Daybreak - Hill Farmstead Brewery

DaybreakDaybreak

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BA SCORE
92
outstanding
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132 Ratings
THE BROS
N/A

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rAvg: 4.17
pDev: 9.83%
Reviews: 50
Hads: 82

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Brewed by:
Hill Farmstead Brewery visit their website
Vermont, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout |  10.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (43), on-tap (7)

Notes:
Imperial Stout brewed with Citrus at Hill Farmstead Brewery with the company, hardwork, and input of our good friend Mikkel Borg Bjergsø of Mikkeller.
View:  Beers  (73) |  Events  (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by Luk13:
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Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

01-22-2013 00:42:00 | More by Luk13
More User Reviews:
Photo of doremite
doremite

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-13-2013 20:17:32 | More by doremite
Photo of Beerdster
Beerdster

Alaska

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

06-09-2013 15:51:59 | More by Beerdster
Photo of Skrip
Skrip

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

A~ couldn't get any darker, nice tanish head and a tiny bit of lacing.

S~ like a stout haha very roasty, lots of chocolate and a little coffe. some nice citrus notes on the end, lemon, bright orange and some lime.

T~ starts out following the nose, lots of dark roasted malt, followed by a little coffe, then some hop bitterness. once you swallow you get hit with a citrus zest, more so here then on the nose. the citrus gives this a nice sweetness, kind of like a milk stout but more acidity.

M~ smoooth as could be, especially for the high abv. a little warming but thats to be expected. nice carbonation and surprisingly not one bit dry.

O~ very nice, interesting stout. definitely not a HF favorite but its still very well rounded. everything comes out evenly despite the complexity. one thing HF is ridiculously good at pulling off no matter what. definitely let this warm up a bit before drinking as well, i'd say around 55-60. unless you must "catch them all" like myself theres not too much of a reason to seek this out. much better stouts out there but if the citrus aspect is pulling you in, definitely go for it!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 02:38:44 | More by Skrip
Photo of Anonymous1
Anonymous1

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-04-2013 20:53:04 | More by Anonymous1
Photo of Bearded_Infamy
Bearded_Infamy

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-24-2013 18:39:35 | More by Bearded_Infamy
Photo of tom10101
tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

04-29-2013 22:22:17 | More by tom10101
Photo of Takeanotherswing
Takeanotherswing

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

03-06-2013 03:06:56 | More by Takeanotherswing
Photo of djrn2
djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.1%

03-04-2013 23:55:52 | More by djrn2
Photo of tectactoe
tectactoe

Michigan

4.14/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This one pours completely black, not much light passes through this one, even at the edges. The head is tan with a slight tiny of grey. Some wet legging and a bit of spotty lacing is left along the edges of the glass. The aroma pounds forward with a helping of creamy coffee and some light hints of cocoa nibs. Some faint vanilla sits quietly in the background somewhere, accompanied by an almost bourbon-like warmth and character. Overall, it's a bit sweet and grainy on the nose, though I'm not getting much of a citrus character. Maybe a very, very faint hint of orange peel, but nothing that really stands out or catches my attention.

Daybreak starts off with a pillow of some lightly roasted malts and immediately dives into a somewhat smokey character, with a campfire-like charred component and hefty helpings of ash on the back end. Halfway through, the citrus comes out, and in a pretty big way; a nice blast of orange zest and lemon rind rushes to the corners of my mouth and provides a solid sweetness that isn't quite strong enough to be "tart". As quickly as this citrus joined the party, it bows it head and ducks out just as quick, leading the way into an aftertaste that's a bit nutty, woody, and very roasty. Alcohol is tame, especially considering it's 10.5% ABV. Medium-heavy body with a creamy texture and a mild amount of carbonation.

Very solid stout here, with a nice, albeit somewhat strange, addition of citrus flavors. Very drinkable and smooth given the high alcohol content. This went down without a problem, although I don't know if it's worth giving up a lot to get your hands on it. Nevertheless, still a solid stout all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 20:38:14 | More by tectactoe
Photo of Kelp
Kelp

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

02-25-2013 04:43:48 | More by Kelp
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jbuddle

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-22-2013 21:28:40 | More by jbuddle
Photo of Quackus
Quackus

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-18-2013 22:46:05 | More by Quackus
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largadeer

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-14-2013 04:39:19 | More by largadeer
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spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-13-2013 21:43:19 | More by spycow
Photo of afksports
afksports

New York

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

01-09-2013 16:16:27 | More by afksports
Photo of TMoney2591
TMoney2591

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Sweetwater mini-snifter.

For whatever reason, this beer makes me think of bad vampire novels or something... Anyway, it pours a deep dark sienna topped by a finger of light brown foam. The nose comprises candied orange peel, dry roasted malts, buttery toffee, and dusty lemon zest. The taste holds notes of mandarin orange syrup, roasted malts, light dark chocolate powder, and candied orange peel. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a very light moderate carbonation, a smooth feel, and a dry finish. Overall, a pretty nice stout, one that shows that a stout can indeed be blended with fruity elements without the latter taking over and ruining things, but it wasn't entirely my cup of tea: While the elements didn't actually clash, they didn't seem in complete cooperation and harmony, either. Still, it didn't turn out all that badly...

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 21:27:29 | More by TMoney2591
Photo of homebrew311
homebrew311

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours opaque black with dark brown layer of head, spotty lacing left behind. Nose has dark chocolate and earthy hops paired with bright orange character. Notes of creamy vanilla, chocolate, and spicy character that I am familiar with from other Mikeller stouts. Taste is heavy on chocolate, roast, light on Citrus character. Some malty sweetness in the middle. Mouthfeel is moderate with light carbonation. Overall, it is quite interesting, the orange doesn't come through on the palate as much as I would have hoped.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:54:04 | More by homebrew311
Photo of Florida9
Florida9

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: very dark. Appears black, but light around the edge shows this to be dark brown. Forms a frothy mocha colored head. No lacing.

S: Lots of roasted malts. Maybe a little char. There is some citrus as well, but its a bit more acidic smelling than it would be from hops.

T: Roasted malts, light sweetness. Orange. Chocolate and cocoa. Citrus.

M: on the heavier side of medium, but a little thin for the style. Lower carbonation. Mild bitterness. Slight citric acidity.

O: A good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:53:08 | More by Florida9
Photo of BeerCosmonaut
BeerCosmonaut

Vermont

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-05-2013 04:42:37 | More by BeerCosmonaut
Photo of doughanson78
doughanson78

Washington

4/5  rDev -4.1%

01-05-2013 03:29:25 | More by doughanson78
Photo of SpeedwayJim
SpeedwayJim

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Josh for this one. 500ml bottle into a Cigar City snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a big, 2 finger frothy mocha head with good retention. Beer is opaque black with stringy, thick lacing with decent cling. Moderately oily legs. Very solid overall.

Nose is orange rind, cocoa powder, liquorice, fudge, roasted malt, and lactose. Aromatic. Decently complex though a touch grainy.

Opens sweet fudge, mocha, and chocolate. Some citrus sweet notes float in and out but don't really make their presence felt. Roasted malt tartness with lactose to smooth things out at the middle. Finishes chocolate and some dark fruit. Coffee, cocoa powder, and roasted malt in the aftertaste. Decent. This one grows on you with time.

Medium to full bodied with low carbonation. Silky and rich in the mouth and warm with a touch of heat going down. Messy finish with a sticky, lingering aftertaste. Near perfect as always with Hill Farmstead.

Although this is still a very solid creation, its not one of the better dark beers from Hill Farmstead. That's not a knock against Daybreak but rather a complement to the incredible lineup from HF. Probably not worth the asking price but I wouldn't mind revisiting this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:42:09 | More by SpeedwayJim
Photo of chippo33
chippo33

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

11-30-2012 03:22:16 | More by chippo33
Photo of cpetrone84
cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pour is jet black with creamy dark caramel head. Nose is heavier on the roast coffee, light vanilla and some touch of milk chocolate, light cherry and fair bit of citrus takes over. Body is thick, very heavy and creamy, taste is heavy roast coffee with notes of peat. There is some milk chocolate mid palate and faint sweetness in back and a slowly increasing citrus very powerful in back. It's almost like a loaded hop stout with assertive carbonation and a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 18:38:36 | More by cpetrone84
Photo of coreyfmcdonald
coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4/5  rDev -4.1%

11-27-2012 18:37:45 | More by coreyfmcdonald
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Daybreak from Hill Farmstead Brewery
92 out of 100 based on 132 user ratings.