Hill Farmstead's Florence Wheat Saison.. Wow, I didn't expect to find this in my hoard.. I honestly thought that one of my roommates drank this on me! I purchased this at Hill Farmstead back in January 2016 and the bottle is dated December 29, 2015.. so it's just about two and a half years old.
From the label: "Florence (1915-1967) was our grandfather’s sister, and Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to her and her 13 siblings. In her honor, this Belgian inspired wheat Farmstead® ale is crafted from American malted barley, organic Vermont wheat, European and American hops, our distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from our well. It is unfiltered and naturally carbonated. Soft, cloudy, and fresh, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Florence. 5% ALC/VOL 12º P Ingredients: Pale Malt; Vermont Organic Wheat; American and European Hops; Ale Yeast, and our Well Water.
Appearance: Bright, cloudy orange body with a light amount of carbonation, a moderate amount of sediment at the bottom of the glass, and a good finger's worth of snow white head on top. Seeing that this is likely past its prime, this beer still looks absolutely beautiful.
Aroma: Well, judging by the aroma.. I'm insanely giddy as eff, it smells amazing! I'm getting a rich sour aroma with notes of lemon, pear, a hint of pepper, a mild wheaty cereal profile, a bit grassy, light bready profile and a bit reminiscent of a white wine. Funky, yeasty and sour. As the beer warms up, I'm finding it a bit more of a sweet tropical aroma but still quite sour and funky for the most part.
Taste: Sour with a good deal of lemon, a moderate amount of yeastiness, a hint of a fruity sour candy flavour (like Fuzzy Peaches), a good deal of grassiness, and a hint of peppery spice. This is quite dry for the mouthfeel and leaves behind a lemon and grassy aftertaste at the end. I can feel the saliva leaving my tongue.. that's how dry this saison is.
Overall Thoughts: As you could probably tell, this aged really nicely! Hill Farmstead may be a tad overhyped but they do make great beer.. and with this being 2.5 years old, this may be one of the best beers I've ever accidentally aged... I seriously thought one of my asshat roommates drank all my Hill Farmstead stash! Lately I haven't been a big fan of sour forward ales lately but the combo of the barnyard funk, sour candy flavours, grassy hops and lemon zest make a great combo in this beer. 5.0% ABV
Check out my visit to Hill Farmstead
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