Birth Of Tragedy - Hill Farmstead Brewery

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black with no head at all. Slight beige cling around the edge of the glass.

Aroma features a ton of vanilla along with a bourbon kick, some roasted malts and sweet chocolate.

Thankfully not quite as sweet as the nose would indicate. Lots of good roasted coffee mingle with the vanilla to produce a good milk chocolate flavor backed up by a kiss of bourbon. Gets a bit boozier as it warms, but very well integrated and never gets overpowering, but complements the base beer. A little residual sweetness although the roasty and sweet flavors balance supremely well.

And here is the bugaboo. I don't think I've ever had a HF beer that did not ace the carbonation test. Whatever the style, they all seem to be perfect and that's what makes this even more disappointing. Good creamy texture, but almost no carbonation. I'm talking near HOTD & Kuhnhenn levels of nothingness. I think a style like this should have lower carbonation, but this level almost mutes the flavors and make it taste almost like stale Irish coffee despite the excellent flavors and great barrel integration.

What could have been. These are some of the most outstanding flavors I've ever had in a porter, but the mouthfeel just makes this a good not great beer for me. That said, it's still pretty impressive that I completely hate one aspect of this and it's still a solid beer. If you like extremely low carbonation levels then you'll love this one as the flavors are great, but if you don't you'll end up just a bit disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 21:23:13 | More by jmarsh123

jbeervt

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%

05-20-2013 21:27:32 | More by jbeervt

cdmillard

Maryland

4.59/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Had the opportunity to try this. Had a 500 ml bottle, pored into a Duvel tulip.

This is one of the best tasting beers I have had the pleasure to drink. As previous posts have mentioned, my only issue with it is that it lacks any form of carbonation. Just felt like it was missing something. Otherwise, a fantastic beer. I would do it again...and again...

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:47:53 | More by cdmillard

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev -10.1%

05-18-2013 20:59:30 | More by Photekut

beernads

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%

05-18-2013 06:47:00 | More by beernads

Florida9

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A: Bottle opened with the faintest hiss. Poured into a tulip. Forms a few big bubbles and the slightest hint of a head, but in reality this one just looks flat. No lacing. Very dark brown or black in color.

S: Well the smell is pleasant. Dark roasted malts, oak, vanilla, chocolate. Damn, smells like freshly baked brownies.

T: Didn't think it was possible, but the taste is even better. Sweet, chocolately brownies. Mild oak. Lots of vanilla. A touch of coffee. Some dark fruits, like plum and raisin, but the sweet chocolate flavor dominates.

M: Fucking flat. There's no carbonation here. And thats the problem. Slick, oily, and viscous with a chalky finish.

O: Apparently the carbonation isn't allowed to leave VT. This beer truly has the potential for greatness, but it should be properly carbonated. And it's not. There is nothing there leaving a sweet, chocolatey liquid to swirl around the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:07:45 | More by Florida9

deekyn

California

3.75/5  rDev -15.7%

05-16-2013 04:06:35 | More by deekyn

thezoobrew

New York

4/5  rDev -10.1%

05-13-2013 18:30:00 | More by thezoobrew

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%

05-13-2013 05:44:30 | More by Bonko_the_sane

lpayette

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%

05-12-2013 20:07:56 | More by lpayette

jl28r1

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%

05-12-2013 13:52:14 | More by jl28r1

Prost76

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%

05-12-2013 10:26:28 | More by Prost76

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle into a Tripel Karmeliet glass.

A-deeply opaque cedary brown with a few bubbles of head that settle quickly into a thin ring.

S-lots of charred oak barrel goodness with a slight sweetness behind. Very nice.

T-oh yes this one has it all. Great oak character and a very pleasant underlying sweetness. Nice bourbon character, hints of marshmallow, rich but not overwhelming.

M-perfect. Rich but not too much. Sweet but not cloying. Hints of alcohol are nicely restrained.

O-pretty awesome overall. Great way to cap off a tough week.
HV

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:52:18 | More by sholland119

caskstrength

Minnesota

2.3/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

2nd batch. Pours a flat black. I was hoping holding off for a while would result in some bubbles.

Smells are vanilla, chocolate. Barrel not that strong. Lack of bubbles leads to lack of aromatics.

Heavy and dull on the palate. I'm being harsh here, had a GI BCBS before drinking this, and this paled in comparison in all aspects. Would have had a hard time standing up if carbonated. Without carbonation, this beer fell flat.

Mouthfeel sucked. Needed some bubbles to move things around.

Twilight of the Idols was much better. I'm hoping to try Everett. This batch of beer was a failure.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:34:37 | More by caskstrength

justforrazors

Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%

05-10-2013 01:29:56 | More by justforrazors

Rogorama

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%

05-09-2013 00:12:30 | More by Rogorama

caguiar

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%

05-08-2013 20:11:14 | More by caguiar

littlebeer

California

5/5  rDev +12.4%

05-08-2013 07:32:04 | More by littlebeer

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%

05-07-2013 23:25:41 | More by cadaugherty

DmanGTR

New York

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%

05-07-2013 03:27:46 | More by DmanGTR

harrymel

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.75

2012 vintage

Dark brown, flat appearing beer. Smells decadent: vanilla, oak, nougat, more vanilla, bits of graham, some cocoa, a hint of dark fruits. A really nice nose. Flavor follows suite - really fine dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak, bits of minced licorice, some leather. The flavor is really nice also. Mouthfeel: this is where the beer falls apart. While full bodied with a silky feel, not even a swish through the teeth makes this bubbly, slightly wet. A real treat - with carbonation this would be hard to beat, honestly.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 06:13:19 | More by harrymel

aslamm75

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%

05-02-2013 17:27:49 | More by aslamm75

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a really interesting beer, courtesy of one of denvers great beer men, lucky me. It pours a really dense black, midnight or darker, with essentially no carbonation, a motor oil viscosity, and just a thin film of mocha bubbles around the rim of my glass. the nose on this is heavy bourbon, oaky and charcoaly, with spice notes of cinnamon and clove, a very intense roast, and a summery sweetness amidst all the black thick stuff. the flavor, just like the nose, is bourbon first. I also get really strong cinnamon from this, although I don't think that its an ingredient. I do pick up the honey through the bitter dark malt, and its sweetness is welcomed to lighten things up a little. this is a teeth coating brew, sticky and about as thick as any ive encountered in terms of body. I really wish it had a little more carbonation. not a ton, but enough to get it moving a little bit, but I understand that a barrel can reduce that quite a bit. more would aid its drinkability, but I don't think its trying to be a session beer of course. I love the aftertaste on this, with the bourbon, vanilla, and warming alcohol. this is a beer of impressive quality and depth, not one to be consumed frequently, but one to treasure and share. hill farmstead never ceases to impress me, and although this is amazing, its a level below some of their hoppy and farmy stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 21:38:36 | More by StonedTrippin

bsinger45

Colorado

5/5  rDev +12.4%

04-29-2013 21:11:36 | More by bsinger45

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%

04-29-2013 14:30:29 | More by DoubleSimcoe