Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude #5

Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Greensboro, Vermont USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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At the brewery October 2012 A- unfiltered opaque tangerine yellow with fair lacing and a finger of fluffy white head. S - Big grapefruit. Pine and some grass and a bit of soap. Hints of orange and lemon as well with other less pronounced citrus and tropical fruits. M- light, tart and effervescent with a light to medium body and medium palate. T- more big grapefruit. Kiwi, mango and honey in the middle with long but smooth finish of more juicy grapefruit. Some resin and grass in the front as well. Pretty smooth from front to back, consistent, with no real high highs and low lows in the taste curve. Straight forward, but a good beer regardless. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap at Harvest festival and a week later in a 2L growler. Poured into HF taster again the classic Hill opaque yellow/orange in color with a healthy two finger white fluffy head. Heavy citrus scents, grapefruit and orange. Taste was mostly citrus, grapefruit. Had high expectations for this given how great #4 was. This was good, but didn’t quite measure up to #4.

This poured a darker yellow color with an off white head. The description certainly fits this one. Straight grapefruit rind in the noze. very citrusy, light orange, showing light grain as well. Flavor was fairly bitter grapefruit, but not mouth puckering, great feel on the mouth, not cloying, but refreshing. One dimensional and interesting experiment, but not mind blowing like a few of their other IPA offerings.

On tap. Very hazy gold pour, almost white, white head. Aroma is really quite fruity and pungent, lots of grapefruit, the hops are wet and sticky. Taste is fruity, not particularly bitter, very grapefruity - bitter and citrusy tart at once. Alcohol is not perceptible. Palate is lightly-med carbed with med body. Not a huge fan of the Hill Farmstead Beers; however, I have to give them a B for effort.

In short: An intensely grapefruity/citrusy pale IPA.
How: Tap at brewery, Growlers at home.
The look: Cloudy pale blond body topped by a persistent small white head.
In long: Nose is intensely grapefruity with some other citrusy and tropical fruits hiding in the back. Taste has the typical pale IPA HF cushiony bready/crackery pale malts totally dominated by the intense fresh grapefruity/citrusy flavor. No alcohol presence whatsoever. When first released this beer was the closest thing I’ve had to grapefruit juice from a beer. I had another growler filled at the brewery one or two months later and it was a little less over-the-top grapefruity. Still, I have a hard time believing that a beer can taste so much like fresh grapefruits without including a actual citrus fruits in the recipe. When I had it on tap the first time at the brewery (one glass) I thought it was just about the best IPA ever brewed by HF, but after a few growlers I changed my mind, there’s a sweetness sensation that piles up when drinking large quantities of this beer, something I never got from HF IPAs. As excellent as HF IPA should be but a little less easy to drink a full growler than with their best offerings. I’m surprised at how much I have enjoyed the four Society & Solitude I’ve had so far, I never had the #1 so I was afraid I wouldn’t understand the #2 through #5.

On tap @ Three Penny Taproom. Murky golden orange with a medium sized white head. Danky hops, Citrus, grapefruit and resin play wonderfully in the nose. Flavors are all of the above with a pleasant bitterness and nicely balance with a malt finish. Awesome Beer!

Big thanks to Turd for sharing this one too! Another ass-rapingly good DIPA from HF, and on some level even better than the #3 that I was lucky enough to sample earlier in the year. Vibrant light golden pour, sprightly carbonation and a nice medium head. Very pert and citric nose, bright and dry for sure rather than the floral wonderment of other entries. Grassy, at times a bit spicy, like a cross between Sculpin and a dry imperial pils.

On-tap at Parker Pie and HF Harvest Fest 2012 into HF wine glass and pint glass (at Parker Pie).

Pours a mirky golden yellow color, white head, thin collar, spotty lace. Aroma is hop-forward without being over-the-hop, light fruity sweetness, some resin in there too. Flavor is grapefruit, pine, and citrus. Hoppy yet smooth...not a palate-wrecker...very well-done. Light toward medium body, good carbonation, oily hoppy finish.

Easier to drink then S&S #4 and I think I enjoyed this one a bit more as well. Very easy to drink for 7.8% and the perfect balance of hops to not kill me after one or two glasses. Great stuff!

Pour from a growler revealed a hazy golden color with plentiful white topping. Aromas as the beer warmed slightly were of full tropical notes of mango, pineapple, and yes grapefruit. Characteristic smooth rich mouthfeel. Flavors amazingly complex of orange, lemon, and hoppy bitter goodness. Finish dry and long lasting flavor. Great beer for sure!

Bottle shared at CAH. Thanks, Cory. Pours a hazy golden yellow with white head that fades. nose is tropical fruits papaya and mango. first sipis juicy fruits, citurs hops like bergamon and cuquat. piney and grapefruit finish. amazing beer from shaun.