Latest reviews from Greensboro
| 94 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Been trying to get here for forever. Off the beaten path, so much so that when you get there it won’t really exist. Almost no cars seen on the drive so when you go over the last hill and see the place jam packed, you wonder where all the people came from.
A real pleasure, just like Going to ebenezers in maine“ |
| 94 /100 403A HILL ROAD “What can I say. This is as close to (Beer) heaven as I’m ever gonna get. The ride from Waterbury was breathtaking and beautiful. This is everything I anticipated and more. Crowd was small and spread out; no lines at all. Plucked in the middle of nowhere, the farmstead is serene and relaxing. 12 taps and 6 bottle pours were available. All of the highest quality. A mix of ales, lagers, stouts and mixed culture brews. Haven’t visited the store yet, but will update after going there.“ |
| 78 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Our first port of call in Vermont after driving from New Hampshire. A gloriously sunny day with clear blue skies made the rolling green hills that Hill Farmstead looks out onto even more vivid. Whether it's a conscious effort to blend in with this landscape, or a nod to the rustic farmhouse breweries in Belgium I'm not sure, but Hill Farmstead is devoid of any signage at all, whether it's the dusty gravel road leading to the brewery, or within the brewery itself.
The bar is plain, no beer list or fonts.. just a printed beer menu littered about the bar and on the seats outside. It's a nice wooden building with a small amount of seats and terrace area. But most people are making the most of the sun and sitting on the green lawn out front or playing with the usual beer garden games. Not too busy on my visit, maybe 25 people max, lots from Quebec half an hour away.
From memory there were about 8 -10 HF beers on tap, plus some expensive looking bottle pours. Surprised to see they make a cider too. I got two beers and the cider, but the older lady at the bar was very quick to inform me of the state rule that I could not take more than two beers out at one time. So she carried one over with me. I got the feeling it was to check I wasn't buying for anyone under 21.
The merch / beer collection was in another building, alongside a sizeable display of motivational / spiritual / buddhist / climate change books which were also for sale. Lots of peace and love self screen-printed posters dotted about the brewery too, although they weren't for sale. Three Drie Fonteinen bottles alongside the HF. $50 a pop.
A really pleasant place overall, only complaint is the beers were served way too cold, with their overall flavour profile chilled dead. A real shame.“ |
| 90 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Rural location on rolling hills with glorious views. Small tap selection of up to date IPAs and lagers, and older cellar stock. Bottle pours and vintage bottles available as well, as far back as 2012 on my visits. Visited two days in a row, and significant turnover on bottles and bottle pours to have there. Prices are high, especially on the vintage stuff, but we decided it was worth it after the long drive. Decent selection of IPA cans and bottles to go, as well as growlers. Excellent cheese available to pair with the excellent beers. Worthy of its rating.“ |
| 66 /100 403A HILL ROAD “2022 New England Beer Tour, Stop 8 of 12, Oct. 14, mid-afternoon. Is it possible for the RateBeer No. 1 brewery to live up to its hype? Maybe I let my Hill Farmstead expectations get too high. The journey to it is a joy. Beautiful highways get progressively less improved and eventually are nothing more than a hardened dirt road. Around a dusty turn you go and there appears a rolling hilltop with a small brewery and taproom perched atop it. We arrived on an unusually warm October Saturday afternoon to find a medium-sized crowd and parking that didn’t require parking in (literally) the north forty. There were eight beers on tap but, alas, three had already sold out. To compensate, a beertender suggested we consider splurging on a $30 limited edition bomber (I forget which one). We declined. The available tap beers were reasonably priced (no flights). The merchandise area had beer to go and three different colors of the same short-sleeved T shirt. There was minimal indoor seating, but the warm weather made the many outdoor picnic tables overlooking the colorful area hillsides very inviting (though the same can't be said for the outdoor portable toilets). And that was it: good beer in a nice setting. I sensed many folks were quietly asking themselves what I was: This is the No. 1 brewery?“ |
| 94 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Located up in a high meadow, after a few miles I f dusty, bumpy gravel road. Scenic vistas. Looks like a farm. Taproom with porch around it. Lawn seating. Reservations recommended. Bottle shop on site. A venue worthy of the beer brewed here.“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Finally made the pilgrimage here, and unfortunately it was a year and a half into the pandemic, which seemed to be slowing when we originally booked the trip. HF is currently open 12-5 Wednesday through Friday, with advance reservations required, and we were there from 3:30 to close on Friday. The weather was perfect, luckily. The location is a ways down a gravel (pretty smooth) road in the central-north Vermont countryside. Rolling hills, mountains in the distance, lots of green in every direction. The buildings look like farm buildings, with weathered wood shingles. The taproom has a porch on two sides, and there's a roped-in lawn with some tables and chairs, and one small pavilion. There were only about 6 things on draft when we visited and 8 bottles (4 sold out), plus a couple other things available for bottle pours. The beer is obviously world class. Service was good but the line system could be better (Vermont's 2-beers-per-person is annoying, too, for a group that wanted to split some bottles). There's a separate building for bottle sales, which fortunately did not have any line when we were there. But offerings were also fairly limited at the time. This place is great, and absolutely worth the trip. Wish we had some more time to air it out here.“ |
| 58 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Took a detour going from Portland to Burlington to get some beers to trade for Tree house beers. I was lucky that I was only one buys beer to go when I got there. Found out why, no hoppy beers available. Had to wear a mask and it kept fogging my glasses and could not read the list well. I got some my friend wanted. Even though I did not reserve a $5 seat in tasting room they left me buy a draft and stand at bar, I drank most of it while waiting in line for the one bathroom they have. One Bathroom after that loooong drive we have to make to go there!!!“ |
| 90 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Great tap-room at the back for draft deep cutz. Ryan came back from brewing to help out serving. The queue system needs to be improved. It's a very long wait. I had a really nice time but was put off by the three hours it took to get beer. Great place just I don't understand the ticket system. Visited in 2015 with some friends from MA and RI.“ |
| 100 /100 403A HILL ROAD “We reached Hill Farmstead on 21.12.2019 at 4 pm. We knew some of their IPA’s and saw pictures of the brewery, hence we had high expectations, which were absolutely exceeded. Two wooden farmhouses attached to each other, one for the brewery/tap room and one for the bottle shop. The snow and the cold temperature amplified the unique atmosphere of the whole place. Great tasting room with a hand made wooden bar and friendly and knowledgeable service. The beers were outstanding. The Pilsner tapped with the right amount of foam comes super close to an unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell. The Rhetorica (dark lager) was on the same level. In addition to the great lagers they have fantastic IPA’s for which they are famous for. With the beers we enjoyed their home made cheese and bread. Through a few windows you can look down to the brewery. Only the 6th place I have rated with 100 points.“ |
| 68 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Hill Farmstead
Unique for a number of reason, but chiefly because this place is located in the sticks! Farmland, trailers, dirt roads and banjos abound (and this coming from a guy born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky). Once you’re there, you know you’re there. While it has wood-sided facilities that have a rustic appearance and in no way seems out of place given the surroundings, the billion cars parked out front along the dirt road is a dead give away. An attractive stone slave fence lines part of the parking row. I arrived a half hour before opening, but there were already 20 people in the retail and bottle shop line. Oh! While their website says they open at noon, the tap room was already serving beer at 11:30 and the retail/bottle shop opened a little early too. The way you buy your to-go cans and bottles is to stand in a line, then order and pay with the cashier, then stand over by the barrels full of aging beer, one of which bearing no fewer than 15 Best of Ratebeer medals, and the order filler guys fetch your goods and bring them out to you. Best to order yourself two beers (that’s all you’re permitted to order and take to your taxable or outside) from the tap room to make standing in line more fun. The taco truck serves nice soft tacos that hit the spot. The brewery facilities are surrounded by a meadowy lawn with oak barrels strewn around for sitting glasses on as you stand and talk. Cornhole and some other game where wooden sticks are thrown are out there. There is seating both inside and out, but not near enough available to accommodate all patrons. Beer pours and growler fills are done in different sections of the bar. No tabs; pay as you go. But there is no tipping. Which, is nice, because as proud as Hill Farmstead is of their beer, you’ll pay an arm and a leg for them. Staff are pleasant and helpful. One thing that concerned me is that after one of the staff poured a bottled beer into a glass and filled the glass with an inch and a half head, she dumped the remaining contents into the drain. They’re overly concerned with presentation there if appearance is favored over having more beer in my glass. I understand if you’re pouring from the tap, but give me all the beer I overpaid for that is in my bottle you won’t allow me to have.“ |
| 82 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Let’s start by saying this place is off the beaten path. Absolutely gorgeous views. Had to wait in line for about 20 minutes but the beer was worth the wait. Can’t wait to go back“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Beautiful spot to go and get a beer. Much like the other reviews the only issue is that logistically its a nightmare. Besides that...cant say enough good things. Parking is easy. Beer is good. There was a food truck but I didnt eat. Even for mid Friday in September it was crowded. This place is banking some "mula". Beer is expensive, service was friendly. Overall... great spot“ |
| 78 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Brewery in the middle of nowhere. I've been on Saturday, line was about 20 mins for pours. They have some bottles for on site consumction including Genealogy of Morals. Very nice place for lazy Sutarday. Must visit when in VT.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Beautiful location, although a bit hard to get to, since you have to drive several miles on a dirt road to get here, but that just adds to the atmosphere. They have a couple dozen of their own beers on tap, do growler fills, and also have a separate shop on location for bottle sales. It can get very busy but you are allowed to drink outside as long as you stay on their property, so come when its nice out!“ |
| 96 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Even by Vermont standards this place is in the middle of nowhere. Once you reach Greensboro you’ll still have 3 miles to go and you’ll lose cell phone reception and the road turns to dirt. Of course once you get there it’s truly an idyllic rural setting. Of course given the volume they have a young staff member pointing the way to parking. The bottle/can sales are in the first building on the left and the growler and pint sales are in separate lines on the inside. For as busy as they are the staff were pleasant and the lines moved efficiently if not always quickly. Given the wait it’s best to order two things at a time. Of course the beer is incredible with even the simplest styles made at the highest level. If I lived in Burlington, I’d probably be here weekly and it’s tremendous local support which helps to explain the lines. The prices considering the quality were really quite reasonable. Definitely a bucket list place.“ |
| 80 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Best feature is the scenic setting, spectacular in fall. Some good rarity bombers to choose from. Selection in the tap room is far from awesome, though. Worth a single pilgrimage.“ |
| 90 /100 403A HILL ROAD “This place is just awesome. Be prepared to wait though. We went on a very busy Friday afternoon. The line for to-go cans and bottles was a breeze, but we waited nearly an hour for growler fills and about 20 minutes for every draft beer. That said, this place is still great. They could make some tweaks to their process for handling crowds and it would be that much better.“ |
| 94 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Over the years Hill Farmstead has evolved into a truly world-class beer destination. The addition of the tasting room a couple of years ago added a level of comfort and efficiency to the operation that wasn’t previously present; it allows the brewery to take full advantage of its utterly picturesque location by giving patrons the ability to enjoy a beer instead of just waiting for takeaway in an interminable line. On that note, one of the coolest features is the on-premise only selection, which includes rare house specialties and often some of the best beers made elsewhere around the world - selections that are made possible by pure force of reputation. Service is fantastic; this is a community oriented, local-first, high integrity brewery if ever there was one. There was a time when visiting Hill Farmstead had its drawbacks, mostly related to huge crowds, slow service, and limited consumption options. There are still vestiges of these problems in some respects, but now more than ever they are swallowed up in the bucolic scenery and of course the absolutely top-flight beer. If I had one complaint it would be that for years I’ve waited eagerly for Hill Farmstead to expand its offering of lagers and possibly experiment some with its reliably excellent (some would say predictably so) canvas for its hoppy pale ales; more lagers have been on in recent years but man, I would just fall to pieces if Shaun ever made a noble-hopped pale ale in his style. If I’m honest with myself, a little piece of me is disappointed every time I visit to see the same smattering of fantastic American-hopped beers on tap with maybe one or two variable other options. Ultimately, this is complaining for its own sake. Sure, I’d like to see the horizons expanded here, not as much because I have any issue with the state of things but because the possibilities are rendered so boundless and exciting because of the sheer level of talent at hand. There is still almost nowhere else in the world I’d rather go to revel in the enjoyment of beer.“ |
| 70 /100 Willey’s Store (Grocery Store) 7 BREEZY AVE “Stopped in after HF. This indeed a pretty interesting store in "downtown" Greensboro. They had a bout 6 HF bottles with a 5% markup over the brewery. Nothing not also available at the Hill, but if you arrive after hours this is an excellent backup option. Otherwise the selection was decent; lots of local/regional beers and a smattering of others.“ |
| 66 /100 Willey’s Store (Grocery Store) 7 BREEZY AVE “A spot you need to stop whenever you go to Hill Farmstead. You never know what you’ll find, Tilquin, Cantillon? Maybe! There is always a selection of Hill Farmstead shelf. Let’s say there is like 5 longs shelfs of craftbeers. Not bad at all for a General store in a small town!“ |
| 96 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Seriously one of the most amazing brewery you can ever go. The selection of bottles available is gorgeous, top quality. The tap room is great as well you can taste whatever you want take a pint at $4 US and relax outside or inside. What would you want more than this? Oh yes, the service when I went there was top notch, super friendly staff. Once you’ve been there you will want to revisit the day after.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “(September 2016)
What am I going to say that hasn’t already been said 113 times? I lucked into a fantastic imperial pils on tap (Song of Joy) and some very tasty offerings from a food truck churning out delicious tacos.
PS - Cell service and 4G is come-and-go, so call who you gotta call and get your navigational bearings straight before you get too close.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited February 2016. Far from everything but well worth the visit. Some weird rules about buying samples. Bottles had good prices as well as growlers“ |
| 84 /100 403A HILL ROAD “I came here for FOFA last August so the ambiance out in the field with an amazing selection of American sours gets lots of points. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. It’s well worth getting here at least once and is world class but it lacks the depth of someplace like Akkurat or Kulminator in terms of variety of styles and ramping things up to the next level. All this being said, the tasting room was closed when I went due to the fest so I should probably re-rate it sometime on a regular day. A great place and during FOFA probably the best place to be to try the breadth and depth of the US sour scene.“ |
| 74 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited on a Friday afternoon around 3 pm. They are out a couple dirt roads in rural Vermont, so they are fairly secluded. They had what seemed to be more than sufficient parking for everyone. It seemed most people were here to fill growlers and maybe buy a few bottles. It took only a couple minutes in the "drink here" line to get beer, whereas you had to take a number for growlers. I had a bottle of brother soigne and several draft beers on my visit. They do not offer flights, but you can try whatever you like before purchasing. Not really the same, but a step in the right direction. The thing about this place that was a major let down is that all the draft beers were pale ales, or some iteration of a pale ale. Every damn one. I know they are great at making other styles, so why limit the drafts to only pales? I don’t get it. Regardless, I did enjoy myself here, and would come back again, but I would be more excited if the tap list was a little more interesting and diverse.“ |
| 82 /100 403A HILL ROAD “The location is fantastic, basically on top of a hill in middle of the Vermont countryside, miles away from anywhere else. Service was friendly but I went on an apparently very busy weekend and it all seemed a bit inefficient. Selection is quite limited, particularly for draft pours / growler fills, only had pale ales and IPA’s on offer when I was there but did have other stuff in bottles. I did however like everything that I tasted. Free samples available for anything on tap - good. Two drink max per person - bad, particularly when you have driven miles to get here and don’t have the possibility to take a growler home. Prices were good. Worth a visit for sure but a bit over-hyped in my opinion.“ |
| 70 /100 Willey’s Store (Grocery Store) 7 BREEZY AVE “Great stop. Go here before HF opens to snatch up any bottles that you see (they are the same price here as at the brewery 1 mile away). Good snack foods and cheese. Love this stop.“ |
| 96 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Out of the way, yes. Is the beer awesome, yes. Make the trip, at least once.“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Sort of "the" place, right? Second official beer stop on the New England trip and the first real destination after landing in Burlington. Just a heads up to travelers, cell service is really spotty here and can be non-existent on the way, so be aware if you’re using your phone for navigation.
A large property with open lawns and trees in the background. Pretty ample parking, particularly for a Thursday early afternoon crowd. We walked in directly to the bar and were able to get seats in the tasting room or outside. Sort of a number of options in the tasting room--samples, full pours, growlers, and on-site bottles. Be aware that there is a maximum of two drinks per person. Not sure how strictly that is enforced or if that includes your bottle pours or what. Sample pours are free and about 1 to 2 ounces. Full pours are like $4, and growler fills are quite cheap as well. The to-go bottles from the retail shop are quite reasonably priced. They price the on-site bottles with a definite premium, though I guess its understandable. The people are very, very friendly here and quite helpful. They get a lot of visitors/beer tourists, and seemingly are very patient explaining the rules. Very efficient in getting everyone served as well. I don’t think this place really requires a recommendation. It’s obviously quite an effort to get here, but I found it to be a worthwhile trip.“ |
| 78 /100 Willey’s Store (Grocery Store) 7 BREEZY AVE “General store in Greensboro. Sort of on the way to Hill Farmstead, which is why I imagine most people on RateBeer would visit here.
Nice selection of beers, including some Hill Farmstead bottles (including Dorothy and Nordic Saison on my visit). They also have a large number of ciders, some ice ciders, some Maine bottles, Von Trapp, Lord Hobo...lots of neat stuff. Good prices, as well. Another nice thing about this store, they have some nice cheeses, meats, and all sorts of good food items. Definitely worth a stop, particularly since it’s pretty much on your way.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “This is a great place to go if you are out for a drive in the beautiful rural countryside of Vermont. Sometimes this place can be very busy with a long line but other times it moves more quickly. They use a numbering system for growler fills and you can bring your own growlers to fill. The tasting room is nice with a beautiful view of the mountains out the window. And of course their beer is excellent. Food is provided by a vendor in a truck.“ |
| 96 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Honestly, it would be typical for anyone to hit this brewery and not want to give it 100 off the bat. The people are incredibly friendly. The location is in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the drive. It beats the heck out of drinking in some industrial park like so many other highly rate breweries. The people are so amiable and happy to help. The beer speaks for itself: amazing. Remember to bring your own caps for growler fills. The food is by a local vendor and the time I was there it was a small selection, but very excellent. I can’t think of many better things to do aside from spend a day sitting on the side of a hillside looking at the vermont countryside. Lastly, these dudes could easily gouge the crap of you for there beers and they’re actually quite classy with the cost. I can’t say enough good things.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “First let me say...I love Hill Farmstead beers (and who doesn’t!). Before arriving I expected that I would be rating this place over 90...and if you are rating the beers...they all would
be...but I’m rating the place from which the beers come and the beers contribute only a portion of the score to this "place" rating...so please keep that in mind. I have no real complaints mind you. I just think the place is nice in looks...not amazing...the main tasting/growler fill area is attractive...the real tasting room is not very special at all (it’s obvious they are encouraging growler and bottle sales over onsite beer drinking). The outside has an unfinished look and really isn’t that special. Now don’t get me wrong...the grounds and land around the brewery...the farm and the adjacent surroundings are gorgeous. But they could have done so much more to make this place look great given they have the money and spent a lot to do what they did do. I’m just not a fan of what they came up with given who they are and the high expectations people have when they travel to this remote location. Yes it’s about the beer first...but the place is just above average...not amazing or anything. I am also disappointed there were only 4 beers available for tasting...and a max of only "2" that we could actually buy to drink onsite. That’s a tad stingy to say the least. Overall...I would still highly recommend a visit here...and an 86 is normally a high rating...just lower than the over 90"s most people are giving. I think they missed the opportunity to make this even better...“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited plenty of times in the last 4 years. This lost place in the middle of nowhere at the end of a muddy road has changed a lot within the last year. Goodbye the 2-hours line with a sweaty guy in front of you just to fill your growlers and grab a couple of regular beers. Yes, you still have to wait at least an hour but now the tasting room beside and the number system make the waiting easier and you can discuss beer with someone from Boston or St.Louis or a weird French Canadian like me. Beers are so good, even the regular ones worth the trip. Prices are good for regulars and growlers but special beers are expensive (up to $40 for a 750ml). This is why I avoid the special Bottle Releases. This place has a high reputation and you know why after a visit.“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Completely re-written review as my old notes were for the pre Reno space. Now the experience was awesome. The draft/growler room flowed so well. Grab a number, get a glass to drink on site, order some food from a food truck. I was in and out with 4 beers on site and growler fills and lunch in less than 1.5 hours. Had I been in a hurry I could have been in and out in 30 mins. Beer is obviously spectacular and still some weir rules (why can’t I take an empty bottle that I purchased for on site consumption to my table???), but overall this is now a real top notch spot. No headaches. Grab a beer take in the serene setting. Wow.“ |
| 98 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Everything was awesome. We arrived around 2 on a weekday so it was pretty empty. The server poured us samples of every beer to try before we ordered a glass. Number system for growlers was simple (and I imagine necessary when busy). Had a pizza from s vendor out front that was delicious.“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “This place was killer. We got there early, and they came out and talked to us, letting us know the special rules and even opened an hour early! The place is awesome. Great view of the Green Mountains and it looks like a postcard. Damn. The two drink limit is a total bummer, but I can understand it. The people were incredibly helpful. No food, other than some cheese, but who needs that when there are 2 drinks to be had. Overall this place is just great. It’s a bucket list worthy venue.“ |
| 90 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Two drink limit was a shame, but helpful and friendly staff, the selection was great, and I paid $8 total. Solid. The building was quaint and off the beaten path, with a great view of the Green Mountains. A must visit for any craft beer enthusiast.“ |
| 92 /100 403A HILL ROAD “A pilgrimage in every way. Yes, it’s RB’s best brewery in the world. Yes, it’s in the middle of nowhere in the woods of Vermont. Yes, it’s completely worth the trip. Not only is the beer phenomenal, but with the new addition the experience is genuinely pleasant. There are two areas now, with the old brewery on the left dedicated to bottle sales, and the new area on the right open for not only tastings and growler fills, but also glasses of beer and On-Site consumption of rare and one-off bottles from Hill Farmstead (I had a bottle of Civil Disobedience 6 for $25). Worth the drive, worth the effort, worth the hype.“ |
| 88 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited on a Friday afternoon while (after) turkey hunting nearby. I’m not sure what else besides an outdoor activity would get you ’nearby’ - which is of course part of the charm of the place. Beautiful tasting room in a building overlooking the mountains 180 degrees. Growler fills on the left side of the bar and pours on the right. You take a number and queue for growlers, of which 3 were available out of the 6 or so draft offerings. I did both pints and a growler fill - plus grabbed a darn tasty Sandwich from the Carolina BBQ food truck outside. The beer is the obvious attraction and does not disappoint. Retail shop with limited bottle selection is in the building next to the tasting room (may be the old tasting room). I do like places that offer a 750 growler option since I am often just going to drink the whole thing myself and that’s a lot easier (and cheaper when buying the glass). The beers here are just oh-my-god good, but that’s well known so no need to dwell on it. There was also a cheese plate on offer with some local specialties.
Note that they do not accept tips, but direct you to a donation box of which the collections are given to local charities.“ |
| 86 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited 20160217. New tasting room was just opened so you can basically forget all the old reviews talking about small place because new tasting room was huge and very beautiful. I drove from Waterbury and it took 45 minutes with only one wrong way driving. It was Wednesday and bottle release day (Flora Plum). Place was opening 12.00 but there was already line at 11.15 when I arrived. Shawn came somewhere and opened the bottleshop around 11.30 so I could get my bottles easily. Tasting room was quite big and there was queue automat for growler buyers. Free samples were available for most tap beers. For some reason you could get only growler fills for some beers. If I got it right they did sell only 2 pours per customer so if you want to get drunk this is propably wrong place for you. Place was very well organized. Great place.“ |
| 100 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Finally made it to Mecca (at least the US Mecca) with a group of students and profs from my work trip. There were a dozen people in line at about 3PM on a Thursday already, but they ran them through the line pretty efficiently. A very interesting setup - it really is a barn, with an HF flag identifying it for what it is. Sean was walking around in stained clothes on the phone and inspecting the beer. Hard to believe so much goodness comes out of so few gallons of production capacity! It was kind of weird hanging out in the parking lot with all these folks who were there to stock up to the hilt - one guy must have had twenty cases of Heady in is truck and was cycling through the line getting five growlers a crack. Weird, but then again when I got to the front I ordered enough to fill a 12-bottle shipper, and then headed to the Alchemist :)
Update based on the new tasting room being open for business. Getting there is just as much fun as ever, but now they have many more beers in bottle, higher limits and the same great prices. Bottle line is separate from the growler / tasting room, which is a bonus. New tasting room is pretty awesome, with a great view of the much expanded brewery, spotless as ever. Growler fills are handled on a take a number priority, and a separate line for sample pours and other onsite fun. They have an onsite consumption bottle list which includes a mix of stuff available to go next door and other fun stuff (they had CD16 and Flora Plum when we were there). There is a bout a 25% markup for the onsite bottles. Tap beers served in 5 oz pours, supposedly limit 2, but I did not see anybody counting. I found it odd that the list of beers available for pours was not the same as that available for growler fills. No idea why not. If you are getting growlers filled however, you can try small (like 1 oz) samples of the other stuff as well. All in all, this new setup is just about as well organized as a brewery on-site operation could be. Would you expect less from Shawn?“ |
| 94 /100 403A HILL ROAD “Visited Apr-2013, on a Friday afternoon that gradually became super busy. The farm is tucked away quite a ways from the road, and the brewery is in one of the barns. We arrived fairly early and tried a few samples at the tasting bar while deciding what to get. The lady pouring our large order of growlers was extremely patient... despite the ever-increasing crowd. (I think maybe this happens a lot, but we appreciated it!) Boy, this is a popular place, and it’s no wonder: the beers truly are excellent. If you’re in the state, and you like beer, you had better stop here. This was a definitive highlight in our beer adventures for the weekend. (5/10/13/NA/9/19) 94“ |
