Hill Farmstead Foster

Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Style: Black IPA
Greensboro, Vermont USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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From tap at the brewery. Pours dark brown with a creamy, dense and tan head. Aroma is solid hoppy with a dark roasted malt in addition. Bone dry, breadish and dark roasted malty. Bitter and citrusy finish. Lingering hoppy and dry finish. Nice.

On tap at Capone’s. Brown pour with a small sized off white head. Lacing left on the glass. Aromas of chocolate, lighter roast, and some earthiness. Tastes of the same.

My Bottom Line:
Spicy rye and herbal, coniferous hops gloriously coalesce in this eminently drinkable Black IPA.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A slice of foam tops the brown-edged darkness.
-The resinous hop bitterness is firm, lasting well beyond the end of each sip. Balance might not be achieved in the end, although this might be because the brew is super fresh.
-As for all Hill Farmstead brews, the soft, natural carbonation and controlled residual sugars make for a superbly comfortable mouthfeel.
-This is yet another truly delightful IPA from Shaun. I can’t figure out if there is one I prefer because they are all impeccable.

On tap at Hill Farmstead.

Draft at Capone’s. Poured dark brown with tan head. Nose was black patent roasty malt, resiny hops, rye. Tasted patent malty, with a big piney and citric hop presence, and some piney roastiness in the finish.

750mL flip-top growler big thanks to yourefragile! Dark sepia pour, clearish. Thick mocha head erupts. Sheen, rocky retention. Big swathes of lace. Nose is soft, peaty, some spicy melon like chili powder rubbed pomelo (Thai snack),chocolate milkshake. Taste is light bodied like a 5% oatmeal stout, bitter, roasty, coffee heavy, some light soil and earthiness. Palate is lighter, bitter, easy to drink than expected. As it warms, it really gains some silkiness, mild alcohol warming, fudge, ganache. Palate really improves density at warm temperatures. Really nice improvement. Goes from a 3.7 to a 3.9 for me. Delicious but delicate, could easily be under appreciated if you don’t let it warm up and see how it evolves. I really liked it, especially how it is sessionable at 6.5%. Well done.

On tap at the Blind Tiger. Pours a deep black with a thin tan head. Chocolate, coffee, roast, and some light hops. Big roast, chocolate and citrus. Spicy rye, but very subtle. Warm mash and roast. Very smooth. Big roast and chocolate.

In short: A fantastic black IPA with a rye twist. Wonderful beer
How: Tap on location at the brewery
The look: Very dark brown body topped by a small medium beige head
In long: Nose is pungent uber-hoppy with freshly-cut pine-tree, grapefruits and fresh green hop peletts. Malt backbone is medium roasted, a bit of caramel, a bit of burnt chocolate, rye. I thought the rye here gave the beer a dryer woody rye barrel aged character more than the usual juicy spicy rye character of a rye beer. Then the truckload of hops with a very vibrant flavor. Same as the aroma (freshly-cut pine-tree, grapefruits and fresh green hop peletts) but also quite resinous. Bitterness level is medium-high. This is fantastic black ipa. Most Hill Farmstead beers are named after ancestors and family members. This time the description doesn’t say who Foster is. But I’m sure he is/was family. A Foster parent… badoom tsss! … ok I’m logging out now.

Draft. Pours a black body with a tan head. Hoppy body with nice spicy hop tones, light citrus notes, bitter dry and roast y. The hops almost resemble vines, nice and spicy, pricky with a nice subtle drying body and an earth y finish. Very easy drinking and delicious. Score another 4 for HF.

Tap at BT. Black Rye IPA. Pours a nice deep dark nearing pitch black with a good frothy head- nice lace. Aroma is big spicy rye malts, mixed with some slight roast, mostly clean though- and tons of raw aggressive fresh pine-like hops, some citrus, and mint. Flavor has a bold assertive raw spicy rye that really makes the malt and the hops pop out- fresh citrus, pine, resin and dank weed. Side by side to the Narconaut, this one wins hands down- and the rye is what sets it aside- it gives the beer almost a fullness of body without making it sweet and still keeps it refreshing and easy to drink. I loved it.

Draught at Capone’s: Aroma of malt, pine, hops, resin, rye, slight citrus, and a hint of roasting. Poured very dark brown/black in color with a large, creamy, dense, brown head that diminished a little, but lasted throughout. Opaque. Sparkling. Good lacing. Flavor is lightly sweet and light to medium bitter. Tastes of malt, pine, resin, rye, marijuana, and a hint of caramel. Medium body. Dry texture. Average carbonation. Malt, hop, pine, resin, rye finish is dry.