Double Galaxy - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tremendous thanks to SFLpunk and imagineiii for making this possible, and ensuring that quite a few people in the DC circle will get to try this one out. First 750 is all for me. Nothing like having over a dozen tickable pours all to myself.

Served in a Hill Farmstead long-stem tulip glass.

Pours a moderately-hazy bright apricot color with a strong two-finger white head. Fairly fluffy. There's some good retention and gobs and gobs of spotty lacing as it goes down the glass. Good collar and -- appropriately -- a galaxy-swirl cap on top throughout.

The nose starts out with some very, very strong citrus. Lots of grapefruit and orange rind. Some tropical mango in the background. Some more hops. Then some more. Damn. As it warms, the grapefruit takes a bit over from the orange and tropical notes. One of the better smelling DIPAs that I've come across. Me giving something a 5.0 is rare. It being a DIPA that doesn't feature Citra is even rarer. I'm not a Citra fanboy at all :) (That's right, a smiley face in a review...I'm pretty sure I've never done that before.)

The flavor begins with some supremely-aggressive hop components. Grapefruit pith abounds. Looking for serious hop action? Whoop, there it is. Smiley face? Check. Old-school "ashamed to have had singed and danced to" song? Check. Banging on all cylinders tonight. Reference to Brian Regan. Class act.

Other than the all-out grapefruit assault, there's some malt in the background. Who am I kidding? No there's not. It's all hops. This is what a double IPA should be. As has been a frequent topic of forum discussions, no, hops don't belong everywhere. Straight fact, though: malt does not belong in an American Imperial IPA. It simply does not. That's an American Barleywine. Shaun gets an A+ here for brewing a beer that is an all-out hop assault that I never need a break from. The bitterness and flavor both take me to the brink, but never off the edge. So much hop flavor and bitterness all in one package.

Medium body with a brisk, crisp bitterness and moderate carbonation. No real alcohol character. Strong bitterness. Then some hop fruitiness. Nearly a flawless beer. Now, given that this review is about eleventy billion times my average review length, I think I'll call it quits. Cheers.

Serving type: growler

07-06-2011 02:55:58 | More by Thorpe429

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.85/5  rDev +5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at the Fourth Avenue Pub in Brooklyn, served in a goblet

A hazy orange body sits below a one+ finger yellow infused cap. Head fell slowly and left chunks of lace all over the glass. I have yet to see an iipa that looks any better.

The aroma is dripping with citrus and tropical fruit. Juicy orange, mango, white grapefruit with pine needles and some herbal dankness. Hmm, one hop varietal giving up all of this? Amazing. Malt and booze are nowhere to be found; all hops here.

Delicious. Absolutely freaking delicious. Juicy oranges, mangoes, white grapefruit, ganja and pine needles. Follows the nose closely. Clean, fresh malt, lightly toasted holding down the middle before the hops pummel your palate. A flat out assault on the taste buds. The bitterness is bold and clings to the inside of your mouth.

The finish is dry and bitter. Medium feel with perfect carbonation. Resiny and chewy. This guy means business.

Overall, this beer is near perfect. It's actually hard to not rate this all 5's. Galaxy hops lend tremendously deep aromas and flavors. It's amazing you could get one hop to deliver on all fronts.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 21:12:41 | More by ColForbinBC

SkiBum22

New York

4.85/5  rDev +5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz. draft at Rattle N Hum

A - Pours a hazy yellow-golden color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation. Light lacing on the glass. Very good looking DIPA

S - Grapefruit, some light orange, citrus, and light notes of vanilla and pine. There's a faint hint of alcohol too. As it warms up some tropical fruit notes emerge.

T - The hops truly dominate here and they are really impressive. Grapefruit, pineapple, lemon zest, and some strong pine. Some nice sweetness from the malt is a nice underlying note as well.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, and a crisp feel.

O - Another amazing beer from Hill Farmstead. They really put out some top notch IPA's and beers in general. Can't wait to try more offerings from them.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 12:08:27 | More by SkiBum22

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Armsby Abbey. Reviewed from notes.

A- Yellow orange body with a big white, creamy and thick head. Great retention and size. Unlimited lace makes the glass almost opaque.

S- Again, HF with very fresh hops. More of a sharp citrus-forward feel instead of any sweet fruit. Citrus mixes with grass, floral, pineapple and general grain.

T- Hop bomb flavor, big notes of mango, orange, peach, lemon zest, grass, strawberry, grass and floral. Don't know what it is but this reminds me of a farm somehow, grassy and grainy malt mixture. Some sweets.

MF- Creamy moderate thick body, tart and a bit bitter. Smooth overall feel.

Amazing Double IPA when it comes down to it. Awesome peach and mango feel. Shaun really competes with any good hoppy beer, Heady, Pliny, Alpine etc.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 21:02:07 | More by cbutova

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks goes out to Satchboogie for this brew.

750ml Growler
Swing-Top

Poured into a DFH glass a very nice cloudy golden yellowish color, nice carbonation, very nice one-finger plus creamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing to follow. The nose is a hop bomb, with some nice malt notes, lots of citrus, and a very nice touch of pine notes, also some spice notes. The taste is very nice, hoppy, slight maltyness, sweet, lots of nice citrus/pine notes. Medium Body, ABV hidden very well with this one, very nice subtle dry/bitter finish. Goes down very very easy, slightly chewy. Never heard of this Galaxy Hop from Australia before, but it is very nice. WOW! This is definitely a very tasty DIPA on the lower side of things. Glad to have gotten a chance to try it, Thanks Kyle!

Serving type: growler

07-10-2011 01:21:18 | More by Wasatch

vonnegut21

New York

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

Growler-share my friend picked up one day at the brewery. From notes, finally getting around to reviewing.

Appearance: Dark golden pour into a Hill Farmstead tulip. Thick head that slowly dissipates and leaves the glass thoroughly laced.

Smell: Citrus and spices. Grapefruit is strongly present. Hops and a piney resin scent a lightly present in the backbone, but this one is all citrus.

Taste: The galaxy hops really shine here. Grapefruit, orange, tropical fruits. Lightly bitter to start, with a stronger, lasting bitterness to finish. Beautiful.

Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation with a medium body. Slick and smooth on the palate.

Overall: This is by far the best IPA/DIPA I've ever had. I drank this immediately after a Headdy Topper and it put my previous favorite of the style (and still much beloved) to shame. I can't wait to try the other single hop experiments from Shaun. Incredible.

Serving type: growler

05-08-2012 17:18:23 | More by vonnegut21

gonzowestwood

Connecticut

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

On Tap

A- Pale Yellow Orange, Big Head and Real Cloudy

S- Fresh Hops, Grape Fruit, grain, grassy, mango, orange and farm smell

T- Oh WoW! Big Big Hop Bomb Flavor. Very nice display of the Galaxy Hops. Same as the smell... orange and mango god damn!

MF- Would say Medium Body but has a very smooth overall feel

O- Overall an absolutely, amazing, World Class IPA. At 8% it a real creeper. Shaun Hill has done it again. . .

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 04:43:45 | More by gonzowestwood

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to CliffBrake for the growler.

Pours a hazy unfiltered gold with a small white head leaving excellent lacing.

Smells like a tropical paradise. Loads of pineapple, mango and a nice dankness.

Flavor is what I've come to expect from galaxy hops slowing becoming one of my favorites. Juicy tropical fruit with a nice pine bite at the end. Perfectly balanced.

Juicy without being sweet and typical HF lower carbonation leading to that mouthfeel. No alcohol burn at all.

I'm an unabashed HF IPA lover, but this is still one of the best I've had. Amazingly complex for a single hop beer and goes down way too smooth.

Serving type: growler

04-12-2012 23:42:25 | More by jmarsh123

xpimptastikx

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Nick for another 2L growler of hoppy goodness from HF!

Pours a clouded burnt orange with 2 fingers of creamy off white head, retains a sheet forever and leaves beautiful rings the whole way down the glass.
Mmmm Galaxy hops! Smells like super fruity pineapple grapefruit juice poured over some biscuits. Taste is a concoction of tropical fruits, pine resin, and biscuits. Medium body with creamy carbonation, light and dry finish for such a resinous hop monster. HF knocks it out of the park yet again with their IPA/DIPAs, and this might be my favorite IPA to date.

Serving type: growler

04-16-2012 20:16:38 | More by xpimptastikx

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Growler driven back from Vermont by me. Also sampled at the Three-Penny, Armsby Abbey, and a sampler at the brewery. Just outstanding every time!

A: Perfect golden straw body with a huge white head. massive lacing.

N: Sharp citrus liquid sunshine nose. I want air freshener that smells like this!

Flavor is incredulous hop juiciness to the nth magnitude! Serious sunshine on my tongue with citrus character on the order of fresh squeezed orange juice.

Mouthfeel is thin, slick, slightly toothstrippy. Medium carb, hides it's ABV well.

Overall is just outstanding! My favorite IPA ever...maybe.

Serving type: growler

01-07-2012 23:48:01 | More by ghostwalker

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Massive thanks to DaveHack for pouring this one.

The beer poured out as a cloudy yellow color with a decent lookin white head. The retention is pretty good the lacing is also pretty nice. The smell of the beer is very hoppy, lots of fruity aromas and citrus. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, good carbonation and creamy. Overall very good. I really enjoyed this beer!!

Serving type: growler

01-10-2013 00:08:45 | More by Knapp85

montrealbcr89

Quebec (Canada)

4.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served from a growler into HF tulip

A: Poured a murky bright yellow with orange highlights. 1.5 fingers of a bright white head

S: Wow. This is where this beer shines. HUGE tropical and stone fruit notes: sweet peach, papaya, pineapple, coupled with nice citrus elements - lemon peel, orange, and grapefruit.

T: Ton of that tropical fruit in the front of the mouth. Lemon peel emerges a little bit towards the middle of the tongue. Finishes quite dry and bitter

MF: Spot on. Medium body with carbonation on the lower end. Works perfectly.

O: Super drinkable, refreshing, at at 8%, the alcohol is not present at all.

I could drink this consistently. Paired great with spicy food. HF does not disappoint once again. Was worth the 2 hour wait in the cold. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-19-2013 05:10:22 | More by montrealbcr89

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.75/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

122nd Review
Growler to snifter

From notes. Thanks to CharlieMurphy for sending this amongst other HF treats in a wonderful trade!

A: Burnt orange. 2+ (frothy white) fingernail head on medium pour.

S: Earthy and hoppy with loads of citrus fruit...you name it has it - mango, guava, orange, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, etc. Hugely inviting!

T: Oh so nice! The wonderful citrus fruit in the nose is perfectly balanced with earthy hops and smooth bitterness. Simply perfect! No joke.

M: Medium bodied with perfect carbonation.

O: Beautifully balanced beer! Another wonderful beer for these folks. So smooth and easy to drink it's almost dangerous. Luckily there was a group of folks to help enjoy the growler; otherwise, it might have been tempting to enjoy it over a day or so by myself. Will definitely seek this out again!

Serving type: growler

01-22-2012 20:05:12 | More by spdyfire83

largadeer

California

4.75/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from gn0sis. Thanks!

Appearance: Hazy unfiltered pale amber. The head is lasting and dense, leaving sheets of lacing down the glass.

Smell: A ton of tropical fruit - pineapple, mango - lesser notes of grapefruit and onion. A low level of pale malt sweetness enhances the scent of tropical fruit. This smells excellent.

Palate: Waves of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. A hint of onion. There's a moderate level of malt sweetness that works well with the fruity hop profile. Medium bodied with slight chalkiness; not quite as light and crisp as I'd like, but it's not much of a detraction. Bitterness is firm and lasting without bringing any astringency.

Overall: Outstanding. Easily in the upper tier of DIPAs.

Serving type: growler

04-30-2012 18:30:31 | More by largadeer

weonfire

Kentucky

4.74/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pour this from a HF Growler. 5 days old. Still...perfect. Amazing.

A - Golden, huge white fluffy 2 finger white head. Perfect thick patch lacing up to high beer point.

S - HUGE citrus, gummy lemon/orange/grapefruit.

T - tart grapefruit, lemon, orange peel, dry and pine. finish: bitter (9/10) very acidic, no booze.

M - creamy, frothy, full body, gummy, high viscosity, grapefruit is a def lingerer.

O - Literally tastes like grapefruit - the fruit. nose is extraordinary, closest beer to an actual fruit i've ever tasted. Dry not sweet. I just happen to prefer a bit sweeter. Best IIPA I have ever had. Personal opinion: Double Galaxy > Heady Topper > Pliny the Elder.

Serving type: growler

05-14-2013 02:15:45 | More by weonfire

schmoopsbeer

California

4.72/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Alex for sharing this
Served from growler into pint glass

Color: Big vibrant yellowish color, almost hay like. Two fingers worth of frothy white head form from the pour. Leaves behind a good amount of lacing.

Nose: Big fruit smells.... Pineapple is massive here also followed by hints of mango, apricot and peach. The hops are fresh and evident. Wonderful smelling beer.

Palate: Amazing presence on the tongue. The drinkability is perfect and the carbonation is just right. Waves of fruit hit the mouth with a fury, but its all balanced out by the hop and malt body. The Abv is nowhere to be found. Amazing!

Finish: Superb! complex and smooth. You get an array of fruit flavors, especially pineapple. The Abv is so well masked its unbelievable. An excellent IPA.

Rating: 96/100

Serving type: growler

08-11-2011 06:26:51 | More by schmoopsbeer

phingdong

New Hampshire

4.72/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

After having had this each time it has been brewed (on tap and from growlers), it's about time for a review.

A - Hill Farmstead has the best looking IPA/DIPAs. Hazy orange with a white head. Sticky lacing all the way down. Just beautiful.

S - Fantastic. A hop explosion. Citrus, orange, tropical fruit, with a bit of pine/dankness thrown in. All this from one hop variety.

T - Follows the nose. Citrus, dank fruits, bright orange, etc. Any malt seems to cower in the background and fear for its life. This is the kind of DIPA I love. It's not too sweet or too malty, just beautiful hops. It's also bitter without being overly so.

M - Mouthfeel is very good. Nice and full and moderately creamy.

O - This is one of my favorite DIPAs. I have had all of Shaun's DIPAs, and not a one has failed to wow me. This is fantastic. I'm happy to see that it has become a regular in the DIPA rotation. I can't wait to see what new ones comes down the road.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 22:48:30 | More by phingdong

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.71/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a hazy yellow-gold with a small white head. Aroma of citrus and tropical fruits, piney, resinous hops, caramel, and butter. Flavor of bitter, citrusy, and resinous hops, pineapple, caramel, biscuit, mango, and floral notes. Medium-bodied, with a sweet, juicy, resinous mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. This beer really reminds me of the Ephraim! This was a very good DIPA that really showcases the galaxy hops.

Serving type: growler

03-18-2013 15:13:46 | More by CuriousMonk

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.7/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL growler shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

The beer is a hazy orange hue, with a small head that hangs out for a while, leaving a fair bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma is just awesome, with bold scents of oranges, grapefruits, hops, and nary a trace of malt. What a delicious beer. I wish I had a keg of this. Teeming with delicious citrus and hop flavors, this is hard not to chug. Superb on all accounts, I highly recommend this beer. Hill Farmstead is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries.

Serving type: growler

07-11-2011 19:59:12 | More by Huhzubendah

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

deep crystal clear amber with a nce foamy head that was slow to fad, leaving a fine lace all the way to the bottom. The smell is deep piney hops with a bit of grapefruit thrown in for good measure. The taste...well lets just say this ain't you daddy's beer!! Knock you down hops, beautiful, strong, pine and citrus that will have you puckering your mouth for a while. Great dry finish. This is a hop heads delight and lived up to the hype

Serving type: growler

08-19-2011 02:04:48 | More by mikesgroove

musicforairports

New York

4.7/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Blackback Pub in Waterbury, Vt. in a stemmed Hill Farmstead glass.

Very cloudy and light gold in color. Definitely unfiltered. Small head and some huge lacing.

Aroma of dank tropical fruit--mango, pineapple, passionfruit, some citrus.

Tastes like tropical hop juice. Big orange, pineapple and passionfruit flavors. Minor catty flavors. Little to no malt notes. The hop flavor is a great showcase of Galaxy hops. This beer lacks the usual pine/earthy/citrus-rind hop distinctions.

Mouthfeel is medium in thickness, creamy and mildly carbonated. It goes down like nothing, but doesn't feel like water, either.

Hill Farmstead nails every hoppy beer they make, and this is no exception. It may be the best IPA or DIPA I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 15:33:50 | More by musicforairports

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750 mL HF swingtop filled 2/16 poured into my NEBCO 668 tulip.

A - pours an aggressive, hazy orange with two fingers of eggy, large bubbled foam. leaves massive lacing everywhere.

S - lots of papaya, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon, a little mango-y. less tropical and more citrus than other galaxy single hops i've had, but in a very good way.

T - just wow. pineapple and other tropical fruits up front. juicy. citrus rind follows. barely any detectable "bitterness" in the classical sense (or perhaps i am just experiencing a lupulin threshold shift!). grainy malts at the end, leaves a wonderful happy sticky sweetness behind, in a non-cloying way.

M - medium to medium-low carbonation, medium body, sticky.

just wow.

Serving type: growler

02-18-2013 16:04:11 | More by tehzachatak

DevilsCups

New York

4.66/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Black Back Pub. Served into a stemmed HF glass.

A - Light orange/yellowish murky appearance. Looks like thicker pineapple juice. Beautiful lasting fluffy white head. Lacing is great. Usual story with HF beers.

S - Awesome mix of pineapple, mango, citrus and grapefruity hops. Big tropical notes.

T - Taste? Tastes like candy. There's a nice sweetness with great tropical flavors in there. Follows the nose.

M - Smooth and creamy. Perfectly carbonated. Credit to Hill Farmstead and to Black Back for serving it correctly.

O - Great, great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 03:02:44 | More by DevilsCups

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I am very appreciative to weeare138 for sharing this. enjoyed from a snifter.

A hazy apricot color w/ slightly sunny appearance and small head w/ spots of lace collecting. The smell is so fragrant! a juicy nose of pineapple and very tropical in general with dank juicy aroma and some floral elements from the hop w/ mild apricot and light grassy odor w/ slight honey tinge in the back. The malt body is smooth allowing for the hop bitterness which is not coarse at all, moderately carbonated w/ juicy texture and light bits of malt interwoven w/ some highly resinous effects from the hop oils.

A slightly lemony and juicy tropical hop flavor is saturating this with some fresh and almost mango-like flavor w/ subtle citrus edges and light tea-like herbal notes. There is a mild spice tinge w/ moderate malt in the finish that seems to tie the whole flavor profile together. It doesn't really strike me as a normal single hop flavor since it has a good deal of complexity and doesn't have the one-note quality of some single-hop IPA's. Overall a wonderful beer to display the great complexity of a very unique hop-Galaxiy really shines in this brew and I admire the great things Shaun from Hill Farmstead can do to Pale ale w/ some amazing smoothness for an 8% Imperial IPA!

Serving type: growler

04-27-2011 18:40:59 | More by Slatetank

Sean9689

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer on-tap at the brewery, on-tap at Parker Pie Co. (near the brewery), and this is the second time I'm enjoying it from a growler. 750ml Hill Farmstead flip-top growler into my Bruery tulip. All to myself! (don't worry guys, I got a 2nd one to share).

A - Pours a FL orange color, white frothy head, sticky white lacing, lots of bubbles along the collar and cap, thin whisps on top.

S - An wonderful aroma of bitter hops, tons of orange peel citrus dominate the nose. Tons of hops, but, it's really nothing like I've ever had before. Very juicy, rich, and just plain outstanding. There's some sweetness there on the finish that's very tropical, peaches, pineapple.

T - Orange peel, mango, some tropical notes and lots of wonderful hops. The bitterness is smooth and enjoyable, not trying to destroy your palate like many other inferior DIPA's. You know this is a DIPA without it screaming "look at me"...it's refreshing.

M - Perfect, to say the least. Smooth, refreshing, soft carbonation, with a medium body.

O - Seriously, there is nothing wrong with this beer. I looked, I tried, I failed. I've had this beer in draft, out of a growler, from a taster, from a wine glass, tulip, etc. I still can't find a flaw. I would put this DIPA up against any of the same style from any brewery, it's just that good. Not a palate destroyer, not overly sweet or syrupy, just f'n awesome. Shaun, you killed it with this beer!

Serving type: growler

07-09-2011 00:20:24 | More by Sean9689