What Is Enlightenment? - Hill Farmstead Brewery

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

small growler poured into tulip - thanks alex

Pours a hazed pale yellow, with a thin head, leaving behind little lacing on the glass.

The nose is dry and biscuity with a nice dash of hops. There's plenty of dryness with a soft, light sweetness.

Light, oily hop presence with herbal tones. Bitter and dry with a nice leafy touch. Lemon peel, biscuit malts with grain. Touch of cracker with a pleasant, bitter dry finish.

Medium body, dry and lingering on the tongue. Solid pale ale, there's better from HF though - after reading some of these other reviews I'm wondering if this might have sat a couple days too long.

Serving type: growler

06-07-2012 00:13:47 | More by xnicknj

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What is Enlightenment? pours a cloudy, straw yellow with a thing white head on top. The foam fades quickly leaving behind a few spots and lines of lace on the glass.

The aroma is loaded with orange citrus and tropical fruit notes of mango and tangerine.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is soft and light on the palate with mild carbonation. The flavor is sweet and nicely balanced. Caramel and toasted malt are followed by orange citrus and tropical fruit (tangerine). It finishes dry with lingering tangerine flavors.

This is a very tasty, easy drinking beer that is light in body and well balanced.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2012 01:55:52 | More by WanderingFool

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Growler courtesy of Camden. Thank you again!

Pours a cloudy yellow-orange with a substantial full finger's worth of white froth. Lace curtains adorn ye ole tulip.

Unmistakable whiff of Amarillo hops here, playing lemon-lime. A doughy sweetness from the malts hover over the proceedings as well.

Lemon pledge and lemon drop candy strong out of the gate. There's a caramel covered apple sweetness along with apple skin throughout the middle. The end is hop oils and catty with a light leafy bitterness and very dry finish. A saliva sucker.

I have been quite fortunate to try Edward, Abner, and this beer in the same week and while a nice beer, this is the weakest offering of the three. The term weak, however, is relative here. Appreciative for the chance.

Serving type: growler

06-26-2012 02:30:07 | More by BarrytheBear

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL growler poured into a Hill Farmstead glass.

Appearance - Very hazy golden orange. Small white head that lingers. Thin layer of foam rests atop the beer.

Smell - Bright citrus hop. Grainy malt. Mostly hops.

Taste - Strong citrus hop. Grapefruit and slightly tropical flavor. Grains behind it with almost no sweetness. The slightest hop bitterness. Oily hop flavor lingers on the palate

Mouthfeel - Light bodied and quite drinkable. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Another great pale. Very tasty, clean, and drinkable as hell.

Serving type: growler

06-13-2013 03:03:18 | More by Alieniloquium

cosmicevan

New York

4.08/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another pleasant treat from the 7/27 Top Hops mini tasting! Filled a week and a half ago.

a - murky straw yellow with a foamy head. beautifully cloudy. doesn't look like an IPA at all, but still gorgeous. great lacing.

s - great hop smell. citric burst. little rubber in the background (from the rice?).

t - tastes like a rice ipa. doesn't compare to the kuhnhenn DRIPA. nice, but the rice definitely takes over on the flavor and drains some of the ipa goodness from the smell...still very solid.

m - easy drinker, very soft. a bit watery even.

o - overall very good. not something i'd trade my cellar for but very crisp. nice and different for an IPA. the lower abv gives it good sessionability. the finish shows the bittery hops which i wish were more prominent in the taste. enjoyable.

Serving type: growler

08-04-2012 03:38:44 | More by cosmicevan

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you, Mike.

Mildly hazy light orange with a dense, white head with excellent retention and lacing. The nose is a big, bright Citra and Simcoe nose, beautiful blend of citrust fruitiness with a touch of tropical fruit. This is mirrored on the palate, with no real malt character to speak or, and an ecxcellent fruity hop flavor. I know this is an APA, but even viewed on its own (the first hoppy beer of the evening), this was a little light, watery even, on the palate, without the kind of resin and bitterness I like in my hoppy beers. Still, this is fantastic.

Serving type: growler

06-01-2012 01:51:05 | More by DefenCorps

silentjay

Massachusetts

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

as with all Hill Farmstead hoppy pale beers, its hazy beyond hazy, with a huge pure white head that laces very well.

definite simcoe hop aroma of citrus and pine with a bit of the cat urine. lots of bitter citrus and grapefruit. all hops, very soft malt presence.

the pine and citrus notes are huge in the flavor with grapefruit being strong. definitely like Alpine Duet, some floral and spiciness in the middle with some tropical fruitiness behind that.

medium bodied with a fluffy carbonation and a juicy finish that's quite refreshing.

drinks very easy. for 5.4%ABV, they sure packed in a lot of flavor. another good, hoppy beer from Hill Farmstead (the best brewery going right now in my eyes).

Serving type: growler

04-27-2012 04:16:54 | More by silentjay

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

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

A: Hazy, light straw-orange. Fluffy one finger head caps the beer. Nice.

S: Fresh, semi-sweet sweet citrus. Some grapefruit, but also sweeter mango notes. Lightly resinous. Delightful.

T: Tropical fruits and light citrus upfront, quickly yielding to a mild malt backbone, with a some grassy notes. The finish is lightly bitter. Definitely a less-intense experience than the nose, but it largely follows the scent.

M: Light-bodied, with medium levels of carbonation. I'd like this a little less carbed, but we're splitting hairs on this.

O: Well-done pale ale--definitely one of the better ones that I've had. I'll definitely have a second glass.

Serving type: growler

05-29-2012 01:52:35 | More by Hophead717

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

1-liter growler care of baconsausage, big thanks for the trade man. Poured into a tulip, the brew appears a clouded golden color with more than 2 fingers worth of pillowy white head. As the cap fades, it leaves a wall of lace sticking to the glass. A light swirl revives a finger of froth back to the surface fairly effortlessly.

The initial aroma includes hints of tropical fruit quality that is something along the lines of nectarines and as more sniffs are taken, more of a not-so-specific tropical fruited quality emerges. Having sampled this almost immediately after Harlan reveals a lot of similarities here to the aromatics. There is a mild cheesiness to the backend of this that takes this brew off in a different direction.

The taste has some zesty bitterness like orange pulp that blends into bitter herbal aspects mixed with a bit of grassy and then yeasty quality and faint straw-like grain inclusion. Like I noted about the aroma, there are a lot of similarities here with Harlan but maybe a bit more grain inclusion here with this brew. As it warms up, a bit of sulfur is noted and a classic "catty" quality typically found from simcoe that lasts into the aftertaste.

This is a light bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is light, refreshing and easy drinking. Having a 1-liter growler is perfect, I have no hesitation reaching for another glass and could easily take down several glasses of this in a session. To be picky, I found this to be just too similar to Harlan. If I wasn't paying specific attention to what was going on in my glass, I think these 2 brews could almost be passed off for one another.

Serving type: growler

06-28-2012 01:55:47 | More by stakem

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.18/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

What is Enlightenment? 12-ounce snifter at Bluebird Tavern in Burlington, Vermont.

Appearance: Classic Farmstead look, hazy-unpasteurized, one finger of bubbly snow-white head that lasts. Foamy lacing.

Smell: Reefer, quality skunk, naked hops, grass. Sniff deeper and get barnyard funk, stinky cheese. Citrus, pickled pineapple.

Taste: Super refreshing, light citrus, but not as good as smell. Smooth honey, clover, tad of spice at the end. Pollinated fields, fresh hops. For a 5.40% APA, this drinks more like a DIPA!

Mouthfeel: Nice spicy hoppy finish, well balanced all around. A little thin but fine.

Overall: Super drinkable, and as farm-fresh as always (more so here in Vermont!). A beautiful display of craftmanship and delicious hops.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 03:01:19 | More by DoubleSimcoe

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml. growler from the brewery. Very floral hoppy, complex and fresh and welcoming. CLoudy grapefruit with fluffy head. Tremendous drinkability. Orange citrus, Simcoe? Seems to be a blend of American and British hops.Smooth drinker. An excellent pale, with perhaps the IBU of what used to be called an IPA.Thanks John.

Serving type: growler

05-04-2012 00:12:15 | More by northyorksammy

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2L swing-top growler filled at the brewery.

First HFB glass pours with a 1/2" eggshell head, over the cloudy golden amber brew. Head recedes gradually down to an uneven layer, with lasting lace. Aroma is oranges and tangerines.

Taste begins with a peek of sweetness, quickly giving way to the dominant citrus hops character which holds on through the close, which is lightly chalky. Mouthfeel is soft and smooth, and drinkability is good. Nice thirst-quenching brew for a hot day. Reminiscent of Harlan, but with much less bitterness.

Serving type: growler

07-09-2012 00:17:23 | More by ppoitras

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 750 of this at the brewery this afternoon. Poured into Lawsons tulip.

Pale and cloudy orange body with a nice white head. Pungent aroma brings out the hops. Lemon and orange cover the citrus notes while the floridness of the hops covers the rest.

Hops dominate the palate as expected with loads of grapefruit and orange notes. Bitterness really comes through with little malt body to balance things out. It has the ABV of a pale ale but all other signs point you towards an all out hop-bomb. Nothing wrong with that, just catches you a bit off guard.

Mouthfeel has a medium-light body with a well-rounded and drying finish which only helps accentuate the bitterness of the hops. Overall, it's not small secret... Hill Farmstead knows how to use it's hops. Boatloads of flavor in a relatively light package but still seems to be lacking a certain something (can't quite put a finger on it) that would put this in the upper echelon of hop-centric beers with a few other HF beers and their peers across the country.

Serving type: growler

07-28-2012 23:57:45 | More by Kinsman

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dirty straw with a finger of creamy white head and good lacing.

Aroma is dank citrus with a lot of grapefruit. A little more mild than the usual style.

Bright citrus and grapefruit up front. Big juicy tropical fruit flavors come in on the back end and it finishes with a pleasant mild bitterness.

Creamy with medium carbonation levels.

Good beer although I prefer several of HF's other offerings to this.

Serving type: growler

05-25-2012 19:39:22 | More by jmarsh123

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 2L swingtop growler chilled and split with a friend. Poured into pint glass. I had this filled straight from the brewery about five days ago, so it is still really fresh.

Appearance: Definitely on the lighter side for pale ales, a lot like Edward. Golden yellow to light orange in color with a nice creamy white head and good retention.

Aroma: Tropical fruit and pine notes right off the bat. A really nice pineapple sweetness with a resiny pine note in the back. Really nicely balanced.

Taste: Again, really hop forward. Tons of tropical fruit sweetness throughout. The amarillo and simcoe are both really noticable and play off each other well. Some bitter pine is there, but the pale malt and tropical fruit notes really balance it out well. Really drinkable and refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Manages to be both creamy and smooth. The carbonation is spot on and keeps this refreshing.

Overall, another awesome beer from Hill Farmstead where they really make a common style unique and great. One of the better pale ales I've ever tasted and the only one I can recall being better is probably Edward. I would definitely get this again.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2012 22:37:12 | More by Gosox8787

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

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

On tap at the Prohibition Pig. Pours a hazy golden color with an inch of head. Some lacing. This thing smells amazing. Big, hoppy aroma. Citrus and tropical fruits. Predominately grapefruit. The taste is a big swig of sweet grapefruit and citrus peel. Floral hints at the end. Bitter and hoppy throughout. Lots of carbonation. This one is a bit on the dry side. Overall, an outstanding bitter Pale Ale with a great deal of grapefruit flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 01:02:07 | More by PicoPapa

largadeer

Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Jason.

Cloudy, almost milky straw-colored body capped by two fingers of frothy head. The nose is simcoe-heavy, very citrusy with grapefruit the dominant scent. A bit spicy and resinous. There are light yeast esters. Tropical fruit comes out as the beer opens up. Tastes great, very light bodied and mildly bitter, with a really pleasant and mellow hop profile. Tropical fruits and grapefruit up front, with some spiciness beneath. A dry, bready malt backbone supports the hops without lending much sweetness. Body is a tad thin and there's a lot of sediment, but this is otherwise excellent.

Serving type: growler

05-18-2012 23:25:49 | More by largadeer

kevanb

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml growler, poured into a Hill Farmstead stemmed glass.

Pours a soft orange, hay-like yellow color, a bit of off white head rests atop the glass. Some lacing appears and the head retention is good. The aroma is simple, citrusy hops, grassiness plays well, lemongrass comes to mind, some cereal malt, and something sweet like honey also comes out. The flavors are pretty similar, very nice, a bit soapy, but nice citrus presence with a good floral bouquet, some earthiness from the malt along with a touch of pine comes forward as well. Nice body, light and easy while still packing in all that flavor, great carbonation and sticky texture. Hard to believe this is just a 5.4% pale ale.

Verdict: Another exceptional beer from Hill Farmstead. Consider me another convert and bandwagon rider, this guy knows how to brew a wonderful beer.

Serving type: growler

07-29-2012 21:55:34 | More by kevanb

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on 2012-06-09 in Wayne, PA at Teresa's Next Door during Philly Beer Week.

A - Hazy light gold with a 1.5-finger white head and moderate lacing.

S - Fresh, citrus, some tropical and hop floral.

T - Citrus flesh, light bready malt, grass and the lightest touch of sour. Plenty of citrus flesh and zest in the aftertaste.

M - Light body and medium carbonation. Light and refreshing.

O - Reminds me of a Zombie Dust. This is very similar to the HF Citra beer, which I also had today.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 16:34:17 | More by Tucquan

brystmar

Texas

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy golden body, frothy white head. Good retention; leaves sticky bubbles on the side of my glass. Huge aroma of fresh hops and citrus brings a smile to my face. Pungent and pleasant.

Hop-forward with minimal malts which is usually off-setting to me, but this works nicely. Intensity is scaled back; good balance of flavors. Refreshing and tasty, easy to session.

Yet another stellar brew from HF!

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2012 19:06:54 | More by brystmar

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.34/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Positive Pie. Reviewed from notes. Served in a Hill Farmstead pint.

Served with a 1 finger foamy white head with moderate retention. Beer is a cloudy pastel lemon. Lacing is thick and layered with very good stick. Real pretty. I wouldn't expect any less.

Nose is mango, citrus, and papaya with a splash of cane sugar and the slightest hop bitterness. Moderately aromatic. Solid.

Opens manga, papaya, and cane sugar sweetness. Pulpy and juicy in the middle with some citrus hop bitterness creeping in towards the end. A robust citrus malt backbone with a sprinkling of hop bite at the finish. Clean, tropical fruit aftertaste.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and quenching in the mouth and goes down light and dry. Very drinkable. Clean finish with the slightest lingering aftertaste.

This pale ale really delivers and I wouldn't have expected any less from Hill Farmstead. Almost like an Ephraim light that I could drink all day long. An exception example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 00:26:19 | More by SpeedwayJim

Skrip

South Carolina

4.34/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

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

A~ glowing light orange, with a darker hue hidden in there. nice fluffy white head with a good amount of lacing. soo vibrant!

S~ lots of citrus of course, tangerines, lemon, orange, and a little apricot. some piney notes, and a little funk on the finish as well.

T~ pretty much follows the nose, which is to be expected here. more earthy flavor comes out after all the citrus floods your palet with deliciousness. all followed by some bitterness and barnyard funk on the finish.

M~ very smooth, kind of light, and less carbonation then most HF's but still completely fine. which could be from the growler.

O~ this reminds me of a non-double version of Abner in the best possible way. the funk and saison like characteristics are there just not imperial-ly haha definitely a great pale and of course worth a glass or 10 =]

Serving type: growler

06-07-2013 03:17:57 | More by Skrip

smakawhat

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. My first Hillfarmstead brew!!! So excited. Taken from notes.

A real nice orb glowing buttery yellow gold, almost getting into green hues. Fairly opaque with a super creamy top of head that laces off white and crazy. Super aggressive looking beer.

Nose is a nice soft hop chewyness. Soft grass and hidden malt, not particularly noticeably distinct to me but smells real nice.

Palate hits with a good citrus angle, and perhaps some tropical mush. Herbal action hits on the finish with a great chewy texture, complimenting a nice mouthfeel.

Overall this is just a real solid and tasty brew, I hope the rest of Hill Farmstead's line up is just this good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2012 14:15:48 | More by smakawhat

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

Served in a tulip glass, a hazy peach colored liquid with a small cap of white head, and intense bubbly carbonation visible along the sides of the glass. Hop-forward aroma, citrus and tropical fruits, sugar sweet malts. Taste of fresh, juicy hops, grapefruit, peach, orange are most noticeable, with light bready caramel in the background; leafy finish with mild bitterness. Crisp mouthfeel, light-medium body, excellent overall. One of my favs from Hill.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2012 08:05:49 | More by Rifugium

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml flip top opened on 6.15.13

A - Pours a cloudy light orange with a small light off-white foamy head with great retention.

S - Strong citrus fruits, lots of oranges, lemons, pineapple.

T - More grassy, then the citrus follows, no bitterness.

D - Good carbonaiton with a light body.

O - Heavy citrus nose with more grass in the drink. Light, crisp and refreshing.

Serving type: growler

06-20-2013 04:36:19 | More by HuskyinPDX