George - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Clear, medium brown in color with a big, fizzy, fluffy, light brown head that fades into craters and pillows of foam. Great lace and decent retention.

S: Nutty, malty, earthy, woody, hoppy...everything an American Brown Ale should have, but better.

T: Much of the same from the nose. Slightly sweet/sugary malt comes through which is a nice complement to the fairly hoppy quality of this beer.

M: Crazy smooth as is the case with all HF beers, properly carbonated, but a bit cloying in the finish. Finish is all malt with a slight hop bitterness. Overall very nice.

O: At first I was unimpressed. As the beer warms, it develops more character in the nose & flavor. I definitely enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away or stand out above the rest of the beers of this style. But that's one of the issues with popular/delicious breweries like HF...expectations are always high going in so when one doesn't meet the high standards, it disappoints. I am trying to be as objective as possible and put all assumptions aside. Great beer.

Serving type: growler

12-27-2012 01:50:05 | More by Gatch

Mack2012

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-18-2013 04:04:09 | More by Mack2012

hphilip456

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

05-16-2013 03:31:20 | More by hphilip456

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%

05-14-2013 14:51:46 | More by hoppymcgee

Heavy-G

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

05-13-2013 19:34:08 | More by Heavy-G

sdaly3

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%

05-12-2013 23:51:18 | More by sdaly3

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +17.3%

05-12-2013 17:00:24 | More by mikeburd1128

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.31/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750ml growler into a NEBCO 668 tulip.

Pours a 1 finger light coffee colored head with moderate retention. Beer is a dark, nearly opaque mahogany. Lacing is stringy and patchy with good stick. Solid.

Nose is roasted malt, walnut and chestnut shell, some caramel, and a touch of molasses sweetness. Surprisingly robust and pretty aromatic. I like this a lot!

Opens nutty. Brown sugar, walnut and chestnut shell and caramel towards the middle. More dark malt flavors float in towards the end. Finishes with a touch of booze and some molasses bittersweetness. Same in the aftertaste. Real rich. Great combination of flavors.

Light bodied with moderate to low carbonation. Slick and smooth in the mouth and goes down slick with the slightest bite. Slightly messy finish with a short, sticky aftertaste. I love it!

I'm actually a huge fan of brown ales in general. However, I have a strong preference towards robust browns that are less roasty with a bigger malt presence. George delivers on all fronts here. Its sweet and not too bitter, with a light feel that is, at the same time, full and very smooth. This is certainly a top tier brown!

Serving type: growler

05-12-2013 00:37:49 | More by SpeedwayJim

mdillon86

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%

05-11-2013 21:25:08 | More by mdillon86

SPRichard

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.2%

05-11-2013 17:05:08 | More by SPRichard

cwelsh55

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%

05-11-2013 04:02:24 | More by cwelsh55

phishphorce

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%

05-11-2013 01:47:34 | More by phishphorce

IrishColonial

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-10-2013 22:18:18 | More by IrishColonial

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-dark brown color with a decent tan head and good lacing

S-dark malt, brown sugar, hint of coffee

T-dark roasted malt, coffee, brown sugar, light pine, moderate bitter finish

F- medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy

O- a nice brown ale with good flavor, good balance

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 22:37:37 | More by MDDMD

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.09/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Taken from notes from a recent trip to Montreal and Vermont.

On tap at The Prohibition Pig. Pours a dark brown, almost black color with an inch of frothy head. A lot going on in the nose. Malts, bread, earth, nuts, and brown sugar. Hints of booze. The taste is of malts upfront with earth and brown sugar. Nutty with a slight citrus hop bitterness at the end. Creamy mouthfeel. Overall, a really good Brown ALe worth having again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 01:21:16 | More by PicoPapa

JaymeAyotte1

Vermont

4/5  rDev -1.2%

05-08-2013 00:45:24 | More by JaymeAyotte1

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-07-2013 23:28:15 | More by cadaugherty

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL growler poured into a Teku snifter.

Appearance - Deep amber. A few big bubbles. Nothing on the surface.

Smell - Nutty and chocolatey. Moderately hopped. Nice.

Taste - Hoppier than the nose implies. Nice nutty and chocolate flavor. Simple but nice. Just a bit of bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Rich flavor. Medium low carbonation.

Overall - Quality beer as always. Nothing out of the ordinary but an excellent brown.

Serving type: growler

05-07-2013 01:04:47 | More by Alieniloquium

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

on tap at bainbridge barrel house - served in snifter

Pours an opaque chestnut brown with a thick crop of bubbled, tanned head. Dissolves slowly, leaving some rings of lacing on the glass while drinking.

Piny hops in the nose with smooth notes of cocoa beans, dark chocolate and toasted malts.

Smack of mildly bitter hops up front, piny and resinous. Full malt profile with cocoa and chocolate, backed by roasty notes. Nutty and softly sweet, finishes a bit hoppy and bitter.

Medium body, well carbonated, chewy and sticky on the tongue. A well-executed hopped up brown ale - yes, please.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 21:43:15 | More by xnicknj

Tschnab

New York

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-06-2013 18:27:01 | More by Tschnab

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-05-2013 21:41:44 | More by tbeckett

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

05-03-2013 16:35:47 | More by stereosforgeeks

tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.2%

04-29-2013 22:24:06 | More by tom10101

pearljam118

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%

04-29-2013 20:58:56 | More by pearljam118

Mike

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%

04-29-2013 16:25:30 | More by Mike