Civil Disobedience #5 - Hill Farmstead Brewery

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Prost76 for sending this my way.

Beer pours a hazy light yellow with a thin white head. Aroma doesn't hit you over the head, but still is pretty impressive, though a little more subtle than I would've expected. It's a nice mix of oak, some unidentified fruit and funk. Flavor is very nice and complex, but I think I was expecting a bit more. I'm certainly getting the oak of Art and light tartness of Flora, with a hint of funkiness, but it's got a bit of an odd woody flavor in the finish. Whatever fruit (grape?) that was in the smell certainly comes through here as well in a nice way. The flavors, unfortunately, aren't as bright as I expected. Mouthfeel is a little on the thin side too and carbonation isn't huge to give it more life. tOverall, another nice saison from HF, but this one isn't as outstanding as the earlier reviews would indicate. It seems to be less than the sum of its parts.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 02:43:47 | More by starrdogg

greg4579

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-17-2013 00:22:34 | More by greg4579

swinyeju

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

06-16-2013 15:09:50 | More by swinyeju

Cascade77

Vermont

4/5  rDev -8.9%

06-13-2013 14:30:27 | More by Cascade77

savagepm

Colorado

5/5  rDev +13.9%

06-07-2013 23:05:14 | More by savagepm

Psychmusic

Rhode Island

5/5  rDev +13.9%

06-05-2013 10:57:04 | More by Psychmusic

Anonymous1

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

06-01-2013 03:04:53 | More by Anonymous1

grachdar

California

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

05-31-2013 17:11:26 | More by grachdar

thezoobrew

New York

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

05-13-2013 18:31:17 | More by thezoobrew

Skrip

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle poured into a 3 Floyds Teku.

A~ glowing creamsicle orange, almost as if theres a light illuminating the beer. looks like an amazing glass of tang lol. nice fluffy white head with a little lacing as it goes down.

S~ lots of citrus, lemon, lime, mango, orange, grapefruit, guava and i could probably keep going haha followed by an amazing peppery saison sensation then some bready yeast and honey all around.

T~ well the nose doesn't come up short here! lots of barnyard, tart, funky goodness. i love how sour the CD series brews end up being. some wheat from Flora is there and the honey from Ann really shines to make this brew all sorts of amazing!

M~ smoooth! of course... very nicely carbonated, not as dry as i expected and nice thickness from the honey.

O~ yup... holy shit! a perfect 4.5 in my opinion! i love the acidity, blending these wine barrel aged brews is just a whole another beast. why can't i drink HF saisons every single day!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 03:05:56 | More by Skrip

tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -8.9%

04-29-2013 22:21:43 | More by tom10101

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to Kyle for this one. 375ml bottle into a Hill Farmstead flute. Shared with schen9303.

A bit of a gusher. Pours a .25 finger coarse white head with poor retention. Beer is a clear, pale gold. Lacing is stringy and web-like with good cling. Very nice.

Nose is lemon zest, yeast, barnyard funk, and a lively tartness. Moderately aromatic. Solid.

Opens tart lemon zest and slightly bitter yeastiness. Middle is coriander, more lemon tartness, and a clean bittersweet spice. End is hay, wood, and yeast. Finishes messy and yeasty with a tart, sticky aftertaste. Great balance. Just really enjoyable.

Light bodied with high carbonation. Lively and aggressive in the mouth and goes down foamy and yeasty. Messy and accented finish with a lingering aftertaste. Real drinkable.

Very good, but overall, as a Hill Farmstead saison, this one's a bit of a disappointment. The body and nose are nice enough but the flavor is a bit plain. There's nothing that stands out to me in CD5 that separates itself from its brethren. That being said, this is still Hill Farmstead and therefore, a more than enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 01:08:13 | More by SpeedwayJim

Caleb

Colorado

4/5  rDev -8.9%

04-09-2013 05:14:58 | More by Caleb

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to phingdong for getting this one to me. Served in a Hill Farmstead wine glass. Pours a crystal clear straw color. Nice and sparkling with a good white head. Nice retention and lacing.

The nose has light hay and a bit of lemon. Dry and light; very crisp. A bit of lingering citrus, earth, and farmhouse funk. Flavor is very dry with hay and a very faint acidity. Touch of white wine and oak in the background. Light lemon zest through the finish. Very bright. Supremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 17:27:28 | More by Thorpe429

Shmeal

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

03-21-2013 20:05:44 | More by Shmeal

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle served into a teku.

A: Hazy golden colored beer with about an inch of white, foamy head.
S: Smell is super funky. Lots of fruitiness, grape and oranges. White wine aroma. Some spicy pepperiness. Smells amazing, kinda like a lambic/saison blend going on here.
T: Wow. I have to say this is one of the best beers I've tasted so far. Starts off with funky grapes and white wine. Lactic acid character, lemony, tart fruits. Must be the bugs used but it reminds me a lot of Juicy/Mimosa. Finishes with oak dryness paired with wine and brett earthy/mustiness. A bit of a sweet malty/bready flavor close to the end as well.
M: Very nice clean, lemony tartness. Not overpowering though, very well done. Nice, medium mouthfeel with nice carbonation. The dryness at the end is great.
O: One of my favorite Hill Farmstead beers and one of my favorite overall. This is a very well done soured saison. I'm glad I have another bottle left, I will be trying it down the road to see if the funkiness develops into something nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:49:52 | More by standardcherry

millerbuffoon

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

03-19-2013 01:20:07 | More by millerbuffoon

MasterSki

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Another rarity shared by Todd. Served in a tulip at my post-dissertation defense party.

A - White foam, thin cap, splotchy lace. Milky straw body - definitely a single barrel sort of look here, although perhaps a more careful pour would have yielded better results.

S - The smell is surprisingly heavy on the honey, with a nice tropical fruit funk, and light hand lotion and lavender soap malt flavors. A bit of peppery yeast and mild phenolic character.

T - The flavor is a little more dry, oak, and slightly seltzery, with less malt sweetness and honey present. A tad soapy, with lactic lemon character, and tart stone fruits. Finish is oaky, vinous, with a bit of musty brett.

M - Dry, oaky, tannic, with soft medium-low carbonation. No alcohol presence, and medium-light in body.

D - Good beer, and among the best in the series. That being said, it seems like a bit less than the sum of its parts, as I think I like all the base Saisons just as much. Not worth a king's ransom, but certainly a well-made brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 05:49:20 | More by MasterSki

rondufresne

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.5%

03-11-2013 19:35:00 | More by rondufresne

leschkie

California

4/5  rDev -8.9%

03-10-2013 07:58:23 | More by leschkie

dhbiker0889

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +8.2%

03-07-2013 07:48:23 | More by dhbiker0889

joel66

New York

4/5  rDev -8.9%

03-07-2013 02:07:04 | More by joel66

Takeanotherswing

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%

03-06-2013 03:06:39 | More by Takeanotherswing

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Quite a clear yellow golden body. Nice white head. Nice retention. Clings to the glass.

Smell - Complex aroma. Some acidity. Honey. Musty grapes and white wine. Slightly peppery. Yeasty.

Taste - Much more sour than any of the base saisons. Tart without being sour. Grainy malt. Sweet, but less honey. Peppery flavor in the back. Less complex, but excellent.

Mouthfeel - Just shy of crisp. Excellent tartness. Well carbonated.

Overall - Maybe not as good as Ann. The flavor isn't quite as complex, but it's excellent.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:37:23 | More by Alieniloquium

buffs9

Colorado

4/5  rDev -8.9%

03-03-2013 22:53:25 | More by buffs9