Hill Farmstead thread

[Dino1]

Just noticed Arthur mags are listed under "Up Next". I'm assuming similar quantities as the recent Anna mags and probably being released either next week or the week after for Christmas/New Years. Would be awesome popping one of those at a New Years party

Cave Dave popped an Anna one at the DeCicco's Christmas party on Wednesday. Was well received.

 

[jomobono]

Has anyone watched those two Hill interview flicks straight through and not laughed out loud at least once?

Yes because last night I checked into Arthur by saying "Feeling rustic" before even seeing the video and he is right, I have no idea what that means.

 

[GuzzleMcBrew]

Yes because last night I checked into Arthur by saying "Feeling rustic" before even seeing the video and he is right, I have no idea what that means.

No way man, the term rustic is here to stay. Case in point, Parageusia 1 and 2. From the future, still rustic.


Rustic wasn't what I was laughing at though. Some of Shaun's reactions are priceless.

 

[Os]

Shaun's funny... I think he has a good sense of humor that I think people may not pick up on...

and if I don't already sound like (or get categorized) as a fanboy... I think the interview was great... I think it's right on many levels... I've and an issue with what "craft" is for years now... and lately with what a "traditional saison" is or whatnot... others have the same issue with "lambic" etc...

it is a task that requires a strong group in the the craft beer world to come together and realize we need to start looking at things a different way... a beer way if that makes any sense

 

[blckout201]

No way man, the term rustic is here to stay. Case in point, Parageusia 1 and 2.


Rustic wasn't what I was laughing at though. Some of Shauns' reactions are priceless.

The awkwardness of part 1 was a bit discomforting.

 

[PHBoiler]

I laughed specifically during the Belgian IPA discussion. Are your ingredients from Belgium? What makes it Belgian? That was pretty spot on.

9 times out of 10 when I see a Belgian IPA on the shelf I think oh there's an IPA that they screwed up with some weird yeast. No thanks.

 

[falc0n26001]

Rustic don't mean ****. I remember when my friends in Santa Cruz told me about this new "Sante Adairius Rustic Ales" business I thought to myself "How pretentious and silly, surely they must be joking?" Then I went to the taproom, had their beer. You can't help but look around the taproom and think "Yep, pretty damn rustic." And then drinking their beer: "this **** is simply... rustic!"

 

[Os]

I get the use of rustic... but why? what is it describing? same thing w/ farmhouse and whatnot...

even when he said "It tastes like one of Shaun's beers"... and asked what that meant... I know I've used that phrase before, but what is it? what's the taste?

 

[PrinceCaspian]

even when he said "It tastes like one of Shaun's beers"... and asked what that meant... I know I've used that phrase before, but what is it? what's the taste?

It tastes like a fanatical focus on quality ingredients and quality process.

Edit: Assuming, like he says in the video, that all breweries use the same ingredients, then I guess that just leaves the process. (I would still assume that Shaun is very demanding of his suppliers and doesn't use ingredients--malt and hops, in particular--that have any discernible quality flaws.)

 

[lopejuice1]

The awkwardness of part 1 was a bit discomforting.

I couldn't even finish it. Who the hell wrote these questions??

 

[falc0n26001]

what's the taste?

There are several breweries with VERY distinct taste, at least to me. Lagunitas, De Garde, SARA, Jester King, and Hill Farmstead all have a quality to them that make it very obvious that I am tasting a beer from them. With Lagunitas it's the hop profile. With most of the farmhouse ones it's the distinct blend of yeast/bacteria they use. With Jester King it is the crazy intense jamminess of some of their beers, along with their house culture. Has anyone had a beer that tasted anything like Atrial Rubicite? That beer is so different from other framboise-style beers I've had. Hill Farmstead really does have something special in the water - it feels so silky and soft in your mouth. I have no idea how he does it. The hop profile in S&S 5 is... something I haven't tasted anywhere else. So hoppy, smooth, and not bitter.

 

[Os]

that's the thing though... it's hard to describe what it is... there certainly is something distinct. That's the problem with categorizing or labeling... all we know is what we think a brewery's beers taste like... and if we find a similarity we try to label it... rustic? farmhouse? saison? funk?

at the end of the day... we (and by we, I mean the entire beer world not us per se as many of us already do) will need to start just recognizing beers on their own or breweries on their own and not about a style or category

 

[PrinceCaspian]

that's the thing though... it's hard to describe what it is... there certainly is something distinct. That's the problem with categorizing or labeling... all we know is what we think a brewery's beers taste like... and if we find a similarity we try to label it... rustic? farmhouse? saison? funk?

at the end of the day... we (and by we, I mean the entire beer world not us per se as many of us already do) will need to start just recognizing beers on their own or breweries on their own and not about a style or category

I'm not quite ready to toss out all stylistic descriptors just yet. As a consumer, I think it's useful to have a better sense of what I buy before I buy it... especially if I haven't had enough of a brewery's offerings to know what is distinctive about them--or if there IS anything distinctive about them. If a brewery--even one with a distinctive taste--only labeled their beer as "Acme Brewery Ale, 9% ABV," I wouldn't be able to know if I was buying a malty, sweeter barleywine-type beer or a drier, hoppier imperial pale ale.

I am all for using meaningful descriptive adjectives, knowing even those are subjective in nature. Also, breweries could adopt a kind of information panel that lists vital statistics like ABV, OG, FG, IBU, color, yeast strains, etc. Of course, some of these are potentially proprietary in nature, but the more information provided, the less categorical descriptors are needed.

I definitely hear your point, though, Os, about resisting the urge to place everything into neat boxes--especially when so many (most!) beers are not definitively categorizable.

 

[Os]

I think we're in agreement here PrinceCaspian... what I'm saying and actually Shaun's "call to arms" was to come up with new descriptions and words that actually make sense and tell us what we're having...

beer styles are too vague and at the same time restricting...

the word hoppy is great. That is our word... that is a beer word to describe the taste of hops when initially people would mistake it as just bitter...

malty is another word... we know what that means

but just lumping anything mildly sour or tart as an American Wild, or worse as a Lambic is just bastardizing the words

rustic? I like that word, but only because I don't have a better one yet... that's our challenge

I think we'll get there as we become more and more educated and while shying away from trying to use models like wine or coffee, we can also embrace some of the terminology so long as it's not a label that we should not touch

 

[JulianB1]

Well, that was quite the fun midweek trip! Especially given that it wasn't even under consideration until earlier this month (figured I was beer'd out after the BCBS release) and the actual plan didn't even get set in stone until Sunday. Great times as always with vonnegut21 and glad I got to tick Ataraxia, tehzachatak, OsLovesBeer, facesnorth, and several others (apologies for anyone who's username I'm forgetting, it's past midnight and I just got home). Parker Pie and Worthy Burger were both awesome (first time at each of those for me), Waterbury was awesome as always (especially breakfast at the Old Stagecoach), being the first person in the line at Hunger Mountain to get shut out of Heady wasn't awesome but whatever (got lots of Sip of Sunshine later, and just spend more at HF). Also grabbed beer in Albany and Richmond on the way home. Here's the haul:





4 cases of Nordic, 2 cases of Edith, 3 cases and change of Florence, 5 Flora (duh), 9 growlers (5 being S&S 6, holy **** is that beer good), bunch of 3F and Vermontoise, huge amount of Sip of Sunshine, and tons of other random ****. Good way to spend 4 days. Can't wait to do it again!

 

[markgugs]

any guesses on whether or not Flora makes it to Tuesday? yes I realize today hasn't even begun yet

 

[Os]

any guesses on whether or not Flora makes it to Tuesday? yes I realize today hasn't even begun yet

I have no real idea but I'm guessing some might since they didn't drop limits again.

 

[markgugs]

I have no real idea but I'm guessing some might since they didn't drop limits again.

it'll have to stay at 2 for me to consider the trip, so I guess I'll cross fingers for what the site says over the next 2 days!

 

[cfrances33]

I didn't ask how much was left, but the retail space was full when they opened today around 11:15. Florence and Vermontoise were both running low (not available for bottles only line).

 

[Respirologist]

it'll have to stay at 2 for me to consider the trip, so I guess I'll cross fingers for what the site says over the next 2 days!

According to Twitter in regards to Flora lasting to next week " Not a chance "

 

[markgugs]

According to Twitter in regards to Flora lasting to next week " Not a chance "

welp, that settles that.

 

[markgugs]

just heard that they never dropped the limit on Flora today, and they were still selling it via the bottle only line as late as 4:30pm so I would imagine that means it's still on for Tuesday

 

[ajfa531]

vfermente but I love you, Vito! You know you can have more than 1 Spanish friend. Didn't have to dump me for jaycin

What? You're not Italian?

And I was going to start calling you "Paesan."

- Joe

 

[apatrick17]

Thanks to the crew for letting us inside at 10:15 today! Although I must say, between the bright sunshine and the absence of wind, that was probably the warmest 8 degree temps I've ever felt.

 

[DigDug1810]

Hope flora makes it till Wednesday.

 

[ASUBeer]

05/14 Arthur is terrific, aka SeaWatchman god tier. Taking down my last bottle right now.

Anyone had the most recent batch of convivial recently? I have a feeling that one is going to hit an amazing place in the near future.

 

[facesnorth1]

any guesses on whether or not Flora makes it to Tuesday? yes I realize today hasn't even begun yet

Tuesday? Are you collected works?

 

[markgugs]

Tuesday? Are you collected works?

I don't follow.

 

[skrip]

Tuesday? Are you collected works?

they're open tuesday this week Ryan =]

 

[MikeG1]

I've read Mark's essays and they are nowhere near the level needed to get into Collected Works.