Clara Grisette - Hill Farmstead Brewery

jeffthecheff

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gold-yellow color with good clarity on the first pour and some moderate haze on subsequent pours. Head formation is tight, and leaves great lace on the side.

Fresh aroma with some citrusy, tangerine like fruit notes as well as leafy, green notes that remind me of bay leaf or some other herb.

At first I thought this was over-bittered, but as it warmed the fruity yeast notes came to the forefront and it became more balanced. Along with the grassy bitterness is a tart, wheaty malt flavor that goes really well with the rustic yeast. Body and flavor suggest this is more than 4% ABV, but it is still very refreshing/quenching. Carbonation is very high, which is perfect for this beer.

Overall: This beer was enjoyable enough to open my second bottle. It was a bit pricy, but I thought it was worth the purchase. I would love to see this on tap somewhere.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 00:46:54 | More by jeffthecheff

trevorjn06

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours and opaque straw color, almost looks like a Hefe. Huge head, persists.

Aroma is bright, citrusy lemon notes, some bright hop character, light earthiness.

Flavor is very dry overall, citrus, yeast, light funk/earth. Some peppery notes. Bracing hop bitterness and lingering astringent/bitter notes.

Overall has a great nose and some good flavors going, but the finish is harsh.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 00:44:49 | More by trevorjn06

AgentZero

Illinois

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

Thanks to ChrisPro for the share.

A - Pale orange/yellow colored beer with a huge white head that had great retention. Lots of stick left behind.

S - Some grainy malts, lemon zest, herbal notes, touch of barnyard and hay.

T - Taste is much like the nose, and very refreshing. There is a little bit more funk than you would gather, with some slight herbal notes.

M - Light, slightly drying finish, good carbonation.

O - Great session beer that packs in some good flavor. Not sure exactly what a Grisette was, but if it's a good take on the style I'd go for another.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 17:25:11 | More by AgentZero

andrewinski1

Maine

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. There is a giant uncontrollable head on this beer atop a light golden clear colored body.

The aroma is full of sweet honey malt with some peppery spice.

The taste is very dry and crisp. There is a lot of pepper flavor and it's full of earthy spice.

This is light and strikes a good balance between being creamy and sparkling.

This is delicious. It's light and very drinkable with lots of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 04:11:34 | More by andrewinski1

DearthVader

California

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

750 poured to HF Belgian stemmed tulip.

Thanks phingdong!

Pours a glowing straw yellow with the signature 4 finger foam head that climbs an extra inch out of the top of my glass. It stays perfectly intact and doesn't spill an ounce. Very clear body with a ton of carbonation bubbles racing around wildly. Extremely sticky lacing is left behind.

Smell is very bready with slight spiced up lemon zest.

Taste is up front with the peppered lemon and bread. Grassy notes with a floral coating follow.

Hill Farmstead has the mouthfeel mastered for every style. This is slightly different from most of their Saisons in that its extremely light. I typically prefer a slightly creamy body in my Saisons, but you can't help but love this. Super light and crisp and probably the most drinkable beer to touch these lips.

Hill Farmstead is making me consider having Vermont be my retirement destination sometime in the very late future. I've enjoyed everything They've put out so far.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 07:57:54 | More by DearthVader

Brad007

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a beautiful bright yellow color with a one-finger head into my chalice.

Sweet, spicy grains greet the nose, followed by a good amount of citrus as well.

Ditto for the taste. Spicy yeast, citrus and floral hops work together to create a synergy that rarely exists.

Lingering citrus, yeast and hops make up the mouthfeel. It's very light and crisp.

Wow. I could drink this more often due to the low ABV (4%) and the expression of flavors within it. This is what a saison should be (a light, sessionable ale for more than seasonal workers!). Check it out!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 04:15:40 | More by Brad007

grittybrews

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy yellow with a finger of off-white head. Aroma with hints of pepper-dominated spice, lemon, and mild funk.

Dry, airy mouthfeel. Flavors of grass, biscuit, lemon, and tart fruit esters on the finish.

Light and enjoyable but not entirely distinctive.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 14:38:15 | More by grittybrews

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured a cloudy straw yellow color with lots of carbonation, perhaps to much

S: Herbs, hay, peppery, light funk and lemon

T: Light pepper, lemon with hay, horseblanket, some Earthiness

M: Light bod, dry but this beer falls flat on its face with flavor about midway to end.

O: Average

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 15:03:55 | More by barleywinefiend

youradhere

Arkansas

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

South Sound Tasting Notes

Pours a cloudy pale gold, thick white head that lingers. Smells of lemon with citrus hop character, slight grassy aroma. Taste is sulfur and lemon, lots of hop astringency, very clean flavors. Mouthfeel is pithy, high carbonation quickly scrubs flavors, very astringent and dry. Overall not bad, flavor is etherial and a bit too astringent on the palate; refreshing none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 18:18:49 | More by youradhere

Sean9689

Illinois

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

Thanks to ChrisPro for this one. Poured into tulip.

A - Pours light golden yellow, nice amount of lacing, thick collar, thin cap left over after the initial pour.

S - Light funk, floral, slight herbal notes. All very light and crisp which is what this beer is suppose to be all about. The funk is there, just in a smaller dosage.

T - Pretty much like the nose. Light funk, floral, slight herbal. Mostly a light funk on this one with the other notes taking a back seat.

M - Light body, good carbonation, semi-dry finish.

O - Super easy to drink and at 4%, I wouldn't expect anything else. Just a very light, easy drinking beer, which is what HF billed this one to be. Very delicate, very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 15:10:07 | More by Sean9689

MasterSki

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to ChrisPro for sharing this one. Served in a Bruery tulip.

A - A finger-plus of foam settles to a thin cap and thicker collar - excellent retention and attractive lacing. Hazy peach flesh body.

S - Lemon, farmhouse yeast, light lactic character, a bit of milled grain, and a touch of sharp wheat. Tons of flavor for 4%.

T - Lots of flavor for the ABV as well. Some nice bready malts, hint of yeast spice, a bit of citrus zest, minimal sweetness,

M - Surprisingly hefty body for 4%. Chewy and smooth texture, pleasant medium carbonation, and a nice clean finish.

D - Great low-alcohol beer. Would like to have this one again, as it makes a great session option, packing a ton of flavor and sufficiently hefty body into an easy-to-drink package. More Grisettes please!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 17:21:28 | More by MasterSki

ChrisPro

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle picked up at the brewery

A - crystal clear pale yellow with pillow of white foam; lacing prevalent througout

S - hay, earth and some nice herbal notes.

T- very little sweetness and some solid funk; a nice dry butter finish. Very well balanced

M - perfect carbonation; light bodied and extremely dry

O - sickeningly quaffable. So much flavor for the ABV. One of my favorites by HF for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 00:46:32 | More by ChrisPro

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for sharing this, Nathan.

Light yellow with a thin, white head with excellent retention and lacing. The nose is excellent. Rustic with a grainy character with light lemon, Saaz hops, a little bread and light sugar are all noticeable. The palate opens moderately crisp, moderately yeasty and spicy with white pepper, light grass and hay. Again, a grainy malt character is present. Drying, grassy and with a mild Saaz hop character on the finish that lingers wonderfully, this is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 04:44:30 | More by DefenCorps

Bardwashrind

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A picture perfect summer night brought upon the desire for a beer of just this caliber. My first introduction to the Grisette style by way of a brewery I have come to enjoy greatly as of late.

Upon opening the bottle and pouring the first few ounces into the glasses awaiting I was met by a hazy, copper colored liquid with a dense head of bright carbonation. The aromas were distinct with qualities similar to that of hay or a wide open field among the rural country. Dried citrus peels, some lemon, wheat, damp wood and earthy yeast were all arising from the glass. Quite lovely as this didn't have an overly funky quality, more rustic with the complexities similar to herbs and spices. Smelled great with grass under foot.

Tasting the beer under the late day sun shine was a perfect pairing in it's own way. Great carbonation was apparent with the mouthfeel being quite impressive for a beer clocking in at only 4%. Flavors ranged from germinated wheat, oatmeal, wild flowers with some distant bitter hops lingering at the end. Delicious and different that a typical saison, as the big fruity esters were not as pronounced and a more grainy, almost hearth oven toasted bread flavor was apparent.

This would be a staple in our home if we could realistically obtain bottles. Fresh but still rustic with refreshment coming from a distinct simplicity that was quite admirable. With each beer, Hill Farmstead is proving that the honest path is the most admirable. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 03:07:48 | More by Bardwashrind

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing this one, Bobby.

A: The beer pours a cloudy pale yellow color with a big white head.

S: Somewhat funky with a very floral aroma. There's a light lemon/lemon zest note with some mild herbal notes. Slightly peppery with some cracker malts and a hint of skunk.

T: The flavor is heavy on the cracker/pale malt flavors and pepper. Highly floral and very yeasty. There is a faint herbal quality to the beer which is nice. A touch of grass is also present.

M: Light in body with a medium level of carbonation.

O: Light and easy drinking with good flavors. Good warm weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 00:03:41 | More by womencantsail

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2L growler poured into a wine glass (from notes):

A: Pours pale yellow/straw, hazy, less than a finger of bubbly white head. Leaves just a little lacing.

S: Light floral/spicy hops with a little lemon, lots of toasted malts/biscuit, some funk.

T: What else would I expect from HFS. A lovely balance of light hop character, same as the nose, with a ton of malt character. The malt base isn't big nor thick, but as always with HFS, it has a ton of flavor. Layers and layers of grains (biscuit, buckwheat?, toasted malts, etc). I really don't know how he does it! Slight funk and tartness in the middle. Finish is clean with just a tiny bit of bitterness.

M: Light body and slightly high carbonation. Smooth and crisp.

O: Another fantastic beer from Shaun. This might be the most flavorful 4% beer I've ever had. Keep up the good work!

Serving type: growler

08-25-2011 00:49:44 | More by Satchboogie

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Avalon68 for opening this up to compare with the forthcoming grisette from Terry. Served in a short tumbler.

Pours a nice, slightly-hazed straw-yellow with a good, sticky white head that persists for quite sometime and leaves a sheet of solid lace on the sides of the glass.

Nose brings forward some nice aromas of white pepper with a little bit of black in there. Notes of earth as well as straw come through. Mild wheaty character. Great lemon rind comes through as well, quickly becoming the most-dominant portion of the brew. Flavor is similarly intense, yet mellow at the same time. Subtle fruit notes plus a nice bit of pepper and yeast throughout. Lemon rind abounds.

Light body with good carbonation and a very nice finish, which is fairly dry. Thirst-quenching and delicious. This is quite the session brew. This was the first grisette that I've had, and Shaun really did wonders for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 17:17:32 | More by Thorpe429

starrdogg

District of Columbia

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden-yellow with a big fluffy white head and a lot of bubbles floating to the top. Lots of carbonation.

S: Smell is that typical saison yeast aroma mixed with something else more earthy/grainy that I can't quite put my finger on and a little bit of sweetness. Definitely a little bit unique in the smell.

T: A little bit lemony, a little bit peppery and a little bit grainy with almost no sweetness at all to speak of. As I drink on, the graininess really becomes the dominant flavor. It's actually got a good amount of flavor considering such a low ABV, but I'm not blown away with it like I am with some of the other HF stuff.

M: Very light-bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Finishes very dry.

O: Another strong effort from Hill Farmstead, especially given that the style "grisette" is not one I've ever encountered before, but I don't think it measures up to some of the other HF saisons like Anna. It's still a nice, flavorful, light, easy drinking beer, however, and there's always a place for something like that in this world.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 00:56:37 | More by starrdogg