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Hill Farmstead Fear and Trembling (French Oak Cabernet)

 (RETIRED)
Score
9998
OVERALLStyle

bottling
unknown

on tap
unknown

distribution
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RATINGS: 86   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.85   SEASONAL: Special   EST. CALORIES: 279   ABV: 9.3%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Fear and Trembling is Hill Farmstead’s first collaboration - a Baltic Porter brewed with malt that was hand smoked over maple wood by our Danish friend, and former colleague, Anders Kissmeyer. This bottled version was aged in French Oak Cabernet barrels. As a student of philosophy and former resident of Copenhagen, it is fitting that our brewer named our first collaboration after Denmark’s great thinker: Søren Kierkegaard. All three contemplated absurdity, faith, and salvation while wandering the shores of the Baltic Sea... "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."


Huhzubendah's rating

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Huhzubendah (2007) - Washington DC, USA - AUG 2, 2012
Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike! A: Dark brown hue with a thin, tan head that recedes rapidly, leaving but a little lacing. S: Roast, bacon, smoke (rauchbier), hints of oak. T: A very nice beer, though I think the aroma is better than the flavor. The beer has a nice tannic character, with the booze aspect the most hidden of the three variants. M: Medium to thin bodied with moderately low carbonation. D: Overall, this was my favorite of the Fear and Trembling beers. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 12-20-2010


most recent ratings

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 13/20
dmac (3222) - Toms River, New Jersey, USA - MAY 27, 2013
Bottle shared by Dean. Poured a medium density pitch black body with a smaller soapy dark beige head. Aroma is loads of smokey camp fire, smokey sweet barbeque, earth, chocolate. Medium body with stronger carbonation that finishes dry with a touch of lingering heat. Flavor is chocolate, smoke but not as smokey as the aroma, slight sweetness in the middle, burnt toast, earth and a hint of red wine. Good stuff but the base is so smokey the French Cabernet is barely there.

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
pineypower (2189) - Pine Barrens, New Jersey, USA - APR 14, 2013
Pours almost black with a thin tan head. Aroma is of lots of smoked malts, earth, light chocolate, mild wood. Taste is dark dried fruits, light earthy smoke, chocolate, light wine notes, oak and a touch of alcohol on the finish. Body slightly thin for the ABV.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
FlacoAlto (3506) - Tucson, Arizona, USA - MAR 10, 2013
Sampled March 2011; RBWG
The beer pours with a dark, browned head that sits on top of a concentrated brown, leaning towards black color; it shows a clearish brown hue when held up to the light. The aroma has a big, salty, peat like smokiness to it that is backed by a dark, burnt grain character, notes of spicy wood, and even a bit of hot alcohol.

Sweet molasses flavors up front lead into big, burnt grain roasted notes, and a smoke character that is really the dominant note in the flavor; the last is almost oily in its intensity, sort of peat like, lots of umami like savory notes, with a woody smoky character. There is a bitterness in the finish that is derived from both the roast character and the hops; the burnt notes really linger on in the plate, and really help to dry out the finish significantly. Woody flavors contribute an astringency, a subtle spicy oak character, and a definite tannic edge. The body is fairly chewy, thick even, with a nice viscosity to it. This is quite nice in the end, it is definitely a sipping beer, and I had no idea what to expect when I was poured this beer.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
yourefragile (106) - Washington, Washington DC, USA - FEB 28, 2013
500 mL bottle. Sampled with the bourbon and blended versions. This was my favorite of the 3. Pours a darker brown with thin, frothy mocha head that gradually fades away. Mild smoke presence in the nose, with the cab barrels dominating; vanilla, oak, chocolate, fruit, spice and roast. Bitter chocolate and roast malt start flavor with spicy smoke throughout. Slightly tannic finish of red wine and bitter chocolate. Excellent balance and loads of complexity.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
madmitch76 (10007) - , Essex, ENGLAND - FEB 17, 2013
20th April 2012
Opaque dark brown beer. Tidy tan head. Palate has body and is semi dry with fine carbonation. Nice dark malt - it has weight but avoids roast or bitterness. Very mild smoke and mellow coffee. Unsweet dark chocolate and mild wood. Subtle red wine presents itself at the end and lingers in to the aftertaste. Goods stuff - charms with it’s balance.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
Plovmand (5747) - Helsinge, DENMARK - DEC 14, 2012
Bottle at home. Pours jet black with a medium beige head. The aroma is smoke, oak, wood, oat, roasted malt and toasted caramel. The flavour is ham, smoke, smoked sausage, roasted malt and wood. Long smoked malty finish. Just slightly vinous. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
alexsdad06 (3103) - Ohio, USA - NOV 24, 2012
500 ml bottle from glouglouburp. Pours a clear dark brown color with reddish hints and a small beige head. The aroma is roasted malts, oak, smoke with mild cab notes. The flavor has some meaty, savory smoke, oak, roasted malt, cab. notes and tannins. Medium plus body with quite a bit going on.

3.9
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
piscator34 (1801) - Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA - SEP 8, 2012
Bottled sample via and shared with oakbluff. Near black in colour with moderate carbonation. Aromas are of dark chocolate, caramel, sweet pale malts, and faint red grape. A bit more tart and woody than the other versions, but the chocolate and char are still very strong. Medium bodied and a touch savory. Very nice.

4.4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
adamjackson (1317) - Canaan, New Hampshire, USA - AUG 12, 2012
UPDATED: AUG 13, 2012 A friend shared this with me. It’s a year old now and still tasting great. Enjoyed in a Hill Farmstead Glass. (Reviewed on my iPhone)

A one finger coffee head , oily slick black. Pitch black. Lacing some alcohol legs

S cocoa nibs. Coffee. Cream espresso , maple syrup, sugar

T wood smoked wood and malt. Red wine (Cabernet)

M - 50% mouth feel. Heavy bodied. Wood and oak linger

O - Pretty good. Definitely an A grade



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