George - Hill Farmstead Brewery

Hendry

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

George is one of the more overlooked offerings from HFS, and this 750ml growler was filled 3 weeks ago in Greensboro Bend.

Pours a deep,nearly opaque brown with a tall foamy ecru head that reduces to nothing,lacing only average.

Aroma is filled with roasted malts and coffee along with some balsa wood, with hops certainly present.

Taste is also quite roasty and rich.Deep flavors here and they change as it warms, becoming slightly cedary,some flavors of roasted nuts also lurking in the malty abyss.

Mouthfeel is medium to full, appropriate carbonation, some bitterness and acidity from the roasted flavors.

A very rich and satisfying Brown Ale, though not like one that I've ever tasted before. Definitely worth a try, quite interesting and unique.

Serving type: growler

05-25-2013 06:04:40 | More by Hendry

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

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

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

Skrip

South Carolina

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml growler poured into a Hill Farmstead oversized wine glass.

A~ dark brown with a slight tan head and a tiny bit of lacing.

S~ roasty caramel, hazelnut, a little coffe, and some bready yeast on the finish.

T~ pretty much follows the nose exactly which is very rare haha definitely a lot of caramel here and hop bitterness on the finish.

M~ creamy caramel feel, with very nice carbonation. smooth and rich!

O~ very all around well balanced brown. if you're in the mood for a brown you really can't go wrong here!

Serving type: growler

04-27-2013 02:43:41 | More by Skrip

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Tasted on-tap at "Torst," in Greenpoint, Brooklyn NYC. Review from notes.

George's Ruddy, deep-brown appearance is a bit dark for a brown ale, but ultimately is translucent. The beer is definitely carbonated. There's a thin halo of froth and some slight lacing on the glass as well.

The ale smells great, with some subtle roasted malts, moderate espresso notes, and a dash of resinous hop aromas. Upon tasting, the nuttiness that one would expect from a brown ale comes through, with a bit of cocoa and a rather prevalent smokiness too, which surprised me. The flavor is somewhat similar to an American Porter, but the mouth feel is light. This definitely was easy to finish.

Ultimately, this is a luscious beer with a very vague style bale slapped on it, which doesn't do it justice.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 16:33:02 | More by Neorebel

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown with a creamy head. Head persists nicely and some lacing present. Aroma is dark malts but nice. Flavor is great with chocolate upfront along with a good mix of malts. On the back it has a peppery spice. Sweet yet somewhat dry. A really nicely balanced beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 21:53:59 | More by Oakenator

mdfb79

New York

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From 04/15/13 notes. Had a 16 oz. pour of this on tap at Ginger Man in NYC.

a - Pours a deep mahogany brown color with one to two inches of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, nuts, sugar, molasses, light pine hops, some chocolate, and some caramel malts.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, nuts, toffee, chocolate coffee, some sugar, light fruits, and toasted malts. Nice taste, very roasty.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. Smooth and quite easy to drink.

o - Overall not my favorite HF beer and not my favorite style, but a good brown ale. Easy to drink and lots of roasted and toasted nuts. Would have it again and would be a great brown ale for people getting into craft beers, but wouldn't strain myself to seek it out like I would most of their other beers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 18:21:00 | More by mdfb79

rlee1390

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Black in the glass, two finger cream tan head, with lacing, brown around the edges.

S-Blend of roasted malt, coffee and nuts, good balance.

T-Starts with roasted malt, nuts and coffee. Has some caramel ends with slight bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, slight carbonation and a tad creamy.

O-Wow. A great, well rounded Brown Ale. Great flavors and it has the tad bit of bitterness in the finish to make it a great beer.

Serving type: growler

12-31-2012 17:33:33 | More by rlee1390

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

cfrances33

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml growler, shared thanks to WhereTheWildBeersGo. Poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Most clear deep mocha brown. A nice two fingers of foamy tan head form, and leave great lacing. Head sticks around.

Smell: Big floral grassy hop presence up front, followed by lots of roasted malt and coffee grounds. Some milk chocolate.

Taste: Follows the nose, with a bitter hoppiness. Some floral flavor to the hops, but only just. Lots of roast, and some caramel. Finishes bitter with coffee.

Mouthfeel: A much more substantial body than I was expecting out of a brown ale, and it is very welcome. Velvety carbonation.

Overall: Probably the first brown ale I've ever enjoyed.

Serving type: growler

12-24-2012 17:38:36 | More by cfrances33

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to JealousChalice for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

Pours a clear brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, roasted nuts, and some hop aromas. Taste is much the same with a nice nutty finish and a mild roasty 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: growler

12-23-2012 04:19:15 | More by UCLABrewN84

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the source.
Pours a solid dark brown, black color with a decent sized off white head that persists forever. Smells of caramel and chocolate malts a healthy shot of earthy citrus and pine to provide some balance. The flavor follows the aroma, sweet caramel, bread and chocolate maltiness with a solid shot of citrus and earthy hop flavor. Light hop bitterness provides nice balance. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a creamy grainy mouthfeel. This is a damn fine brown ale right here. Its tough to get a great brown ale because the style is a bit on the boring side, but this is an exceptional example.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 17:24:37 | More by johnnnniee

brystmar

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery.

Dark brown body yields no shortage of handsome, tan head. Stubborn, sticky lace. Brown ales aren't supposed to look this good.

Aroma is stunning, even from afar. Intensely roasted malts meet coffee and hazelnuts. Everything follows through into the taste, layering delectable flavors atop each other. Just the right balance of nutty and roasty flavors. Highly drinkable; smooth and approachable too. Wow, that was incredible.

George is easily the most underrated HF brew. Arguably the best brown ale I've ever had, and I want more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 20:38:49 | More by brystmar

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml growler filled at the brewery yesterday after it had just been tapped about a hour before we got there. Poured into HF stemmed glassware.

A- Pours a slightly translucent but mostly opaque dark brown with a slight reddish hue. About 2 fingers of slightly bubbly mocha off-white head that has decent retention and slowly recedes. Slightly spotty layered lacing, a little bit less lacing then most HF beers.

S- Roasted malts, coffee, slightly above average aroma strength.

T- Roasted malts, coffee, nicely balanced, not too complex but definitely tasty.

M- Medium bodied, a little bit on the light side for a brown ale, very smooth, and very drinkable.

O- This was a very tasty brown ale and definitely a good representation of the style, but for a HF beer it wasn't anything spectacular. It definitely had a nice roasted malt and slight coffee presence with a high drinkability. I enjoyed drinking this and would definitely drink it again. I would recommend trying it but not going out of your way to get it.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 22:35:55 | More by jaasen64

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft at Capones in Norristown, PA.

Pours pitch black with mahogany edges and a half finger light beige head that slowly fades into a thin ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Sweet, vinous aroma with dark fruit, licorice and anise along with sweet chocolate and dark malts.  Theres also a sweet citrus hop character. Really unique aroma.  

Medium bodied with an odd medicinal feel and weird combination of sweet and roasted malt, spice and citrusy hops.  Hints of licorice, anise, sweet chocolate and vinous dark fruit. Finished slightly bitter with citrusy hops and a lingering unpleasant aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 19:05:53 | More by corby112

plaid75

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Tap and Barrel, Smithtown, NY.

Poured a deep brown hue with with a two finger frothy white head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a soft cocoa with a light nuttiness and touch of caramel.

The taste consisted of a dry cocoa, charcoal and an earthy caramel. Balancing grassy hop detected as well.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a pleasant dry finish.

Overall a superior brown ale. Outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 19:56:55 | More by plaid75

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

On Tap at Blue Dog.

George is brown, like the style would suggest. He's acually veering towards black with a silky liquid look. A nice puff of tannish/brown foam up top leaving some. Smell is rich with a nice toasted malt base and there is a blast of fresh hops. Some sweet scents with brown sugar and a hint of smoke. Bread with warming. This is quite full of flavor, normal browns don't get this involved. Tastes of roasty/toasty malt with a hit of citrus hops, surrounded by some nuts, smoke, brown sugar and some earthy flavors. I like the body on this, it's richer and fuller than most browns. Nicely carbed, not dead in any way with a full aftertaste that does not linger to long. A nice drinkable brown ale that is good for two glasses or so, not boring.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 04:36:18 | More by onix1agr

Troegman

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Blue Dog in Chalfont PA
Poured with a nice fluffy tan head. Color is dark brown and clear. Left some rings of lace.

Detected coffee, nuts, and some sweetness in the nose.

Really smooth beer. Reminded me of an FBS but lighter in every way. Has coffee, chocolate sweetness, a bit of a hop and a delicious malty, bready backbone.

Medium body with appropriate carbonation.

This is one of the best Brown Ales I've ever had. I'm going to look for more of their beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 15:08:04 | More by Troegman

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

George pours a hazy, dark mahogeny color with a small, creamy off white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a sheet on the beer leaving behind a spotted coating of lace.

The aroma is faint and malty with notes of caramel, nuts, toffee and a touch of cocoa.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is smooth, creamy with light carbonation. The flavor is sweet and malty with a mild bitter finish. Caramel, toffee, cocoa, bread and brown sugar are present. It finishes mildly bitter with a grassy flavor. Once gone the cocoa and grass lingers on the palate.

A tasty brown ale that improves in flavor as it warms.

Serving type: growler

01-22-2012 18:18:24 | More by WanderingFool

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Poured a murky chestnut brown with a decent off-white head that left a bit of soapy lacing. Aroma of nuts, grains and tea-like herbs. Nuts and brown sugar in the taste, roast and bitter cocoa, pine and herbal hops, grassy, with a bit of a wet cardboard sensation that isn't too out of place for the style in general. Better than many brown ales I've had. Medium body, a bit chalky, but still decent overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2012 03:39:11 | More by Rifugium

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from tap into pint glass at Lazy Boy, White Plains, NY.
Pours a healthy brown...off-white tan foamy head; nice lacing.
Malty, coffee, slightly sweet aroma.
Taste is slightly bitter coffee, roasted malts and a bit of caramel.
This is a fantastic brown. Very complex for a brown; with other flavors creeping in as it sits in the mouth. I would go out on a limb and say one of the best Brown Ales id ever had.
HF never stops proving they are a superb brewing co and a force to be reckoned with. Get it if you see it...do not hesitate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2012 21:51:20 | More by DrinkSlurm

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at Capone's.

Pours a dark, but not opaqure, dark brown shade with a thin head. The nose is just...absent. Maybe my sniffer is operating under less than full capacity, but I don'g get anything at all. Very muted nose indeed. I don't know what it is I'm tasting, but I'm not digging it at all. Very roasty with some dark fruit going on. Figs, plub, cherries. A bit smoky. Yeah, not my bag. The mouthfeel is the bright point here. Smooth, highly carbed, with a slightly bitter finish. Overally, this is a rare miss for HF where I'm concerned. I just didn't think this came together very well.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 18:23:10 | More by Retail1LO