What Is Enlightenment?
Hill Farmstead Brewery

What Is Enlightenment?What Is Enlightenment?
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Hill Farmstead Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
Ranked #14
ABV:
5.4%
Score:
97
Ranked #678
Avg:
4.37 | pDev: 7.09%
Reviews:
121
Ratings:
952
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 10, 2023
Added:
Apr 26, 2012
Wants:
  271
Gots:
  59
American Pale Ale brewed in honor of our Second Anniversary. Simcoe and Amarillo hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TheBrewo:
Photo of TheBrewo
Reviewed by TheBrewo from New York

4.31/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This brew was poured from a growler into Hill Farmstead stemware, showing a dusky sunset yellow coloring. It put forth a one and a half finger head of creamy, mashed potato colored bubbles, showing great retention. Cloudy outlines of lacing were left around the glass as the foam bubbled and slowly dissipated. A haze was certain throughout, with no sediment noted. Carbonation appeared to be moderate. The nose gave musk and muddied straw, clean pales, heavily earthen and bitterly citric hops, strawberry fruitiness, black pepper and salt, ale yeastiness, distant wheaty bite, lemon rind bitterness, chalked white flour, and granite. With warmth came a deepening of the hops, with more earthy, mineral, and soapy tones. Our first impression was that the flavoring was deeply earthy and biting, but refreshing, as in the nose. As we sipped, the taste opened up with a brightly pale and toasty malt base, blackboard chalkiness, juicy yeastiness to match, dripping wet citric, herbal, soapy, and bitterly herbal hops, hard mineral water, and distant wheat bread chewiness. The middle came to a peak with more of a refreshed, sweeter sip, offering pales and soft ambers, white sugar flashes, nectarine and passion fruit juiciness, white flour, and freshly churned earthen dirtiness. The ending wash came with more of the same, with plastic phenols, green grassiness and herbal bite of hops, mineral, gravel, yeast, musk and dust, freshly citric lemony hops, barnyard grassy funk, molded straw and raw barley, and final metallic twang. The aftertaste breathed of earthen, nectary, and herbal hoppiness, citric flesh fruitiness, apricot, strawberry, aluminum metallics, damp denim, grassy bite, lactic creaminess, pale malty base, chalked yeast, and gravel. The body was lightly medium, and the carbonation was medium. Each sip gave nice slurp, froth, cream, sip, and smack, with soft finishing pop and light sticky coolness to the corners of the lips. The mouth was left coated and cooled, with satiation and quick puckered astringency from the hops and chalks. The abv was appropriate, and the beer swigged easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its taste. Here we found a unique down-to-earthiness and freshness that many pales avoid. The push in this style lately is to the big, juicy, Three Floyds type of sweet and drinkable beverage, but with this beer, you get a more “real” ale. The hops are gritty, bittered, earthy, and in your face to stay, while the malts skirt the border of Funktown. You get the same sense through the nose, and the body helps to keep things happy and flowing all day long. This guy marks our introduction to Hill Farmstead, and seems to promise a relationship that will be long-lasting and bountiful.
Jun 27, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by bigred89 from Maryland

Aug 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by rare_bird from Michigan

Jun 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by dtm426 from Michigan

Jun 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Jun 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by swierczt from Connecticut

Jul 05, 2022
 
Rated: 4.46 by Bhubbard34 from Pennsylvania

Jul 05, 2022
 
Rated: 4.34 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Jul 02, 2022
Photo of npolachek
Rated by npolachek from New York

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Good APA. High rated amongst this class
Jun 29, 2022
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap. White head with lace. Cloudy golden sunset.

Mango, melon, papaya. Very tropical. Earthy, floral hops show nicely. Honeydew. Spicy/zesty hops. Nice blend of bitterness and softness.

Crazy amount of flavor for only 5%
Jun 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.48 by cd34 from Illinois

Jun 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.52 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Jun 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.79 by jdow117 from Ohio

May 31, 2021
Photo of Rub_This_BBQ
Reviewed by Rub_This_BBQ from Massachusetts

4.12/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16oz can poured into hf mug.
L: glowing orange, medium haze big fluffy white 3 fingers

S: no malt, grapefruit and citrus lead the way,

T: nice firm bitternss and man taste is grapefruit.

F: touch slick thin lacks body for level of bitterness

O: a great pale ale but seems mix of old / new
May 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.52 by Yungcoolship from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.42 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Sep 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.32 by paresis from Massachusetts

Aug 08, 2020
Photo of papposilenus
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

4.36/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
From a 12oz can, dated 07/07/20. Served in a cervoise.

Pours a heavily hazed mango-gold with two fingers of lush, creamy head. Retention is excellent, leaving a thick bubbly cap and a heavy tattered curtain of lacing.

Nose is earthy-sharp, orange rind and spice cake.

First taste impression is of grapefruit juice, clean, sharp juicy bitterness. A flowery spiciness follows, finishing with oily orange peel bitterness clinging to the tongue.

Feel is smooth and slick, medium bodied with bright, zesty carbonation.

A very enjoyable small pale ale with vanishingly low sweetness contrasted with moderately-high bitterness of the citric sort.
Jul 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by pepesylvia from Pennsylvania

May 01, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by smartassboiler from Illinois

Dec 26, 2019
What Is Enlightenment? from Hill Farmstead Brewery
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 952 ratings