Society & Solitude #6 - Hill Farmstead Brewery

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.49/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a hazy dark yellow with a nice white foamy head leaving behind some spotty lacing and a nice white collar.

S: Dank. Passion fruits, tropical fruits with a dash of oniony grass presence.

T: Pretty dank on the initial taste as well. An immediate light onion-grassy note smothered by tangerines, mangos, papaya and some peaches perhaps. A big juicy fruit basket is the best way to escribe this. The finish is nice, psuedo dry with a moderate lingering hop bite. A little bit of bread and honey appear as well.

M: Medium bodied with nice carbonation. Great feel, taste keep my palate very happy.

O: All good. I really dig the flavor, balance and cleanliness of the beer. Well crafted!

Serving type: growler

03-31-2013 14:46:22 | More by barleywinefiend

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a hazy yellow with touches of gold and a nice fluffy white, two-fingers- width head that stick around and leaves a sticky fat lacing on the glass. The beer’s body is an opaque haze and appears to be free of carbonation bubbles. On the nose, the beer smells pungently of sweet and juicy tropical fruit. Mango, pineapple, touches of grapefruit, tangerine, and even touches of nectarine run across the nose and are backed up with a strong shivering pine resin and a slight caramelly bread malt. On the tongue, the beer tastes sweet and then nicely bitter with a wonderful round feeling that doesn’t wrack the mouth, but does give it a proper tingle. There is also a slight pucker from acidity in this beer. The flavors begin as light and then grow, sweet tropical fruit juice flavors work from pineapple juice into orange and grapefruit flavors and then explode with bitter sticky pine in the mouth. Juicy fruit flavors also run across the palate during the sip. The finish is bitter and a touch medicinal, but thirst quenching and tasty, and the aftertaste shows the light bready malt background of the beer. In the mouth the beer feels medium light in body, and fluffy soft from the carbonation with only a touch of a prickle on the sides of the tongue. This beer also gives a proper thirst quenching snap to the mouth, which is lovely. The mouth is left dry on top and wet on the sides from the slight acidity. Overall, this is a lovely tropical fruit DIPA and a nice introduction to the mosaic hop for me. That this is a single hop beer really shows both the skill of the brewer and the wonder of this new hop variety. This beer is excellent, and you should try it.

Serving type: growler

03-30-2013 23:05:48 | More by Maxwell

largadeer

California

4.48/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cheapbeerbuzz shared this one. Thanks!

Pretty standard murky/hazy looking Hill Farmstead hoppy beer appearance. Plenty of head retention. Nose is full-on juicy tropical fruit, big guava and pineapple notes, slightly overripe and sugary (in a good way). A little doughy malt rounds out the nose. Palate is similarly excellent, very bright and citrusy, loaded with pineapple, mango and guava goodness. Nice sturdy malt backbone that doesn't provide much sweetness. Finishes mildly bitter. Another exceptionally good beer in this series.

Serving type: growler

03-26-2013 09:33:13 | More by largadeer

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750 mL growler poured into a chalice.

Appearance - Hazy orange body with some sediment floating inside. Nice white head that nearly overflows the glass. Impressive sticky lacing down the sides.

Smell - Incredibly complex aroma from what is effectively a single hop. Tropical fruit, citrus, pine, and a nice herbal character reminiscent of a Lawson's IPA. Really nice.

Taste - Still incredible, but doesn't quite reach the heights of the aroma. Citrusy, but the tropical fruits don't come through as much as the pine and herbal characters do. I go for tropical fruit more than the other flavors, but it's still excellent. Just a little bit of sweetness behind it all.

Mouthfeel - Low sweetness, medium carbonation. Not quite the body of a double IPA, which is nice. Never feels heavy and is impressively drinkable.

Overall - Stunning, as always, from Hill Farmstead. That one hop is delivering all of this flavor is all the more impressive.

Serving type: growler

03-26-2013 03:04:18 | More by Alieniloquium

MasterSki

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at my favorite Chicago drinking hole. Served in a tulip.

A - Giant white foam settles to thick cap, with good retention and tons of splotchy lace. Hazed dark orange body.

S - Big juicy, tropical fruit flavors with some mild dankness, spicy, piney, and earthy notes, and moderately expressive malt backdrop; this is definitely a double IPA in character. As usual per this series, no obvious alcohol and terrific flavor integration, complexity, and balance.

T - The taste is similarly excellent, with massive doses of mango, pineapple, and light citrus zest. Perhaps a bit less earthy than the aroma, but balanced by a moderate bitterness in the finish. Supported by sweet doughy malts that complement without being intrusive.

M - Chewy, medium body, with the expected soft, medium-low Hill Farmstead carbonation. Dry finish with tons of lingering residual oils and resins. Deceptive, with minimal alcohol presence.

D - Great stuff, although I tend to prefer things a tad less sweet, as I didn't feel I could drink this as quickly as Anicca. Mosaic hops are clearly terrific from every example I've encountered and the Hill Farmstead take on them doesn't disappoint. Will have to go snag another pour of this tomorrow.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 01:53:54 | More by MasterSki

MasterCraft

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2L growler generously handed off by chuckycheese, thanks again man! Poured into HF stemware.

A-Beautiful three finger head, on the pale end of DIPA, clowdy as unfiltered DIPAs are wont to be.

S-smells like dank rotted fruit, though not as offensive as the Double Citra, and does not stray into 'cat piss' territory

T-tastes like the smell, though more like sweet/overripe fruit than rotted. Mangos, papaya, nice balance of sweet hop flavor and hop bitterness

M-out of this world, like all HF IPAs. Give me your goddamn secrets Shaun!

Great DIPA, a pure hop show. Drank side by side with HT, and makes Heady seem balanced.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2013 00:16:05 | More by MasterCraft

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler to hfs sniffer

A: golden in color it is semi transparent but not necessarily cloudy it had a big fluffy white head that goes away quickly and leaves an average lacing around the edge of the glass.

S:lots and lots of hops upfront and there are different smells too. It is mainly resinous piney hops (mosaic) but there are also notes of citrus as well. Hop bomb and I love It

T: follows the nose with lots of resinous hops upfront that stick to your tongue throughout the finish. Though there is definitely some citrus flavors in the form of mango and grapefruit as it is almost bitter and a little tart at the same time though it is quite bitter in the finish.

M: the resin extends to the feel as you can feel the stickiness for like 30 seconds after one sip. It is oily, crisp and fairly thick for a dipa but it goes down easy and the alcohol is completely hidden. It's a little sticky for my taste

O: really high quality dipa lives up to other S&S I've tried other hfs beers. It is hop bomb with lots of great unique hop flavors. Get this beer if you can.

Serving type: growler

03-22-2013 00:12:35 | More by Pinknuggets

kevanb

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

64oz growler poured into a Hill Farmstead stemmed glass.

The beer pours a nice honey, orange color that's very hazy. A thick, soapy white head appears, nearly a finger high that has nice retention and leaves behind a great amount of sticky lace. The aroma is very pleasant, lots of mango fruit with tangy grapefruit, light tangerine sweetness, lightly floral at times that finishes with bitter pine and dirty weeds. Lots of mango on the tongue straight away, grapefruit is really strong as well and very juicy with some more tangerine/clementine sweetness that brings out the alcohol a bit. The finish is very bitter and almost astringent, lots of earthy resinous pine and grassiness. The body is nice and juicy, soapy at times that coats the mouth well, finishes with a nice, dry bitter kick.

Verdict: A really enjoyable DIPA from Hill Farmstead, yet another success in their increasingly expanding and impressive hoppy portfolio. While it's not up there in the same breath as Abner or Ephraim, this beer is still very enjoyable and has a nice mix of juicy tropical fruit with some earthy, bitter pine.

Serving type: growler

03-18-2013 15:48:24 | More by kevanb

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml Growler picked up at the brewery two days ago. Pours a nice lightly hazy orange and capped by a bit of white sticky head.

Tropical and citrus fruits are right up front on the nose. A bit floral as well. First sip is refreshingly fruity with your typical grapefruit and orange notes packing quite the punch. Bitterness is there but it's certainly not the palate crusher some HF DIPAs are. Mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied.

Overall, another tasty DIPA from Hill Farmstead as expected. It's getting tough now though to differentiate between all the different Society and Solitude beers. Jucicy, citrusy hops seem to dominate all the ones I've had so far so even with the best of note taking, it's hard to pick a favorite.

Serving type: growler

03-18-2013 00:08:17 | More by Kinsman

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared thanks to raveskdr, thanks Chris!

The beer pours a nice golden orange with a small feeble head and some lacing, nice hazy body. THe smell is the highlight for me, a very nice pungent hop front with tropical fruit, weed, honey malts, and some more plant like nugget hops. The taste follows suit, but for me it seems like the malt is a little more stronger than I expected with a honey soaked barley not in the middle, with some citrus hops in the front and a very dry bitter finish. I hoped for a bit more hop bite, but instead it is a little more subtle for an american dipa. Nice feel overall, it is very well balanced and the carbo level is spot on. If it was thicker I could s it flirting with a 5.

Overall a very nice offering, nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 23:34:17 | More by Dreadnaught33

mobius387

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to ILOVESTOUTS for this one

poured into a HF stemware

appearance: cloudy honey yellow, thin white head, little to no carbonation bubbles, glows well in the light. looks delicious

aroma: soft notes of pine and orange dominate, some real subtle sweetness and some grass/hay smell as well. nice, but nothing stunning

palate: sweet & boozy, not very carbonated, sits well in the mouth, a little bitter going down but thats what you expect from a DIPA

taste: sweet oranges, tangerines, some lemon, a little too sweet tho. the citrusness of it gets overpowered. reminds me of alchemy hour by GL, but it definitely retains the robustness ive seen in other HF ipas

overall: another fantastic brew by these guys. they can do no wrong. very fortunate to have had this one

Serving type: growler

03-11-2013 18:26:19 | More by mobius387

yamar68

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Massive thanks to cfrances33 for sending this one my way! Split with mnphish and icecoldphatty:

Pours a very hazy honey gold with a soapy finger of paper white foam. Great lacing, lively beading.

Very, very tropical on the nose... mango and pineapple. Dense, lush, bittersweet.

The palate is defined by a big abrasive bitterness. It's more abstract in its expression of the mosaic hop than the nose, there's peach and pineapple. It feels nice and wet, slick, thirst quenching.

I like it. I'd like to become more acquainted with mosaic and I think this is a good start. Thanks Colin!

Serving type: growler

03-10-2013 18:54:59 | More by yamar68

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Fluffy white head with a solid body on top of a cloudy, tawny-gold ale. Aroma filled with overripe pineapple, juicy yet pungent. Cracker-like dry malt aroma underneath.

Flavor brings a big dose of tropical fruit up front, leaning heavily towards pineapple. A rough, resinous edge to the hop bittering keeps the tropical flavors in check. Subtle malt sweetness underneath like a pie crust that's been filled with fruit.

Finishes with a firm bitterness and rather dry, wiping away any hint of residual sweetness. The dryness keeps it dangerously drinkable as you keep going back for another sip after the last. A roller coaster of tropical hop flavor barely held back by some piney resin finish.

Serving type: growler

03-10-2013 15:41:36 | More by neophilus

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.76/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

On tap many places during last week’s trip to Vermont, but the first glass was on tap at the source. Nose releases a beautiful bouquet of orange peel, faint tropical notes, and a bit of pine. Mosaic is apparently a winner. Flavor is quite fruity yet also very bitter. Mouthfeel is near perfection, as is almost always the case with HF hoppy offerings. Supremely drinkable. One of my favorite HF IPAs yet.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 12:35:20 | More by Thorpe429

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler generously shared at the Peg's tasting on 3/8/13.

A- Pours a hazy golden orangish color, topped with a finger of white head.

S- Very hoppy, tropical fruit aroma, mango and papaya, grapefruit and pine, the hops also have a nice resinous and earthy, very mildly garlicy aroma.

T- Similar to the aroma, very nice hop flavor overall, lots of citrus and tropical fruit with a nice amount of earthiness and dank hop flavors. Malty sweetness appears that wasn't in the nose.

M- Medium-bodied, nice carbonation, smooth and creamy feel.

O- The mosaic hops on this are awesome, a really nice DIPA overall.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2013 03:42:12 | More by WillCarrera

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.6/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a growler into a pint

A - Opaque-ish, white and light orange. Big white head that retains for a long time, leaving lots of lacing.

S - rich tropical citrus, warm smell of orange and mango somewhat slight, but very nice.

T - awesome. Lots of rich and juicy tropical fruit. Mango, orange pineapple. Lots and lots of depth in the flavor, then a big snap of bitterness at the end . Very very good, easy drinking and tasty.

M - medium carbonation, rich, oily, very nice.

O - a top notch ipa. I would pick this up all the time if I could.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2013 01:16:25 | More by Beerandboards

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.3/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 mL growler. Thanks so much to Thorpe for getting this for me.

The beer is hazy and orange with a half inch off off white head. The aroma brings a wonderful bouquet of hops, citrus, tropical fruit, mango. Sweet tropical fruits with bitter citric hops. Lovely flavor. Oranges and mangos with a touch of warming alcohol in the finish. Pleasant lingering bitterness. Medium in body with soft carbonation. Not my favorite of the Society and Solitude series thus far, but this is certainly a delicious beer. Hill Farmstead strikes yet again.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2013 21:31:12 | More by Huhzubendah

drabmuh

Maryland

4.36/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a stemmed Hill Farmstead tulip. I've never had a beer that uses Mosaic hops (that I know of) so this is quite exciting for me. This isn't my favorite IPA but it is solid and has some great hop character.

Beer is yellow / amber with a nice white head, small bubbles, some lacing, moderate retention, nice carbonation.

Aroma is earthy, sweet, floral, fruity.

Beer is medium in body and quite hoppy. It is nice moderately bitter on the end, strong throughout the beer. Earthy and fruity, no real malt character, I'd have this beer again.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2013 14:05:14 | More by drabmuh

Sean9689

Illinois

4.71/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap in my kitchen.

Pours a mirky orange/yellow color, white frothy head, super-sticky lacing, thick ring, and thin cap. Nose is mango-forward, tropical, smooth hops, grass, light pine...really well-balanced and smooth. Flavor is lots of mango, pineapple, hops, grassy...perfect balance of hoppy bitterness and sweetness. Body is light to medium, good carbonation, oily finish.

It's hard to think of another DIPA I would rather drink more of in one session. The alcohol is well-hidden, it's very-well balanced, and the flavor profile is simply right-on. I have to say, my other favorite easy-drinking DIPA is Heady Topper, and this is superior.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 23:47:36 | More by Sean9689

merc7186

New York

4.31/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Growler into snifter glass.

A: Hazy Orange Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Great Lacing

S: Citrus, Grapefruit Rind, Piney

T: Citrus Rind, Crackers, Piney

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a solid DIPA with a nice blend of citrus, piney, and bittering hops. Solid.

Serving type: growler

03-06-2013 03:07:18 | More by merc7186

nootch23

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is the first Society & Solitude I've had so I am unable to compare which I feel is a good thing. A lot of people's reviews get hindered by a past recipe or ingredients and it isn't fair to the current version. I had this lovely at Prohibition Pig on tap.

A - pours a hazy, silvery, light orange.

S - nice citrusy smell upfront along with pine and grapefruit. Not an overpowering hoppy smell to it but very subtle.

T - hop bitterness to the front of the tongue. Citrus grapefruit taste appears further back on the tongue. Nice finish to this beer. Bitterness lingers briefly in the finish. Very easy to drink and pretty well balanced.

It's difficult to find something wrong with this beer and I'm glad I had an opportunity to try it. In my opinion, not as good as Abner, another IIPA, but definitely worth a try and grabbing a growler of this. Another success from the Hill Farmstead crew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 20:15:48 | More by nootch23

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml HF swing-top growler poured into HF stemmed glass. Review copied from notes since my computer wasn't working when I drank this. First sampled at the brewery and then entire growler consumed the next day.

A- Growler opens with a nice "pop" to pour out a hazy mostly opaque slightly brownish orange grapefruit color with 1-2 fingers (1 finger on first pour, 2 fingers on second pour) of foamy head with very nice retention and leaving frothy lacing. Nice consistent carbonation.

S- Grapefruit, fruity citrus lemons (not acidic smelling), light greeny hops, and a nice balance of malts hiding in the background and adding a balanced sweetness. Not as intense of a citrus aroma as the previous two Societys, but very pleasant and well balanced.

T- Grapefruit, lightly bitter citrus lemon, finishes with grapefruit juice and balanced malts that complement the citrus. Lingering balanced presence of citrus and malts. Again not as citrus forward as previous Societys, but a very nice balance.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, very easy drinking, slight bitter feel but refreshing.

O- This is another great Society & Solitude that definitely lives up to the other beers in the series. I loved the mosaic hops in this however I think I like SS4 and SS5 just a tiny bit better with them being a little bit more citrus forward without the balance between the malts as much. That's just personal preference though. I definitely recommend checking this beer out, it definitely will not disappoint even if you hold it to high expectations.

Serving type: growler

03-05-2013 18:19:06 | More by jaasen64

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a slightly hazy yellow color with a very nice white head on top. The retention is solid and the lacing is sticky. The smell of the beer has a very nice floral fruity citrus aroma, some subtle malt on the nose also. The taste of the beer is very good, plenty of fresh hop flavors and sweet malt. Fruity citrus and melon flavors cover the taste buds. The mouthfeel is light bodied with a soft carbonation, it's a very drinkable beer. Overall it's a excellent IPA. Well worth seeking out.

Serving type: growler

03-05-2013 02:39:44 | More by Knapp85

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at the Blackback on 3/2/2013. Served in a Hill Farmstead Tulip. Pours a golden-orange with a loose, off-white head that dissipates into a soapy skim. Nose reveals citrus notes, rind, earthiness and juicy tropical, fruity esters as the brew warms. Taste consistent with nose; however, there is also some bittering and a slightly medicinal quality to the flavor profile that peaks out towards the middle and back. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a lively carbonation and a kiss of astringency. Overall, extremely drinkable but much more delicate that your typical DIPA with a very light malt profile. Nonetheless, an excellent beer worth seeking out, but definitely allow it to warm to experience it at its best.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 00:41:16 | More by Jwale73

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.24/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: 64 oz. growler filled at the brewery yesterday and poured into a pint glass. Kept chilled since being filled. Also got to sample fresh from the tap at the brewery as part of a taster.

Appearance: Cloudy light orange to yellow in color. Pours a light, fluffy white head that leaves a goregous lacing. Really similar to almost every other HF IPA.

Aroma: Grapefruit and candied citrus from the hops. More of a dank, earthy character than the past couple beers in this series. The Mosiac hops offer a really interesting character I am not too famailar with.

Taste: There is a huge grapefruit flavor upfront in this IPA and it is complimented by some sweet candied citrus and a dank bitterness. The earth tones of this beer are definitely more pronounced than other HF IPAs. Really nice balance of the sweetness and bitterness from the hops. The grapefruit character is really pronounced and relll executed.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied but really crisp and really drinkable.

Overall, a really nice IPA from Hill Farmstead but the hop profile is a bit underwhelming for me. Really well balanced and easy to drink with just an insane amount of bitter grapefruit. Incredibly smooth and tasty, but doesn't stand out too much and the bitterness can get really strong.

Serving type: growler

03-04-2013 03:08:48 | More by Gosox8787