Vera Mae - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Number45forever

Vermont

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally cracked open a Vera Mae over the weekend. It was outstanding! Pleasently tart, not sour by any means. It was one of the most refreshing things I've ever had. Like a super dry champagne on the tongue, very high amounts of carbonation.

Taste was of lemon, fresh greens, orange blossom honey. It was delightful. I'd drink this beer all the time, it was really great. I wish I had more time to explain.

Bottom line, as with all Hill Farmstead beers, if you get the chance to try this one: do it. Masterful.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 18:16:08 | More by Number45forever

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Having had this multiple times I figured it would be time to review. This is a Batch 1 bottle, initial release. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Ah yes, I seem to recall now Shaun telling me to open the bottle cold. So as I pop this room temp, having forgotten, it rather quickly rises from the bottle. Pours a lightly hazy lightly strawed golden hue with a big, creamy white almost 3 finger head that faded to leave soapy, sudsy lacing and a thick dense blanket.

S - Nice aromas of light honey and warm summer meadows full of dandelions. Very light yeasty funk with some soft gentle lemon. Very light, pleasant barn aromas with more bright almost phenol.

T - Taste is nice and lightly tart/sour with lots of lemon. Very light honey sweetness and some light bitterness that dandelions give to brew (similar to dandelion wine). Very slight spelt in the background as well. Very lightly funky which is impressive all the more seeing how all the sediment got mixed up upon popping. This tastes much, much better than I remember it tasting. Exponentially better.

M - Mouthfeel is very nice. Would like a touch more carbonation to help out the lemon sourness here. Feels more like a wild than a saison.

O - Overall, this is one of Shaun Hill's best saisons to date. All of his saisons are "good" but this though, this is something really special. Really enjoy how bright and tart this is.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 22:58:56 | More by rudzud

andrewinski1

Maine

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tasting glass. This is light straw color with just a touch of haze. There is so much foam I cannot possibly pour in one swoop (into two glasses). There is a ton of sticky lacing.

The aroma is full of peppery yeast and slightly sweet candy sugar. There is some nice malty aroma to round out the floral aroma.

The taste is very floral, and reminds me of a lavender saison I had from Stillwater. This starts out dry and bitter, with a slightly sweet candy finish with a touch of pepper.

The body is light to medium with soft but spicy carbonation.

I like this one a lot. Hill Farmstead's saisons are among my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 03:49:38 | More by andrewinski1

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage - Bottling 2

Poured into a Hill Farmstead wine glass. Slightly cloudy lemon-yellow body with a large, frothy, white head. Lots of lacing. Lemon zest and hints of honey on the nose. Earthy grains and a touch of pepper. Sweet and lightly floral. Citrus and some crisp, lactic, sourness on the tongue. Honey with light, earthy, hops. Body is smooth, crisp and refreshing. Carbonation is perfect. Nice tangy sourness throughout. Overall, this is a really nice improvement over the original recipe. Love the light sourness and floral honey combo.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:26:03 | More by sisuspeed

brystmar

New York

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy yellow body, tons of white head roars to life but recedes quickly. Looks like freshly squeezed lemonade after the head and lace settle. Cool!

Ooh, nice and tart! Sour, and floral, and oddly lactic -- really like that touch. Can't get over how sour this is; yeasty funkiness is more subdued. More sour and less funky than many saisons, and I like that. Highly carbonated but it actually works well.

Vera Mae >>> Ann IMO.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 01:05:16 | More by brystmar

dirtylou

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, split, served in hill farmstead wine-glass

My first true hill-farmstead offering, graciously shared. Sharp carbonation, golden-yellow body with a healthy white foam head. Lots of light belgian yeast, fresh cut flowers, lemon and spice round out the flavor profile. This saison is nice and tart, light, crisp and really refreshing. I'm not sure what dandelions taste like, but i have to imagine its contributing the floral and earthy flavors. The honey works well too - this was a really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 21:07:25 | More by dirtylou

Skrip

South Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a Dogfish chalace

A~ golden orange with lots of head!

S~ pepper, citrus, tad bit of funk and oh soooo sweet!

T~ holy sour! apples, pears, lemons, limes, pepper, and the list goes on! its like the nicest mix between an amazing gueuze and a fantastic saison.

M~ great tartness and really nice carbonation. sour all the way down!

O~ i can never get enough! after every HF saison i just wanna try another, they just keep getting better. this might be the best one i've had so far but... i've probably said that before haha. so yeah... just try it already!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:19:06 | More by Skrip

rtepiak

Poland

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

big thank you so very much to SFLpunk for the beer and the hospitality.

this beer is such a beautiful nose of a saison that could be a beer that totally overlooked due to is very mild barn spunk. there is some interesting shifts but the character is much like a beautifully light and aromatic belgian. nose is lemon balm, mint, and foremost a dandelion greens floral. lemony hint but not pungent by any means. very brisk carbonation that when fades a bit gives way to more of a palate range. wheat spelt hints of creaminess... in the unfiltered qualities. very interesting floral notes... and my favorite saison bittering notes of dandelion greens. excellent brisk drink. prefect for the season.

had another sampling with food and this beer really exposed its true colors. great for mildly vinegared foods... olives particularly as they seem to have a similar brisk bittering quality about them. great with well salted meats as it cleans the palate just right for the next bite of anything. and great great with a mild blue cheese. both balanced and complementary. that is a marriage.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 02:04:48 | More by rtepiak

DearthVader

California

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for this one phingdong!

Poured into my HF tulip

Pours a straw-like gold (much like the Anna I had last night). Yet again, I'm greeted by an extremely aggressive head. I filled the glass about half way and the foam raced up over the edges with no hesitation. Big globs of lacing are left behind.

I love HF's use of the big floral hops that they use in their Saisons. I smell huge bursts of wildflowers that are followed quickly by a lemon zest. The honey is hidden very well by the acidity of the lemon but it's definitely in there.

Taste is of extremely dry floral hops, fresh squeezed lemon, slight honey, and that glorious barnyard funk we all love.

This beer has the perfect balance with dryness and acidity. Its so damn refreshing with the light sweetness hidden in between the acidic beginning and extremely dry finish.

I could drink this stuff year round. One of the best Saisons made in the states that I've had the opportunity to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 04:43:29 | More by DearthVader

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.47/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vera Mae: "...Saison is crafted from organic Vermont spelt, American hops, wildflower honey, dandelion flowers from our fields, our distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from our well. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated..."

750mL brown glass pry-top champagne bottle. No date, but just released yesterday (7.23.11).

Pours a beautiful bright golden yellow with 2+ inches of bone-white head that fades to leave some spotting. Nose has a distinct lemon-y character shared with other HF saisons that I presume comes from their yeast. Some grass and dried hay come to mind, too. Nose reminds me of Anna a bit.

Palate is crisp and biting on the tip of the tongue. I warmed this bottle for about 15 minutes before cracking it, but it's still quite cold. Refreshing after a day's work. Carbonation level is rather high, but not unwanted. Explosive and palate clearing. Flavors of corriander seed, straw, lemon zest or maybe preserved lemon is a better way to put it, and a pleasant grassiness throughout. There's some bitterness here that I like, but I am also curious to see how this beer evolves over the next 6 months and silks out a bit.

Well done Shaun, Dan and crew!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 05:22:13 | More by SFLpunk

ToasterChef

Maine

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

A chilled 750ml bottle is poured into white wine glasses.

A huge pure white foam head fills most of the glass. Below it lies a golden yellow liquid. Plenty of tiny carbonation bubbles are present. Lacing is impressive.

A very good saison aroma comes off of Vera Mae. White sugar, musty yeast and grass hops are all detected. I think I can also smell some coriander and orange peel. Some of the grass hop aromas could be due to the dandelions, but I am not sure.

Interesting flavors in this beer. Its not nearly as sweet as other saisons I've had. It's fairly dry. Lots of floral flavors, but I'm also getting something akin to banana, but not like you find in a hefeweizen. I'm not tasting any obvious sugars and the hops are subtle.

I like how this beer isn't sticky. Coating of my mouth is slight,but a good film is left on my tongue. Carbonation can't be felt as much as I thought it would, considering the number of visible bubbles.

This is an excellent, yet hard to obtain saison. Of course, I feel you could probably say that about every style Sean Hill brews. If you can make it to Hill's Farmstead and they have bottles of this available, it would be worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 23:09:25 | More by ToasterChef

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a delicate hazy light yellow color ale with a super large foamy head with great retention and very good lacing. Aroma of fruity ester with nice floral undertones and some light honey notes. Taste is a wonderful mix between some rustic notes with some floral notes as well as some honey and light fruity ester. Body is quite full with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol. This is a great example of complexity and drinkability without being overly sweet and with great attenuation.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 19:15:28 | More by Phyl21ca

hagbergl

Massachusetts

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

I bought a 750mL bottle of Hill Farmstead Vera Mae for $10 (in my opinion, quite reasonable), their "spring blossom" farmhouse ale made with dandelions from their own field and honey, from the brewery in early August. Pretty cool looking bottle–looks very classy and understated. Enjoyed in my Dogfish Head snifter with my girlfriend during our vacation to the Cape. Review is from notes.

Appearance (4.5/5): Vera Mae pours an opaque lemon yellow/honeysuckle hue and is topped by a voluminous, frothy, white head of foam that measures about 2.5 fingers. Plenty of sticky lacing lines the sides of the glass as you drink. Pour it into a stemmed glass and appreciate!

Smell (4.5/5): Notes of light, tart lemon and citrus, wheaty, floral, and grassy tones, leap from the glass. Yeasty and a bit funky, as well. Quite unusual for a saison; reminds me a bit of Jolly Pumpkin's Calabaza Blanca. Summery.

Taste (4.5/5): Wow, what fresh, interesting flavors! Fruity notes of lemon, grapefruit rind, and pear combine with a floral, herbal bitterness imparted, undoubtedly, by the dandelions added to the brew. This is quite a unique bitterness that isn't really juicy or citric, but more akin to the bitterness of arugula. My girlfriend also suggested that it's a bit like ginger root. Whatever it is, it's a great touch. A subdued honey sweetness also comes through with further sips. Not a hint of alcohol in the flavor profile. Refreshing, complex, tart.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): The mouthfeel is what makes this beer. It is bubbly, effervescent, and practically tickles the tongue. Great active carbonation. It is also light and the tart "arugula" bitterness stops short of puckering. If HF hadn't nailed the mouth on this one, it wouldn't have been nearly as much of a success. Good show.

Overall (4.5/5): Vera Mae is one hell of a farmhouse ale/saison. It's a bit unusual and unorthodox, but it really makes the twists and added ingredients count. And for all those people skeptical of the dandelions, don't let it dissuade you from buying this refreshingly tart ale!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 17:28:23 | More by hagbergl

smakawhat

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a large tapered wine glass.

Classic Hill Farmstead look. Shocking bright white head, three fingers, massive retention, huge clumping and lacing. Body color is a gorgeous orb glowing honey gold and green hued just a touch. Just one aggresive looking brew.

Nose is floral and good sense of fresh mowed grass. Crisp honeycomb, and mild garden herbal notes. Very unique and lots of fun. It's like a garden in here, the beer smells of just dense pollen.

A really wondeful tartness. Quick puckering lemon citrus acid. A real punch that lingers just on and on even after the swallow. Creamy body, with a mild carbonation, extremely soft feel to the palate. Honey smacks the lips and lingers with a sense of floral lip balm on the skin. Tight quick carbonation that slowly evaporates on multiple sips. Slight chewy malt, but the beer is truly acidic forward with wonderful aromatics and flavors. Tannic coating on the aftertaste, mild tartness, and even a hint of Gose like salt.

Overall what more could you have expected from Hill Farmstead. More greatness what else.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:40:51 | More by smakawhat

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.56/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you Franklinn, you're a great BA.

Appearance. Pours a lightly hazy straw/yellow-gold with a finger+ of frothy white head.

Smell. Spicy, sweet and peppery saison yeast with a bit of lemon juice and light floral herbs.

Taste. Tart, sour lemon juice, a little bit of sweet and spicy saison yeast, and a lightly floral, herby light bitterness in the finish that I would have to assume comes from the dandelions and a little honey. Wow, very nice.

Mouthfeel. Maybe a little below medium body ...it's a little harder to tell than some beers with the acidity. Anyways, there's a pretty full amount of fine carbonation, maybe just a little too much but it's barely a complaint.

Overall. Probably the most sour saison I've had from HF but in combination with that dandelion bitterness, it works beautifully. Another top notch beer from HF. Huge fan of this brewery, it lives up to every bit of the hype. Thanks again Frank!!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:39:51 | More by Rutager

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The appearance is golden straw color that you can almost see through but not quite as it is slightly hazy. There is a 2 finger pillowy head that manages to last almost as long as my eight oz pour. The tiny bubbles that makeup the head. Continue to rise from the bottom of the glass, it almost has the appearance of champagne but hazy

The smell is slightly citrusy and has a hint of tartness to it. There are also slight notes of funk and an almost earthy grassiness to it. This beer is very inviting both in looks and in smell.

The flavor is just like the smell with hints of tart lemony goodness followed by a nice slight bit of funk but just barely.

The mouthfeel is so light and effervescent it's crazy and the nice touch of tartness makes this beer mouthwatering and hard to put down.

Overall this is one of the best saisons if not the best saison that I have ever had. I cannot wait until next years release. If Jesus turned water into beer instead of wine he would have turned it into Hill farmstead saisons

Batch 2 750 chilled and split between 3 HF wine style glasses

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 22:11:33 | More by rowingbrewer

lovindahops

New York

4.68/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well, we are headed out to downtown syracuse tonight so I figured it might be busy. That being said, I decided to pop open a Vera Mae from the cellar.

A- a hazy sunlight yellow fills my hill farmstead stemware with an almost glowing head of white foam. The lacing is completely massive and sticky that you can draw parallels to the lacing coming from a Vermont spider on 'roids

S- barn yard funk that is not only floral but also tropical and full bodies with candy like Belgian yeast tones. Excellent scent that is tart and flavorful

T- tart and crisp, vera mae extends a yeasty flavor rush of sweet themes coupled by a funky flavor that is not often duplicated. Very enhanced as a "detailed" american saison should be. Completely coating with lively flavor and a splash of honey

M- flavor that latches into your tongue

O- simply amazing. Vera Mae splashes your palate with an American interpretation of a saison that leaves no detail or attribute behind. So refreshing I could drink this for days

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 22:38:45 | More by lovindahops

cfrances33

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle thanks to WhereTheWildBeersGo, poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Pale, hazy golden body, with a billowing three finger white head. Body has a radiance about it that is just beautiful. Head hangs around for a while, and leaves thick sticky lacing. This is way all saisons should look.

Smell: Tart pear and green apple juice up front, followed by a zesty citrus aspect. Some yeasty pepper, followed by a nice breadyness.

Taste: Woah. Tart pears and green apples again up front, followed by a really nice tart lemon juice. Some more white pepper and a light yeast. Slight bready sweetness, but only just Finishes with tart lemons.

Mouthfeel: Incredible. Beautiful tartness and carbonation. Super refreshing each sip. I could drink this forever.

Overall: In my opinion, Hill Farmstead's best "regular" beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 00:24:56 | More by cfrances33

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2012 batch on draft at Harvest Festival. Served in a... HF glass (shocking).

Reviewed the first batch from the bottle previously, but this year's was distinct enough to merit a new entry in my opinion. Poured a chalky, hazed golden color with a frothy white head; excellent retention and ample lace. Floral and nectary nose of honey, clover, dandelion and grass. Flavor is similar, dominated by the floral and lemon flavors with an ample tart and light pepper finish. Dry medium body with high carbonation and a crisp finish. I want more of this beer always.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2012 02:47:02 | More by yourefragile

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-hazy yellow. Perfect head, perfect haze. Like all HF beers, so pretty.

S-grassy/bitter nose. bitter more on the field side, must be the dandelions although I could not say as I have never had dandelions in a beer. slight sourness.

T-holy cow!!sweetness hits with a following blow of dryness and then sour/tart. lemon/grass/orange zest/cantaloupe rind/bitterness lingers again I think from the dandelions.

M-medium body with perfect carbonation for this style.

OVerall-I would put in my top 5 beers of all time. Thanks again HF!!

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:56:06 | More by danedelman

codysjb

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Hill Farmstead Vera Mai
Tried to Wax the bottle and the cap came off so I get to drink this. YAY!
A: Pours a cloudy straw/golden color. Lots of head plus it gushed open so a ton of head.
S: Lemon zest, farmhouse funk and that nice moldy/musky smell you get in rly old houses in Europe (or antique stores).
T: Wow, it sour. Theres a saison thing mixed with what tastes like a traditional gueuze.
M: Lemon sourness with some nice laid back farmhouse notes.
O: Hill Farmstead is amazing. I really just want to live next the brewery or at a bare min bottle and ship some stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:07:01 | More by codysjb

amnesia85

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From the most recent bottling, on side of label a hand written #2.
Bought on site early this afternoon, chilled in a bucket of ice and served in clean HF stem.

A: Hazy, Golden, Honey with a pearl white head that leaves residual lacing. Small thin creator formations.

S: clean White grape; white wine; honey; with a tiny hint of grass.

T: WOW! Taste is very familiar to me… Almost in exact order of the smell: first you get a sour pucker tart flavoring of white grapes and honey followed a very light flavor of grass (probably the dandelions).

M: light, clean, perfect carbonation, and extremely smooth.

O: overall this beer is perfect. Any rating on this beer less than a 4 must not have been reviewed in a reasonable amount of time from purchasing or not handled properly (which is a shame because it F%cks up the deviation). There is nothing I would change about this beer and my only regret is that I did not buy more, at 10 dollars for a 750 this beer is a straight up steal.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:26:30 | More by amnesia85