Hill Farmstead Birth of Tragedy

Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Greensboro, Vermont USA

Serve in Snifter

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Woah. Buddy brought this one over. Dark brown pour, with a small off-white almost tan head. Aroma was bourbon notes - wood, vanilla, light chocolate notes. Woah - the flavor. Was. Literally. Amazing.

Flavors were woody, bourbon, vanilla, roasted notes. Alcohol is entirely hidden - jeez, 11%. Insane.

19/V/2012 - 500ml bottle @ De Hopduvel - BB: n/a (2012-522) Thanks to BoBoChamp for sharing the beer!

Clear dark brown beer, no head. Aroma: sweet, sugary, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, alcohol, dried fruits, liquorish, brown sugar. MF: no carbon, full body. Taste: dark chocolate, some mocha, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, little bitter, somewhat fruity. Aftertaste: lots of vanilla, bourbon, dark caramel, some liquorish, syrup, raisins, mocha, touch of burned toast.

Arôme spectaculaire de cannelle, chocolat, café avec une barricade de bourbon. Son corps est pratiquement lacté. L’alcool est très présente en arôme comme en bouche.

50cl, new exclusive American brew Anno 2011, with honey, thx to Secret Santa!, very complex sweet Porter, roasted/sweet and slightly alcoholic/spicy, yet not too heavy, balanced, cloudy, nearly no head, very good Winter brew, yet very expensive!

From notes. Poured from a 500 mL bottle into a snifter. Birth of Tragedy pours a mahogany, nearly black color with a small tan mocha cap. Lots of espresso, somewhat bitter and a bit creamy, dark bitter chocolate, sweet milk chocolate, roasted malt, and a bit of spicy hops in the nose. The flavor is full of a ton of espresso, a bit of cream, dark, bitter chocolate, deeply roasted malt, and a bit of spice toward the finish. There is a sweetness to some of chocolate notes, but overall it is fairly bitter. There is not very much bourbon character coming through. The mouthfeel is fairly full, there is a creamy carbonation. It is a bit acrid in its bitterness, with a dryness toward the end. Even without the bourbon flavor coming through, it feels like the dryness from the oak barrel came through fairly strongly. It was fairly nice, but I really noticed the acrid nature of it, which detracted from the experience.

A very good porter. Fortunately the bourbon is mild and attenuated rather than overpowering. The aroma has coffee and vanilla with oak, but not much bourbon in the aroma, which I was expected. Flavor has more coffee and roasted grain, and light bourbon. A thick, rich porter with a smooth palate.

500ml bottle, thanks ben. Pours a very still, slightly watery looking black. Sweet bourbon barrel notes with cinnamon, bit or raisins, light chocolate and coffee, vanilla. The faintest of carbonation present, really I would call it still, with the body being on the thin side. Bourbon, prunes, cinnamon, bitter coco notes, subtle vanilla. Intoxicating nose and really reminds me in some ways of a hair of the dog beer, but being a bit thinner in the nose and body.

Big bourbon nose patent dark malt dark fruit a little peppery and spicey. Coffee. Nice aroma. Wood alcohol. Inky Black pour thin tan head. Woody bourbpny dark malt dark fruit. Brown sugar. Big boozy. Some coffee comes through. Not very carbonated. Boozy spicy bourbpny. Big and sweet.

Thanks for the pour, Ryan! Pours out a deep, dark brown with a touch of head - fairly low carbed. Aroma is impressive - tons of coffee, sweet brown surgar, a touch of bourbon and booze, and a layer of chocolate. Very impressive, and the best part of the beer. Taste follows where the nose leaves off. Rich coffee, more bourbon than the nose indicates, caramel/honey sweetness. Impressive. A touch thin and undercarbed. Excellent beer, but I can’t help wishing it was a bit thicker and with more carbonation.

UPDATED: APR 25, 2012 Brought this to our Hill Farmstead tasting. Looks similar to Damon only with a little but more head. Head still has some soapiness to it.  Nose is packed full of coffee, honey, and chocolate, there is also some slight booziness, but not much barrel character. Flavor starts with a little booziness, then moves to rich chocolate, coffee, caramel, oak, and honey. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side again. Carbonation is lower and it has a medium finish. Very good BA porter. I wish the barrel character would show up a little more, but it’s still a nice beer.

Bottle, courtesy of GT2 - thank you sir! Pour is ink black, tan head, some retention/lace. Aroma of coconut, vanilla, barrel, dark chocolate, coffee, cream. Taste is rich chocolate, coconut, vanilla, bourbon, some booze. Palate is full bodied, oily, slick, soft carbonation, warming finish.