Double Citra - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Skrip

South Carolina

4.14/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750 growler poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

A~ darkish copper orange, nice fluffy white head and a crazy amount of lacing!

S~ lots of citrus, it almost smells like some kind of juice. slight pine earthnessy follows and of course some bitterness.

T~ of course theres a lot of citrus just like the nose. pineapple, orange, lemon, lime, etc... followed by a big piney flavor. and is it appropriate to say this tastes "imperial"? haha aside from the thicker, sightly boozy (not so much in the taste, you can just tell. you know?) its almost the same as regular Citra.

M~ nice carbonation as to be expected from HF, slightly thick, smooth, and a little dryness from the hops.

O~ not bad at all, but nothing compared to the Ephraim that i drank last night lol i love all the citrus notes and thats probably why this stands out for most people. theres not one HF thats not worth a least a taste!

Serving type: growler

05-17-2013 03:54:47 | More by Skrip

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.31/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very hazy, sunny orange color. Fluffy bone white head leaves lots of frothy lace. Aroma is...citra, citra and more citra. Some orange peel, faint malt sweetness, backing tropical fruitiness. Fast is citrus, with orange and pineapple, hint of pine and lightly sweet. Smooth feel, full bodied, very drinkable.

HF scores another hit!

Serving type: growler

05-15-2013 00:36:26 | More by EgadBananas

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.41/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Growler from the brewery filled May 3 and Consumed May 5. From notes.

A - Poured a nice dark orange colour and cloudy. Good carbonation coming up to a two finger fluffy white head. Great thick rings of lace and a good finger of retention.

S - Big citrus. Peach, pineapple, a little mango.

T - Boozy pineapple, extreme citrus, orange, some alcohol. Really juicy, bright citrus. Lovely stuff. Even more juicy later.

M - A bit oily in the body with strong bitterness, good carbonation, and a medium body.

O/D - A tasty, juicy, complex DIPA. Some alcohol in the flavour , but drinks easy enough for 8%. Well crafted and pretty delicious.

Serving type: growler

05-11-2013 01:17:50 | More by tbeckett

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.41/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours that nice beautiful hazy orange I've come to expect in HF DIPAs with a sticky white head leaving a nice lattice work of lace around the glass.

Juicy and fruity right up front with that wonderful citra aroma. Grapefruit and mango notes with just of hint of floralness make for a wonderfully inviting beer.

Taste follows suit with lots of bright fruity flavors. Nice mellow malt presence provides a nice base for the citrus flavors to build upon. Finishes well with just a bit of flowery hop character and slight bittering note.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and damn smooth. Makes for a damn fine sipper (or gulper). Overall, I think I'd give a slight edge to Double Galaxy and Abner as my favorite HF DIPAs but until them I'll just dream of the day I can compare all three side-by-side.

Serving type: growler

05-08-2013 19:40:10 | More by Kinsman

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.14/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 mL growler poured into a Teku snifter.

Appearance - Hazy orange body. Not much of a head. Nice surface wisps. Leggy on the swirl.

Smell - Surprise, lots of citra. Orange and grapefruit. A bit of sweetness.

Taste - Lots of grapefruit, orange. Straightforward. Moderate sweetness. Just a hint of bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Medium low carbonation. Slick, but low sweetness.

Overall - Very simple flavor, but great hop flavor. I definitely prefer Double Galaxy to this, though.

Serving type: growler

05-07-2013 02:05:33 | More by Alieniloquium

Hendry

Vermont

4.79/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Okay, this is Vermont, and the level of quality craftsmanship and legend is drawing folks from all over the United States that are touring "Beer Country" as if it were a serious California Wine Country tour, and WHY NOT?!

Meeting Shuan Hill was a pleasure, and no different than meeting any other down to earth rural Vermonter that knows how to do their job and do it well. We arrived first on a Friday afternoon and it was the better part of two hours driving from NorthWest Vermont to get there.

Double Citra is one of the more recent offerings from the distinguished Hill Farmstead Brewery and it was poured into a 750 ml bottle for take home enjoyment. Tastings are served at the brewery, but I neglected the four tastings for $5 offer as I was the driver.

Pours a cloudy off yellow with an elegant cotton head reaching 1 finger and lacing brilliantly in the glassware. Playfully effervescent without being overly carbonated and an exceptional nose consisting of pineapple, kiwi, clementines, and ruby red grapefruit with a smidgeon of mango, yet the aromas are more subdued and subtle than their Vermont counterpart that is also an all citra hops concoction (to be named later in this review).

Initial taste is tropical fruits, juicy sweetness, followed by resinous piney herbal hoppiness that is simply top shelf, leaving a bitter aftertaste that lingers pleasantly, inviting another sip.
Quaffing Double Citra cold does this IIPA a disservice: letting it breathe in proper glassware for no less than 15 minutes brings about the complex qualities that are accentuated with some warming (same observation with Lawson's Double Sunshine). Whatever malt used to balance the double citra whammy is strictly a platform to showcase the rock star hops under the spotlight taking an awesome solo all over your palate!

Mouthfeel is medium, slightly oily, and the overall impression is that this is a highly refined IIPA that shows no signs of booziness, and is made with quality and care.

I can understand how letting it breathe while enjoying appetizers/entrees at one of the fine Vermont eateries that serve it could be challenging: the tendency is to drink it down and order another one, but I can tell you from my perspective, it misses the point of the total enjoyment experience consuming it cold.

My BA buddy PlinyMafia that took the pilgrimage to HFS with me did take the tastings offered, and spoke "sacrilegiously " when asked if Lawson's Double Sunshine was better than HFS Double Citra, but that comparison will be covered thoroughly in a soon upcoming beer forum thread to be titled "Hill Farmstead Double Citra goes head to head with Lawson's Double Sunshine: the Battle Royale!"

Serving type: growler

05-05-2013 02:40:42 | More by Hendry

csparace

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

First impression into the glass is a huge overwhelming smell of citra hops. Smells very tropical with mango and pineapple notes. Pours a pale dirty orange which is also pretty cloudy. In the mouth it its the perfect level of hops and isn't overwhelming at all. Not too sweet like the smell would lead you to believe. Super smooth finish. The mouthfeel is tremendously satisfying. Perfect combination of bitterness, carbonation, and freshness. Outstanding specimen.

Serving type: growler

05-04-2013 01:16:03 | More by csparace

wyatt13

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I received this from JSBILK in a trade -- thanks Justin! He got this 750 ml growler filled about two weeks ago. Poured from the growler into my tulip glass.

A - Pours a beautiful straw yellow color, with an appealing haze. A white two-finger head absolutely erupts off of the top. Absolutely exquisite lacing throughout the pour.

S - Unmistakably citra here. A great tropical presence of mango, pineapple and sweet fruits galore. Incredible freshness.

T - A beautiful hop profile that is almost unfairly balanced. Sweetness and bitterness are in perfect harmony, with an exceedingly clean finish that Hill Farmstead has absolutely nailed for my taste buds.

M - Nicely medium-bodied, with a good carbonation level. Lightly sticky residue is left on the lips.

O - It won't blow your balls off with bitterness like a lot of DIPAs, but that is the beauty of this beer, in my opinion. Restrained elegance.

Serving type: growler

05-04-2013 01:14:06 | More by wyatt13

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a hazy golden color with a thin white head on top. The retention is thin and some bubbly lacing on the glass. The smell is good but not as great as I was hoping. The nose is slightly fruity citrus on the nose. The taste is big with hops, nice bitter lemon flavors. Some subtle malt in the finish. The mouthfeel is very drinkable, smooth and juicy. Overall this is really good but not as good as some of the HF IPA's.

Serving type: growler

05-01-2013 22:29:20 | More by Knapp85

ehammond1

California

4.24/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Growler

Acquired via trade
Thanks, baconsausage!

A truly gorgeous IPA. A slightly hazed, glowing, golden orange. Moderate, large-bubbled, eggwhite-colored head. Lots of stick left down the glass. Truly gorgeous, as are most Hill Farmstead beers.

Very citrus-forward aroma, as expected. Bright, juicy tangerine and clementine aromas erupt from the glass. Just a hint of a biscuit malt, but this is a showcase of hops, to be sure. There's just a touch of a green onion or chive character, interestingly enough, and though it's not distracting from the overall experience, I wish it wasn't there.

The flavor is even more successful than the proven aroma. Bitter and juicy citrus and tropical flavors come together very nicely. A little bread. No alcohol presence. If I were given this blind, I'd probably guess it was a ~6% ABV IPA.

Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Very appropriate. Extremely drinkable.

Fantastic. Would drink again...durrrr.

Serving type: growler

04-30-2013 00:46:55 | More by ehammond1

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.65/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours very cloudy yellow, several inches of bubbly white head, very typical HF IPA.

Smells of huge juicy citrus and tropical fruit, mandarin oranges and pineapple and mango, some plant like hop character, really just an explosion of sweet juicy fruity hops.

And yep this is amazing. Huge juicy fruit again, all the same stuff as in the nose, sweet and incredibly hoppy at the same time, this is amazing.

Like all the HF hoppy beers this has a fantastic mouthfeel and fantastic drinkability, soft and perfect carbonation.

He best HF beer I've had and one of the best IPAs I've had, fantastic.

9.5/10

Serving type: growler

04-29-2013 01:04:43 | More by AlexFields

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml growler filled just under a week ago and refrigerated the entire time. Thanks Don (Donfrap) for bringing this back for me. Reviewed live.

A- Pours a hazy orange golden that is mostly opaque, about two fingers of white frothy head forms that has great retention and slowly dissipates coating the glass in light layered lacing.

S- Lots of fresh grapefruit, some greeny hops, a bit of peach, balanced with a nice malt presence. Fairly aromatic with a better aroma strength then your average IPA.

T- Lightly bitter grapefruit, fresh green hops, a bit of peach juice, finishes with more bitter grapefruit and vinous hops with a fruity juicy aftertaste.

M- Juicy, very easy drinking, nice carbonation, lightly creamy.

O- This was another fantastic IPA from HF although maybe not my favorite. It had a great grapefruit taste but did not have the same tropical citrus qualities I've enjoyed in other IPAs. This is easily a world class DiPA though with a very good drink ability and I highly recommend checking it out.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2013 13:58:50 | More by jaasen64

Damian

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Drank from a 2 liter Hill Farmstead growler
Served in a Hill Farmstead stemmed glass
Big thanks to OtisCampbell for generously sharing this growler.

A frothy, near two-finger, eggshell colored crown topped the super cloudy, yellow ochre liquid. The head slowly faded to a lasting cap. Thick rings of drippy, sticky lacing trickled down the glass.

The nose was quite hoppy. Crisp and citrusy. Lemon zest came through strong. Good dose of orange peel. Touch of malty sweetness. A hint of alcohol warmth appeared as well.

The flavor profile was very similar to nose. Lots of lemon zest and pithy grapefruit rind. Some peach notes. Hints of orange peel. The finish was super hoppy and semi-bitter with notes of pine sap.

The mouthfeel was slick and smooth. Medium bodied for the style with a fine, moderate effervescence.

Out of all the hop-centric Hill Farmstead beers I have tried, Double Citra was one of the least impressive offerings. While tasty and quaffable, it seemed a bit one-dimensional.

Serving type: growler

04-25-2013 00:15:46 | More by Damian

80x2HopHead

Vermont

4.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Just tried this brew for the second time at the Prohibition Pig in Waterbury. All around one of the best DIPAs I have ever and I STRONGLY recommend another great beer from HF. Not surprisingly the Citra smell hits you right off the bat with grapefruit and sticky sweet orange- some other tropical fruit as well make their way to the nose. Well again not surprising that the citra flavor comes through like a train- the slight bitterness and tartness of the grapefruit is perfectly balanced with the sweet orange. Not too much malty flavor but it comes through in the faint background. I get the bitterness that I would expect. however its not at all overbearing-might help to mask the 8+% booze. Hop character lingers in the best way possible.
I really have nothing bad to say and I will certainly get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 03:08:02 | More by 80x2HopHead

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Reviewed from notes after hooking JLindros up with a growler. Finally getting around to adding all my beers. Poured into a Kate the Great tulip.

A - Pours a hazy hazy very nice orange hue with a massive, creamy two finger head that fades incredibly slowly leaving tremendous amounts of sticky thick side lacing and a wonderful creamy dense blanket. Awesome.

S - Sooo much citrus here. Wonderful orange/tangerine/tangello notes with just a faint, faint hint of malts and tropical notes.

T - Mind blowing. More of those excellent citrus notes that just burst in juicy explosions on the pallet. Slightly pine notes but this is mostly tropical notes with big bright pineapple, papaya, and tangerine. There is a nice slightly bitter hop finish.

M - Mouthfeel is standard for Hill Farmstead beers. Nicely medium bodied with solid carbonation.

O - I remember working The Festival and getting a few pours of this before going on my lunch break and sipping at it with my brisket sandwich. This beer, this brewery, is outstanding. So freakin good.

Serving type: growler

11-07-2012 17:42:15 | More by rudzud

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at HF anniversary (1st). Hazy yellow pour, white foam, heavy lacing. Delicious citra aroma, fresh lemonade, resinous hop smells and a touch of honey. Taste is hoppy, lots of , lemon flavours with a bitter finish. Very refreshing palate, my favourite IIPA from HF thus far, I can't wait to try it again as I've missed it this year.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 00:35:26 | More by Luk13

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

$6 for a 10 oz pour, 8%
Sampled 22JUL12

[A] A fluffy snow white head, compact creamy head with wonderful retention. Eventually, complete sheets in concentric rings coat the glass. The body is a soft, pale goldenrod color and is hazy to the point of being opaque. A light murkiness keeps the appearance from a perfect 5.

[S] Clean, bright hops. Citrusy, tropical and sweet with a touch of dank pungency to provide the right amount of balance. Orange pith stands out just above a light grapefruit component and a deeper layer of grainy mango. 

[T] Wonderful sweetness from front to mid palate to prepare for the upcoming bitterness, which is somewhat restrained. This stuff is insanely drinkable.

[M] The mouthfeel is smooth, creamy. Carbonation is perfect, perhaps on the softer side of the spectrum but the gentle effervescence integrates well with the flavor profile. Modestly sweet with a lingering drying finish. 

[O] In one word: masterpiece.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 01:00:24 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.38/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Positive Pie. Served out of a Hill Farmstead snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Color is a cloudy, peach yellow. Spotty and stringy lace with great stick. .5 finger frothy white head with low retention. Again, clarity suffers but everything else is very good.

Nose is citrus, pine, papaya pulp, mango, with a light hop presence that tickles the nose. Aromatic and very fresh.

Opens sweet citrus, bit malt backbone with some pine, papaya, and more citrus notes towards the end. Grapefruit in the finish with a citrus hop aftertaste. Really tasty.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth in the mouth and quenching and slightly dry going down. Sticky finish with a lingering aftertaste. Perfectly average for a Hill Farmstead IPA.

This is a pretty middle of the road hoppy offering from Hill Farmstead... which is to say that its still better than 99% of other IPAs out there. Definitely worth a try but big brother SS #4 is similar and a bit better.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 01:55:10 | More by SpeedwayJim

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Missed reviewing this for some reason, so here it is finally.

Awesome looking 2 finger head fluffy, fades slowly with lots of lacing hazy clementine orange color.

Nose citrus galore, dank musty resin, hint of tropical fruit, hint of malt, apricot tangerine and other stone fruit like.

Taste fresh musty resinous hops, lots of tropical citrus flavors, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, tangerine, juicy! Light malt base. Finish is slightly bitter hops, lots of tropical fruit, dry slight resin,

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall amazing!

Serving type: growler

07-28-2012 23:38:54 | More by jlindros

cfrances33

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Growler poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Bright glowing, hazy pale orange with two fingers of frothy, white head. Some nice sticky lacing throughout. Head retains well throughout the glass.

Smell: Big burst of grapefruit and mango, mixed with some tangerine and a light white peppercorn. A hint of dough, but very slight. This is one juicy smelling beer.

Taste: Follows the nice with grapefruit juice, tangerine pulp, and a touch of mango. The light hint of white peppercorn follows to the taste, and augments a nice, citrusy bitterness. A touch of doughy sweetness gives the beer some body. Finishes juicy with bright citrus and lightly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly refreshing and drinkable. The bitterness lingers nicely, but isn't overpowering in conjunction with the citrus taste.

Overall: Still one of the best Hill Farmstead beers I've had, and nearly tied with Society & Solitude #5 for my favorite DIPA.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2012 14:27:49 | More by cfrances33

FishPondManager

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL growler filled 7/13 served in a Bruery tulip

Pours a hazy orange with one finger head. It recedes to a thin head leaving beautiful lacing during both pours. As with all HF pale ales, the appearance is outstanding.

Aroma is full of grapefruit and orange. It's a wonderful citrus aroma that fills the nose. I keep swirling to get a punch of citrus before each drink. Theres also a hint of piny resin and malt to balance things out.

The first drink punches you in the face with orange, lemon, and grapefruit citrus. It gets a little sweet and piny next and finshes with a subtle bitterness. A true Citra hop lovers dream.

Mount feel is creamy and full. This is one of my favorite things about Shaun's beers. The texture and feel of these beers really takes the flavor to another level. They fill their growlers with care and even with 2000 miles on them to CO it pours like a champ.

Overall, this is my favorite yet from HF. I love Citra hops and this brew really makes them shine.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2012 03:48:04 | More by FishPondManager

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Double Citra pours cloudy and light amber (yellow/orange) into the glass. A small frothy, white head fades away quickly to a thin ring, leaving behind only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is loaded with hops. Orange and grapefruit citrus and a fair amount of pine are dominant.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is smooth with a firm carbonated fizz. The flavor is loaded with orange and grapefruit citrus. Hints of pine area also present. In the background there's enough caramel malt and tropical fruit notes of mango mixed in to balance out the beer. It finishes dry and bitter with lingering orange citrus when gone.

This is a very tasty beer that's loaded with hops. However, there's enough malty sweetness to make it relatively balanced and drinkable.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2012 01:54:18 | More by WanderingFool

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy gold with a finger of creamy white head with good retention and lacing.

Aroma is pure dank citrus a quality which I love about Citra. As usual, hop forward.

Juicy citrus with a little bit of tropical fruit up front. A little bit of bitter resin creeps into the aftertaste.

Light bodied with low-medium carbonation level.

Very solid beer, but I greatly prefer SS#4 to this one. It was much more complex. Still any HF IPA is top notch. It's just a matter of degree.

Serving type: growler

07-20-2012 23:01:56 | More by jmarsh123

Greenplastic615

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ Capone's in Norristown PA (5.5oz pour). Glad I was able to try this one - somehow it lasted on tap for 5 days, and today was the first day I could get over there.

A - Looks like an IPA. A bit cloudy from the hops, and a bit paler than I expected it to be, but no complaints.

S - Really nice - a lot of citrus (mango, grapefruit, a little bit of orange), and a little bit of "dankness". I love the citra hop, and this smelled basically the way I thought it would.

T - Again, lots of citrus. I was a little surprised at the bitterness; I thought that it would be a little bit more resigned and really let the fruit flavors in the hops come through, but it did have noticeable bitterness. It wasn't unwelcome, just a little surprising given the smell. Absolutely no alcohol presence at all...dangerously drinkable for 8+%.

M - Awesome. One of the best I've had on an IPA.

O - Another really good offering from Hill Farmstead. I think if I had to pick one brewery's pale ales to drink forever, I'd have a really hard time picking anyone over HF.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2012 18:07:18 | More by Greenplastic615

dtmets84

New York

4.1/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

citra hop has always been the one I go to for my ipa fix. after my one and only kern citra broke open on the floor of my apartment I feel the need to review. Poured into my HF stemware, the brew pours an amazing .5 inch head with a light golden hue. the aromas of hop and pine enlighten me. after enjoying hotd matt two hours earlier which the gf simply said elll no, she smelled double citra and said mmm delic. my first and possible only real rating

Serving type: growler

07-14-2012 02:47:28 | More by dtmets84