Hill Farmstead's website says: "An American Imperial Pale Ale bittered, flavored, and dry
hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. 8% abv."
I've talked a little about about Hill Farmstead before; it's the teeny brewery in rural Vermont that produces fantastic, sought-after beer. I have in hand today their Double Citra, a beer of theirs I've been dying to try. Kern River Brewing Company's Citra DIPA is my favorite beer, and as a fan of Hill Farmstead's offerings and respect for their small, quality-focused operation, I have been anxious to taste their version of a citra-hopped DIPA.
Appearance: Hazy golden orange, with a dense 1-finger foamy head that leaves tight rings of lacing around the sides of the glass.
Smell: Ah, citra -- bright orange/tangerine and grapefruit, with some tropical mango notes. A bit of "dankness" and resiny pine come through at the back end. It's all bright, fresh fruit with a bit of solid earth underneath, crisp and lovely.
Taste: It tastes like how it smells, which is fantastic. The bright citrus and tropical fruits are there, and there is a little bit of grain on the finish. There is also a bit of residual hop bitterness that, when combined with the warmth from the alcohol, does result in a tad of astringency, particularly as the beer warms. It's not unpleasant, but it's there.
Moutfeel: The beer has some nice weight to it on the tongue, and a bit of perceived oiliness from the hops, but it still finishes relatively dry. I've mentioned before that I like that dry finish in my IPAs, so for me, this is great.
Overall: This was a really fantastic beer, and as an avowed disciple of citra hops I was probably bound to love it. Since I implied a comparison with Kern's Citra, I think I do have to give the edge still to Kern. This is for two reasons:
1) This might be entirely my perception, but I think Kern's Citra is a bit more balanced than the Double Citra I'm drinking today. Though the taste of the malt backbone isn't perceptible, the sharp bitterness of the hops and the aforementioned astringency don't really occur on the palate in Kern's brew as they do here.
2) Homerism
Direct comparisons aside, this is still an excellent beer, and one I will go out of my way to get again.
4.5/5
I've talked a little about about Hill Farmstead before; it's the teeny brewery in rural Vermont that produces fantastic, sought-after beer. I have in hand today their Double Citra, a beer of theirs I've been dying to try. Kern River Brewing Company's Citra DIPA is my favorite beer, and as a fan of Hill Farmstead's offerings and respect for their small, quality-focused operation, I have been anxious to taste their version of a citra-hopped DIPA.
Appearance: Hazy golden orange, with a dense 1-finger foamy head that leaves tight rings of lacing around the sides of the glass.
Smell: Ah, citra -- bright orange/tangerine and grapefruit, with some tropical mango notes. A bit of "dankness" and resiny pine come through at the back end. It's all bright, fresh fruit with a bit of solid earth underneath, crisp and lovely.
Taste: It tastes like how it smells, which is fantastic. The bright citrus and tropical fruits are there, and there is a little bit of grain on the finish. There is also a bit of residual hop bitterness that, when combined with the warmth from the alcohol, does result in a tad of astringency, particularly as the beer warms. It's not unpleasant, but it's there.
Moutfeel: The beer has some nice weight to it on the tongue, and a bit of perceived oiliness from the hops, but it still finishes relatively dry. I've mentioned before that I like that dry finish in my IPAs, so for me, this is great.
Overall: This was a really fantastic beer, and as an avowed disciple of citra hops I was probably bound to love it. Since I implied a comparison with Kern's Citra, I think I do have to give the edge still to Kern. This is for two reasons:
1) This might be entirely my perception, but I think Kern's Citra is a bit more balanced than the Double Citra I'm drinking today. Though the taste of the malt backbone isn't perceptible, the sharp bitterness of the hops and the aforementioned astringency don't really occur on the palate in Kern's brew as they do here.
2) Homerism
Direct comparisons aside, this is still an excellent beer, and one I will go out of my way to get again.
4.5/5
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