Two “from Vermont”
I still have two bottles in my cellar that I obtained while in Vermont back in August. One is a limited release from Hill Farmstead, the other an Austrian beer I learned about while visiting the Blackback Pub and Flyshop.
Hill Farmstead Civil Disobedience #1
4.6/5
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A cellar temperature bottle poured into a large red wine glass. I was lucky enough to get one of the last bottles available from the brewery, purchased a week after the release. It’s been in my cellar since that time.
The beer is a clear golden liquid with many streams of carbonation rising within. There is a large white foam head. It has settled down to about two fingers worth of thickness, leaving plenty of lacing.
Even while pouring this beer, I could smell a healthy amount of Brett. The Brett is still apparent while I actively inhale from my glass, but there is a lot more going on here than just the wild yeast. I smell orange and lemon citrus, Belgian candi sugar, and some grassy hops.
The beer has a light, grassy flavor. There is plenty of orange and lemon. I really like the sweetness a touch of funk in the finish. There is a great mustiness in the aftertaste that works really well.
The beer is slightly thick, with plenty of carbonation. Despite all of the bubbles and the sour flavors, there is hardly any tingling sensation. Nor is there much stickiness. A slight coat has plenty of fruit and grass flavors.
This is a really great beer. Like everything else brewed here, it is worth checking out. Too bad this one was a one-time only brew.
Meinklang Ancient Grains Ale
3.93/5
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A cellar temperature bottle with a best by date of 2012-05-31 poured slowly into a glass mug, keeping the sediment in the bottle.
The beer is translucent and golden orange in color. Lots of carbonation can be seen within, both clinging to the bottle of the glass and rising to the top. The head is large, white, foamy, and made up of many sizes of bubbles.
There area lot of grassy hops in the aroma, as well as many different grains. There is some citrus and some sweetness; the overall aroma reminds me of lemongrass.
The beer certainly has an interesting malt profile, thanks to all of those uncommon grains. The sweetness is subtle, and the bittering hops are especially strong. They seem to fade out after I swallow before the malt flavors do, which is rare. Although different from any other pilsner I’ve had, I like this beer.
The beer has a medium body and a lot of carbonation. In fact, there was so much carbonation, it was hard to determine the level of body. There is a lot of coating, but its not too sticky. The carbonation does tingle my tongue.
As I said above, this is a different kind of pilsner, but I enjoy it. It’s worth seeking this one out, especially if the odd grain bill grabs your attention.
