Hill Farmstead Everett

From bottles, on draught, this is one beer that’s always been a show in itself. No matter what I was drinking before or after, it is a rare day the one in which you drink an Everett that is not the highlight of the day. And for what it’s worth, dark malt flavours are certainly not among my favourite features in the broad universe of beer... So cracking up an Everett and drinking it in front of the screen, here are my impressions. A vigorous beige cap stays above the close to blackness. Ashes blend lovingly around fudge in this complex malt nose where all kinds of chocolatey nuances dominate the caramel found in many a porter. Toasted pumpernickel, cigar leafy/smokiness, leather.. the flavours are broad, varied, complementary, never heading too much toward sweetness nor toward bitterness. Hops are not subtle, but are kept under control by the sheer malt presence. Round, luscious palate, never feeling heavy and certainly not syrupy, but straightly dense and compact, stealing a vanilla kiss toward the finish, but otherwise remaining disciplined, adding woodsy, truffle, coffee laden layers and inspiring the drinker to expand its dark malt aroma descriptors range. The texture is simply flawless, with just the right carbonation dosage, soft bubbles enhancing drinkability while never bringing forth more acidity and bite than required, leaving the rich maltiness the grounding area it needs to land its intricacies on the palate. Tough to imagine anything I would change.