Clara Grisette - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottle: Poured a light hazy yellow/straw color ale with a large dirty white foamy head with excellent retention and good lacing. Aroma of lemony wheat notes is a bit tarter then expected with light funky ester. Taste is also dominated by lemony tart notes with some wheat malt notes and light funky ester. Body is full for style with good carbonation. No brewing but those lemony notes are just not my favourite flavours.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 20:24:55 | More by Phyl21ca

Florida9

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

HF Clara
Apricot color. Hazy nice foamy head. Excellent retention. Some light lacing. Aroma is all Saison: yeasty, lemon, pepper and spice, bright with a slight acidity. Taste is nice: bright -and lemony. Very lift body. There seems to be a bit of oaky astringency on the back end, but this is still a pretty damn good Saison. Lighter bodied. Heavier carbonation. Virtually no bitterness. A nice beer from HF.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:55:10 | More by Florida9

PerHops

California

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A- Starts out lively with a nice 1 inch head that settles at a moderate pace. The color is perfection for a saison; a brilliant golden orange with lots of lacing on the glass.

S- Definitely some funk especially when first opened. A little one dimensional at first, but as it warms up it reveals plenty of depth. Citrus and spice and grassiness meld nicely with the musty funk presumably from the yeast.

T- Definitely funkier and more tart than I anticipated. Reminds me a lot of a berliner weiss but with more complexity and a little less sour. The yeast shows up beautifully here and the spice is just barely noticeable. It also has just a touch of smoke on the finish.

M- Has quite a bit more carbonation than evident from the appearance. It almost borders on too much carbonation, but it works for the style.

O- This beer was a fantastic saison, or grisette if that is a category. I am more than impressed and enjoyed it even more than the arthur I tried recently. Yet another great beer from hill farmstead.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:58:51 | More by PerHops

AlexFields

Tennessee

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a golden yellow color similar to most of the HF saisons.

Smells of interesting malt character, maybe rye or oat, some bready and floral notes. Maybe some slightly tart citrus test, but really as with several of the other HF beers I don't get the tartness in the nose, just in the taste.

Taste has the same rye/oat malt profile, more citrus zest and some tartness but not much acidity, flowers again.

Another really solid saison from HF.

8.0/10

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 16:06:41 | More by AlexFields

rodkin

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear amber-orange with a 2-3 finger head, big and fluffy. Reduces slowly with nice lacing.

Smell is big yeast, earthiness, slight spice, followed by a sweet fruity brightness - citrus and apple, maybe peach.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. Slight breadiness, berliner-style tartness, citrus, wheat and grain, finishes with a grassy, earthy flavor and some peppery spice. Quite a bit tarter than I was expecting, and very flavorful - especially for the ABV.

Mouthfeel is light, dry, heavily carbonated.

This beer is very sessionable. One of the best saisons I've had.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:24:52 | More by rodkin

FosterJM

California

3.91/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1734th Review on BA
Bottle champagne flute
750ml

Shared with my coworker Antti

App- A nice and orangey golden color with some yellows mixed into it. A bit shimmery and buttery looking. The head on this was nice and puffy and then fell to some really great cling and sticky lace.

Smell- This was very similar to southern stars Walloon. Where this seemed like a saison at first but turned a bit. Lighter, more earthy and grainy from the wheat and a bit spicy like a small rye but unique in that sense.

Taste- I enjoyed this little beer. Drank bigger than the 4% would lead on. A bit small on certain aspects of flavors but with that spicy pseudo rye tinge, and with a bit of the wheats coming in it was a nice balance and duality of flavors. A little of a saison peppery note.

Mouth- Even for a small AbV this had a nice medium wet body behind it with a good medium carbonation. Dry, earthy, grassy and balanced.

Drink- Leave it to Shaun Hill to take an obscure small ABV beer and make it damn good, love HF stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 22:18:23 | More by FosterJM

Skrip

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a dogfish snifter

A~ hazy golden amber, with a thick white creamy head

S~ like any old saison, yeasty and peppery.

T~ heres where this really opens up, unlike the smell the first thing you get is tart, citrus goodness. then comes the wheat and of course pepper.

M~ mmm! creamy and tart. very sessionable

O~ well... HF does it again, this is my second HF following Arthur. i said Arthur was one of my favorite saison of all time. now i'm a little torn, this is just as good if not better. i can't wait to try more of their brews. i have a feeling they're gonna shape up to be one of my favorite breweries!

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 00:50:46 | More by Skrip

UnderJoath

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle brought back from HF by good ole BeerMeFitz

Pours a hazy light orange with a large fluffy head. Citrusy aroma with a little spice, almost like oregano or a subtle coriander. Tastes of citrus zest, honey, and a bit of grass. Highly but not overly carbonated mouthfeel. Refreshing, but I wouldn't travel to Vermont for any more.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:57:16 | More by UnderJoath

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead wine glass.

Appearance - Hazy golden body with a very large white head. Lace clings to the sides of the glass, but never fully settles. A pillow of foam on the surface.

Smell - Yeasty, like Anna. Lots of hay and wheat. Bright acidic lemon aroma.

Taste - Tart acidity is immediately apparent. Cracker malt flavor. Lots of wheat. Yeasty, but not as much as the nose. Peppery finish.

Mouthfeel - Grainy, pleasantly sour. Well carbonated. Light and easy to drink.

Overall - This was my first Hill Farmstead beer years ago at the Blackback Pub. Revisiting it for the first time. Admittedly, it's not Hill Farmstead's best beer, but it caught my interest back then and has held it ever since.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:16:17 | More by Alieniloquium

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a 750 ml poured into a duvel glass

A: pours a lightly hazy golden with a touch of orange. A massive two fingers of fluffy white head with excellent retention and lacing... Very nice looking brew.

S: get a good dose of the grains used in the aroma... Particuarly the wheat, along with a slightly tart lemon aroma, their farmhouse yeast certainly is distinctive, there is a very light but if grassy barnyard in the aroma... But I would have to say the nose is mostly earthy wheat and oats.

T: the tart yeast notes step up considerably in the Tate from the aroma, the oat and wheat notes are still there, but no longer the dominant character. The tartness comes in right up front followed by the barnyard funk and earthy wheaty character. Tasty overall

M: medium lush body with medium crisp carbonation, stings the palate a bit, works well for the style.

O: a nice brew, I love the character of hill farmstead farmhouse yeast... Nice tart citrusy and earthy wheat an oats, nice balance and great drinkability.... Tons of flavor for such a low abv brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:50:34 | More by PeterIngemi

BeerMeFitz

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I just picked this up at HF last week.

Poured from a bottle

It Pours a hazy yellow and with immense head.

Mild typical barnyard aroma

Hmmm .... some bitterness and pepper yet very refreshing beverage ... great summer drinker

Pretty average mouthfeel

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 00:28:13 | More by BeerMeFitz

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a crystal clear deep golden color, and with a very careful pour, half a glass of rocky bone white head is constantly fed with a steady stream of carb bubbles. The aroma is spicy with a funky edge and a sugary honey like sweetness deep underneath. The flavor is a little tart with a light citric component to it. Lots of yeasty spice and funkiness round out the flavor very well. Medium to light body with an insane amount of carbonation and a sweet bubbly mouthfeel. This is a very nice beer, its quite flavorful, light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 22:32:48 | More by johnnnniee

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours a hazy yellow-orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, and some woody aromas. Taste is much the same with an aspirin-like bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 22:28:18 | More by UCLABrewN84

cfrances33

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

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

Pour: Hazy orange with a two and a half finger white head. Head hangs around for a little bit, and has a little bit of lacing.

Smell: A tart lemon zest up front, followed by spicy yeast and white pepper. A light biscuity malt sweetness.

Taste: Follows the nose perfectly, with a really nice tart lemon bite up from, and a great biscuity sweetness. A light yeast and white pepper on the finish. Simple but delicious.

Mouthfeel: Crazy drinkable. Lemon tartness lingers on the back of the tongue for a while. Very, very refreshing.

Overall: A beautiful easy drinking beer. I can only imagine how great this would be on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 22:03:48 | More by cfrances33

Arbitrator

California

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. Thanks!

No batch number.

A: Pours a cloudy apricot orange capped with a finger of off-white head which falls into a thin collar. The back of the glass has nice lace curtains.

S: Lemon zest, dried hay, grass, bread, and white grapes. Quite nice on the nose, though it doesn't have much phenolic (pepper) character.

T: Hill Farmstead produces a lot of saisons, so it's no surprise that the recipes have gotten dialed in. Lemon zest, grass, white grapes, and green apple. The mid-taste evokes grain. The finish is redolent with minerals, earth, and yeast; there's a slight pepper bite, but it vanishes as yeast pulls into the aftertaste.

M: This was less effervescent than some of HF's other saisons, but to much nicer effect. The bubbles are soft and velvety, creating a soothing presence instead of a prickly one. The downside is that the flavor lingers, with a slick, yeasty aftertaste.

O: I suspect this is the kind of beer that gets lost in a big tasting lineup. Open it before other beers, or open it by itself. It's a nice experience.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 21:00:43 | More by Arbitrator

cosmicevan

New York

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from tasting on 11/16. thanks to dat for hooking up the bottle. enjoyed from a hill farmstead wineglass.

a - pours a murky orange yellow with a fizzy head that hung out a bit. the bottle was a bit of a gusher. lacing is a bit stringy and swirling the glass really makes it happen.

s - grassy with some hints of soft fruit and lemon, quite rustic.

t - clean and crisp. some lemon. just super balanced and delicious.

m - super easy drinking and just fantastic.

o - wow. this is a really nice saison with great balance in all the right places. really just enjoyable. hill farmstead really just makes killer saisons (and ipas, and pretty much beer in general).

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:09:47 | More by cosmicevan

birchstick

Missouri

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours clear with a white frothy head on it

S - nose is sweet grainy malts, wheat, lemon, and herbs

T - citrus lemon flavors upfront segue into some herbal tones. Next, some grainy wheat malts come in and a little bit of spicy hops come in to round it off.

M - smooth and full - nice

D - overall, this is a nice saison. Citrusy, herbally, with a bit of hops. As with every HFS brew I have tried, this is was enjoyable and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 04:40:27 | More by birchstick

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy, pale yellow, with a fluffy white head that settles down slowly. Lacing clings to the glass in sheets. Aroma is moderately tart and lemony; pepper, wheat, light hay and mustiness.

Flavor is clean and lemony; gently tart and peppery, again there is a wheat note, light bready malt, a hint of hay and must, but the latter is quite restrained.

Body is medium-light; medium carbonation; smooth but lively. A simple beer with subtle complexities; an easy drinking refresher; the kind of beer you reach for on a summer day (if you can get it) and not even notice you're at the bottom of the pint in a matter of moments.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:56:44 | More by tobelerone

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle to HF stemmed tulip.

A - Partly cloudy pale yellow colour. Two fingers of lightly fluffy white head that quickly reduced to one finger with great lacing. Some large pieces of sediment floating in the bottom of the glass.

S - A musky barnyard funk aroma up front. Bready malts and lighter clove and peppery spice notes present as well.

T - The funk really hits up front and is accompanied by a pretty big tartness. Some wheat and Belgian yeast notes are present as well but the big barnyard funk presence really takes this beer over and dominates the other flavours that palate. There are also some grassy and herbal hop flavours in the background and a strange aftertaste that has hints of dill.

M - Medium body. Very dry. Moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 14:40:49 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle. Beautiful opaque bright yellow-beige with white head that recedes quickly in a ring of foam. Aroma is rustic and farmhouse, old wheat, lemon and hay. Definitly funky. I really like the wheat profile. Taste is tart as per Hill Farmstead yeast. Wheat provides some body. I find it very mineral and earthy. Mouthfeel is deliciously dry and light-medium bodied. Very tasty but I don't like it is very sessionnable as it is a little too tart. As good as this is, I miss the Hill Farmstead's saisonthat weren't soured by the yeast.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 00:16:16 | More by Luk13

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, fall '12
Hill Farmstead wine glass

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color. Finger and a half of fluffy bright white head. Good carbonation flowing from bottom of glass. Some lacing is left as it recedes.

S: Some funk. Barnyard. Wet hay. White grape. Green Apple. Spice, pepper.

T: On the front of the tongue, you get that traditional Saison pepper spiciness. That pronounced yeast strange really shows. I guess predominantly I get flavors of white grape and that slightly tart green apple hint. Maybe some grassy grainy hints as it get further on the palate. Finish is dry. White wine like. Love the low ABV here. Refreshing little Saison without the guilt.

M: Light leading into medium.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 13:40:41 | More by inlimbo77

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clara pours a hazy honey orange with a moderate, creamy white head on top. The foam dissolves very slowly coating the sides of the glass in netted patterns of lace.

The aroma is a little funky with spices and fruity notes. bread, lemon, mango, and coriander plus a touch of fruity tartness are all detected.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is creamy and smooth with a light carbonated fizz. The flavor is much like the aroma, bready with notes of lemon, mango, coriander, and a little pepper. Some bubblegum sweetness is present in the background. It finishes flowery and mildly tart. Once gone the lemon citrus and coriander linger on the palate.

A very tasty beer that would go great with a nice Vermont cheese plate. Clara has a great mouthfeel, but the aroma fades after the first few sips.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 19:27:52 | More by WanderingFool

harrymel

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Keef. Bottled earlier.

Nice light grain on lemon color with a solid quilt of white fines and drapes of lace. Nice nose here. Plenty of grain, soil, hints of horse, some manure and clay. Slightest hint of lemon in the nose. Slightest tart with lemon flavor, grain, yeast, some tasty light pilsner character. Medium on full bodied with soft carbonation and a wet finish. This is a really desirable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 05:51:20 | More by harrymel

brystmar

New York

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Josh!

Beautiful appearance, as always. HF has that down cold. Wheaty, malty, earthy aroma. Smells and taste almost vinous even though I'm pretty sure it never spent time in wine barrels.

Smooth, refined flavor profile. Not too much wheat as these styles often get. Hoppy notes at the end add delicious complexity to the mix. Infinitely sessionable Shaun does it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:25:01 | More by brystmar

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up at Hill Farmstead, poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice crystal clear dark golden hue with a fluffy/big bubbled two finger head that faded rather quickly leaving some nice side lacing.

S - Aromas are the typical musty hill farmstead saison. Light wheat and lemons here with the faint barnyard.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with a touch more bright lemon, gentle wheat and funk. Pretty good. Nothing earth shattering, but still pretty flavourful.

M - Mouthfeel is lighter with ALOT of carbonation. Almost a distractingly amount of carbonation. Its nice and light but yah, almost too much carbonation here.

O - Overall not a bad saison. For me, I'm not generally a huge fan of HF saisons. They're all either consistently around 4 (which is still damn solid) or outstanding barrel aged. I'll still keep buying them though, as its still worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 01:09:27 | More by rudzud