaki colored head. Fades quickly. Zero lacing. Outer ring remains around the glass.

Smell consists of coffee, roast chocolate and some oak tones that linger in the nostrils. Even a touch vinous.

Chocolate and coffee roast are at the forefront. The woodsy smell doesn't translate to taste. Slightly sweet on the finish of the sip. Slight boozy exhale. I am struggling to find the vanilla.

Creamy in the mouth. Carbonation is a touch under. Thin. Drinks fairly well.

Very solid beer. As far as a porter goes, one of the better ones. A great tick.

Serving type: growler

12-26-2011 04:32:43 | More by TheDudeRules

Rhode17

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml Growler. Thanks to Mike for bringing it back from his Vermont road trip.

Barely a wisp of foam on this one. Not really much carbonation but it still has fantastic color and just a hint of a ring of caramel head.

Smells slightly of cocoa, vanilla and coffee. Beautiful aromas that mix really well together. There is just a little bit of spice lurking in there too.

Well balanced flavors that echo the aromas. Velvety but lighter in body at the same time. Ever sip lasts for a minute or two on the tongue. I can't shake the little flavor on the finish that reminds me of gingerbread. This is just decadent without being overdone and artificial.

Man this is just a fantastic beer, totally worth the expectations. Too bad I have to wait for folks to drive north to get a second growler of this one.

Serving type: growler

12-24-2011 04:16:01 | More by Rhode17

321jeff

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Growler provided by Michael when the Stillwater stuff got boring, thanks!

A pour down the middle only yields a fingers worth of head, but the brew is a rich chocolate brown.

Aroma is is slightly roasty with some milk chocolate notes but I don't get much vanilla. Very mild but pleasantly so.

Taste hits with some vanilla up front and some slight roast. Finish is milk chocolate and a little sweet. The flavors each stand out in their own way but none tops the others.

Mouthfeel on this one is a homerun. Silky smooth and the alcohol is non-existent. Overall, a great take on a porter, rich without being over the top (yes, I'm looking at you, Southern Tier).

Serving type: growler

12-20-2011 23:07:22 | More by 321jeff

Sean9689

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks, Bob! 750ml growler in Narke tulip.

A - Pours black, tan-colored head, thin ring, some wisps on top.

S - Sweet milk chocolate, light roast, caramel, lots of vanilla. All very sweet and rich...smells like dessert.

T - Vanilla is more pronounced here, chocolate, light roasty malts, some coffee and cocoa in there as well. Really digging the vanilla and chocolate sweetness, the roasted notes are light and subtle.

M - Light to medium, good carbonation, rich and smooth, creamy finish.

O - Drinks like a chocolate/vanilla milkshake. An excellent dessert beer and perfect for the winter months to warm you up. Another winner from HF!

Serving type: growler

12-15-2011 18:57:42 | More by Sean9689

SABERG

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a modified tulip. Growler from the brewery within 24 hrs.

A - Dark, some light head and short lacing. The color of caramel.

S - Vanilla, caramel, roast malts, some spice winter based, cinammon, cocoa. What a pleasure.

T - All those smells come roaring through, what a smorgashbourg Difficult to track but a pleasure to enjoy. Vanilla, cocoa, a hint of bourbon?

M- Smooth feel with a moderate oils, not a dry ending. The lingering is spiced, vanilla, a touch of coffee, and cocoa.

O - This is a fabulous winter treat. The balance is spot on. Delicate and well defined. Thanks to the fine folks who crafted this remarkable offering.

Cheers

Serving type: growler

12-14-2011 01:22:52 | More by SABERG

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Twilight of the Idols pours dark brown/black into the glass with a small, creamy brown head on top. The foam dissolves quickly to a ring around the surface leaving behind only a couple spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is malty with notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted malt.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is creamy on the palate, somewhat dry with moderate carbonation. The flavor is roasty with tastes of chocolate and coffee blended in. Hints of vanilla and a touch of spice at the end are also present. An earthy nuttiness is also present. Once gone the chocolate and spice lingers on the palate.

This is a very tasty, easy drinking beer. The flavor really improves as the beer warms.

Serving type: growler

12-11-2011 21:38:53 | More by WanderingFool

05Harley

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased @ Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro VT

Price - $16/growler

A Winter Porter brewed with Coffee and Cinnamon…Aged on Vanilla Beans.

This is one dark beauty with a thin red edge noticeable only under the light near the top. A delicious looking beer with a half inch creamy tan head and patches of lacing.

Aroma is perfect for winter with vanilla, caramel, gingerbread, fresh roasted coffee and cinnamon spices.

The flavor mirrors the nose with the addition of dark chocolate but the spicey cinnamon steals the attention and takes center stage. A definite sweetness is noted from start to finish.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth with a medium body and slightly sticky. The bitter/dryness is held in check keeping it very much a dessert beer. Very low in carbonation, pretty much nonexistent.

Overall this is a good example of the style and a perfect fit for the holiday season. An easy drinking porter and a candidate for a Christmas after dinner menu.

Serving type: growler

12-06-2011 01:15:58 | More by 05Harley

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 64oz growler into 20oz imperial pint glass.

Appearance: Color of the body is an extremely dark brown with a thin one fingered cappuccino colored head that doesn't last terribly long. Bit of similar colored lacing dots the glass as the beer goes down.

Smell: Coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts. It's very nice, but not as complex as I expected given what is in this beer.

Taste: The complexity very much is here in the taste though. In addition to the typical roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee flavors expected from a porter, there is also a good touch of vanilla throughout the sips, and a nice sweet and creamy taste as well. Vague winter spices dance around as well. A little something different with every sip, which is always nice to see.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and silky. It's fairly full bodied, and the carbonation is on the low side.

Drinkability: Very high. The alcohol is almost nonexistent in the taste and even though it's a little high for a session beer at 7.5%, you could certainly throw back a couple of pints of this guy.

Overall: Another standout beer from Hill Farmstead. I think I like Everett better, but this is a very nice porter itself. Don't let the vanilla/spiced/winter angle scare you away - I'm not a huge "winter warmer" or sweet/vanilla fan but these additions are minimal and only add nice complexity in this beer.

Serving type: growler

12-04-2011 18:54:09 | More by cbeer88

Beerisheaven

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler provided to me by kelp, the undisputed heavyweight champion of trading from the New England area. This guy rolls out great beers in trade after trade like a production line. I am a lucky fellow to have him as a regular trading partner.

A - Pours a rich dark brown or lightish shade of black without much head but with a decent amount of bubbles that go snack, crackle, pop and then they're gone.

S - I get the coffee front and center with a nice compliment of good bakers chocolate. I don't get the cinnomon and the vanilla is in the closet as well.

T - Hill Farmstead is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. JUst about everything that kelp has thrown my way from them has been top notch. Great coffee, chocolate, toffee, taste to this one. I think that I poured this one a bit too cold. As it warmed, the profiles increased. I would suggest letting this one warm a bit when you take it from the frig.

M - Very pleasant for a porter. As rich and thick as you would expect from this type of beer category.

O - Really nice beer from a great brewery. Wish I was local and could hit them up on a regular basis. I have to remember to never piss kelp off.

Serving type: growler

12-04-2011 15:42:04 | More by Beerisheaven