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285. Hill Farmstead Double Citra

This is a the only beer I have had from Hill Farmstead's single hop series. In this series they bitter, flavor and dry hop the beer with a single type of hop. It would be very interesting to taste the entire series to see how the hop varieties change the aroma and flavor of the beer. The series includes both single and double IPAs.

This is a double IPA which again is my favorite style of beer and the citra hops give it tons of citrus aromas. Taste has a bit of sweet malts in the beginning that quickly give way to loads of citrus and grapefruit or pineapple flavors. Taste is crisp and clean, very easy to drink for a double IPA and very enjoyable. You truly cannot go wrong with Hill Farmstead beer. 
Pros: Everything 
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 8.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Hill Farmstead
Brewers Description: An American Imperial Pale Ale bittered, flavored, and dry hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. 8% abv.

284. Vermont Pub & Brewery Grand Slam Baseball Beer

Another growler that I brought back from Vermont. I tried lots of different beers at Vermont Pub & Brewery but never made it to their pale ale so decided to leave with a growler. 


I may have waited a bit too long before opening and drinking this growler as the beer seemed a little flat. The label states it is best to drink within 30 days which I certainly did but the beer still had very little carbonation and almost no head. Aromas are very subtle but has some solid malt character, minimal hop aroma. Taste follows the nose with a fair amount of malts and a slight hop bite. Overall this is a fairly simple beer but it is drinkable and worth trying if you find yourself in Burlington. 
Pros: Drinkable
Cons: Simple
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Vermont Pub & Brewery
Brewers Description: A light-bodied American pale ale dry-hopped with Fuggles hops. This was the brainchild of Greg Noonan. He had said, privately, that he felt that he had nailed the style for what he had planned and hoped for. As a side note, the inspiration for the name of this beer came from an 8 year old girl named Jenny, about 25 years ago! The name stuck and style stuck. Go figure. Enjoy this light, summer ale while watching your favorite team play!

283. Hill Farmstead Society and Solitude #4

Another superb beer from Hill Farmstead. Everything about the beer from this brewery is as close to perfect as I have found. Every beer is different but still has the huge aroma, beautiful color, unfiltered look and amazing taste. 

This is a double IPA which happens to be my favorite style of beer and as you can see has a bright orange color, thick white head and just looks amazing in the stem glass that I purchased from the brewery. Lots of citrus and tropical fruits in the aroma and a bit of pine. Flavor follows with loads of hops and a hint of  sweetness. This beer has an excellent feel to it and is very drinkable for an 8% ABV double IPA. Only one more bottle of Hill Farmstead left but I am planning another trip to Vermont in a couple of months. Will be stocking up again and looking forward to anything new from Hill in the coming months. 

Pros: Everything 

Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 8.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Hill Farmstead
Brewers Description: Our experimental Double IPA experience continues. Hybrid Imperial IPA... Think Double Citra Meets Double Galaxy.

282. Zero Gravity Ale Communication

This is an interesting beer from Zero Gravity which is part of the American Flatbread family in Burlington, VT. On my recent trip to Vermont we had lunch at American Flatbread, had several of the beers that were available and ultimately left with a growler of their Ale Communication double IPA.


This is a big beer even though the ABV is only 7.3%. Pours a deep orange with a thick off white head. Aroma of pine resin and a bit of sweet malt. Unlike many other big IPAs there is almost no citrus or tropical fruit smell coming from this one. Taste is quite complex and follows the nose with lots of pine resin hops and a nice kick of sweet malts. This one finished somewhere between a double IPA and a barley wine as the hop presence is almost lost in the power of this beer. I was surprised as the ABV is lower than many other hoppy double IPAs but the taste is much more complex. A very good beer from Zero Gravity. 
Pros: Complex flavor
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 7.3% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): Lots
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Zero Gravity

Brewers Description: None

281. Hill Farmstead What is Enlightenment?

Another pale ale from Hill Farmstead and this one is special as it was brewed for their second anniversary and uses a different mix of hops than Edward. The beer is lighter in color than the others from Hill but has the same cloudy appearance and white head. Aroma had tons of citrus and tropical fruits, very enticing and certainly draws you into the beer. The taste has more citrus and lemon notes than Edward and is excellent with a hoppy finish that makes you want more. 


I really cannot say enough good things about Hill Farmstead's beers. They are everything I like in a beer; fresh, unfiltered with plenty of hops but not palate wrecking. Have a couple more bottles in the fridge and will get to them very soon. 
Pros: Everything 
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Hill Farmstead

Brewers Description: American Pale Ale brewed in honor of our Second Anniversary. Simcoe and Amarillo hops.

280. Stillwater / Mikkeller Two Gypsies Our Side

Somehow in the middle of all this Vermont beer I ended up sharing this bottle with my brother in law. The story behing this one is interesting (see brewer's description below). Both Brian from Stillwater and Mikkel from Mikkeller are gypsy brewers. They do not have a brewery of their own and produce beer by visiting other breweries and doing collaborations. An interesting concept and it makes for some fun beers.


This one is a saison with a great cloudy orange color with a thick white head that left a 2 inch cap on the beer the entire time I was drinking it. Aroma is of spice and grass kind of a Belgian smell. Taste has a distinct yeast flavor to start with some hops in the middle but nothing that stands out and finishes a bit funky. This one seemed to improve as it warmed slightly so if you happen to pick up a bottle of this and don't like it right out of the fridge give it a few minutes and come back to it, you might be surprised. 
Pros: Appearance, head
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 7.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Stillwater Ales

Brewers Description: Mikkel and Brian are two of the world's most unconventional brewers. By designing beers at various breweries around the globe, they have found the freedom to experiment and innovate, resulting in unique beers that often blur the lines of definition. After having met at a festival in Bodegraven, NL the two realized that their first creations both were called Stateside. It was then an obvious decision to make the two recipes into a new product, packed full of piney, resinous hops, and backed by the esters of a farmhouse yeast strain.