Civil Disobedience #5 - Hill Farmstead Brewery

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375 mL bottle shared by Starr. Thanks.

Pours a hazy, pale straw gol with a thin, crisp white head. Fades to a thin collar and dots of lace. Nose of oak, grass, lemon, peach, red grape, straw and light acidity though it lacks the immediate visceral punch of some of HF's other saisons. Flavor starts with citric acidity, grape, and grass. Reminds me a lot of how Art batch 1 tastes currently, with a little bit of Flora's lactic and tart presence. Honestly not tasting much of Ann other than the strong doughy base to the body. Mouthfeel is medium thin, well carbonated and a strong woody and slightly acidic finish. Very balanced and crisp, but honestly let down by what were admittedly colossal, unfair expectations. Probably wouldn't age this or trade your soul for this (I'm confident that if you pulled a Pepsi Challenge on this with new batches of Arthur and Vera Mae, well, rare wouldn't win), but still an exceptional saison as usual from HF.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 02:46:26 | More by yourefragile

thezoobrew

New York

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

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

Skrip

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
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 -8.7%

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

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
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 -8.7%

04-09-2013 05:14:58 | More by Caleb

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.51/5  rDev +3%
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 +2.7%

03-21-2013 20:05:44 | More by Shmeal

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +9.6%
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 +2.7%

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

MasterSki

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev -1.6%
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 +2.7%

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

leschkie

California

4/5  rDev -8.7%

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

dhbiker0889

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

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

joel66

New York

4/5  rDev -8.7%

03-07-2013 02:07:04 | More by joel66

Takeanotherswing

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3%

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

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +1.1%
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 -8.7%

03-03-2013 22:53:25 | More by buffs9

phishfoolme

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

03-03-2013 03:08:56 | More by phishfoolme

caguiar

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

02-25-2013 01:10:41 | More by caguiar

jeonseh

Indiana

3.99/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by schooner12 at NWI Super bowl tasting

A - Very light lemonade with a slight hazy white to it. It looks to have a thicker body for the style. Not much of a head but did have lots of white foam on the side

S - Smells like a sour saison. Tart vinegar, slight blue cheese, grassy, lemon, and slight pepper

T - Tart vinegar, lemon rind, light green apple, and slight pepper initially. There is also a blue cheese and farmhouse funk that makes itself known near the end and lingers on in the finish

M - Light body with good carbonation. There is a dry finish to it

O - Solid slightly sour saison that has good flavor throughout. it's nice to get the mix of tart and funk together.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 03:58:04 | More by jeonseh

imperialking

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

02-13-2013 18:25:46 | More by imperialking

wildcats10

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +14.2%

02-10-2013 19:13:54 | More by wildcats10

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -3%

02-02-2013 23:19:25 | More by Retail1LO

GuisseppeFranco

New York

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

01-27-2013 20:12:25 | More by GuisseppeFranco