Hill Farmstead Riwaka Single Hop Pale Ale

Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Greensboro, Vermont USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Very excited about this one. The beer is similar in appearance to most other HF IPAs. Orange with a white head. The aroma is fabulous, with a huge hop presence. Light in body, with a nice bouquet of citrus. A tad sweet, but not too. So drinkable. Fluffy and soft on the palate. Elegant bitterness in the finish. Overall, this was simply terrific. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap at Prohibition Pig weekend of 2012 Harvest Festival. Pours a cloudy light golden amber color with a generous white head, great retention and lacing. Aroma and flavor took me by surprise as I wasn’t expecting something quite so unique while being exactly what expected. Loads of tropical and juicy citrus hops, but there was a slight tropical leafiness as well that added a slight spice and earthiness that enhanced the juicy and sweet flavor (without distracting). One of my favorite HF I/A PAs.

Thanks to Moll for grabbing the growler for me. Served in Hill Farmstead stemware. Plenty of citrus peel and light pine. A bit floral. Flavor is quite dry and very bitter. Light body. Excellent.

Fresh Swing top growler bottle, pours ia hazy straw golden with medium white lacing and spotty head. Aromas were on the weak side, grass, hops, hay, herbs, light pepper. Taste is pure new zealend tasting cheese hops, lemon citrus, wood, funk, popcorn kernel. Such a buttery and sessionable pale ale. Thanks for sharing Frank.

My Bottom Line:
Three-dimensional citrusy spiciness reigns within this pillowy New World Pale Ale, leading to herbal hop resins, subtle straw and much merriment.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A fluffy head of foam floats atop the cloudy blond, leaving plenty of lacing.
-Drinkability is sky high due to the leanness of the body, the comfortable natural carbonation and the moderate bitterness.
-The aroma is simply superb. Amazing dry-hopping job as always from Hill Farmstead.
-This is the kind of hop that doesn’t need blending to achieve complexity. A marvelous discovery for me.
-This smells so good I feel like leaving a couple of drops at the bottom of the glass and sniffing it all day.

Growler and on tap at the brewery.

Draft at black back back in Sept ’12, base was the similar to most hill apa/ipa, simple malt base that’s hazy golden color with white head, nose was loaded with grapefruit rind, interesting tropical character too and a bit different than the typical PNW grapefruit character but the hop character was pure grapefruit juice throughout. Malt bill was only there to showcase the hop. I could probably drink about 4 of these and still want to order another one (or 4).

In short: A blond IPA with a fresh vibrant countryside flowers and fruity character
How: Growlers + tap at brewpub. First time a fresh growler time a fresh growler shared the day of purchase by and with mcberko. Then tap at brewery, then another growler home.
The look: Cloudy blond body topped by a medium head leaving lots of lacings on the glass
In long: Nose is bursting with floral hops with a countryside flowers character over some fruits, like walking in a blooming countryside field carrying a basket a peaches. Taste has the typical HP IPA fresh bready/crackery malt backbone, not too crisp, not too chewy, low sweetness sensation, voluptuous pillowy mouthfeel, generous yet very gentle carbonation.. Hopping is more aromatic than bitterness, countryside flowers, tropical fruits, a good amount of dry grass and a light spiciness sensation. Full of hop flavors but with a smooth bitterness of low-medium intensity. Another hoppy home run from Hill Farmstead. Since the opening of Hill Farmstead I drink more beer than ever, and I think the medias exaggerate the danger of alcohol consumption, every year a lot more people die by drowning in water than by excessive ingurgitation of alcohol.

On tap at the brewery. Hazy golden yellow with a generously frothy head that lasts throughout the glass. Among the most unique and curiously delightful hop variety I’ve encountered. Very vinous and tropical with hints of stone fruit and a definite green pepper character not unlike Mamouche. Great citrus and nectar in the flavor with further peppery proliferations. The palate is perfect- dry and crisp with ample carbonation. Really enjoyed the uniqueness of this one.

Swing-top shared with the fellas down at The Kernel, London. Pours cloudy, matte yellow with a perfect, white froth head. Bit of salty pee in the nose, dank citrus. Light to medium sweet flavor, grass, light urine, ripe lemon, light grapefruit, tangerine. Light to medium bodied with average, creamy, gorgeous carbonation. Finishes with a bit more gritty grass, light earth, but still lots of juicy citrus. Wonderful APA.

Growler: The aroma consists of big grapefruit with lighter citrus. It pours a cloudy dull orangish-yellow with a small soapy white head. The flavor starts with starts with a quick dose of tropical fruits and citrus. The finish has moderate grapefruit. It’s light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall, another amazing sessionable by these guys.