Hill Farmstead's concise description is:
"Our experimental Double IPA series continues.
"Our experimental Double IPA series continues.
Imperial IPA. American and New Zealand hops. Think Grapefruit. 7.8% abv"
This was a fall 2012 brew for HF, continuing their "philosophical series" of beers. As per usual, this was a draft-only beer and I was fortunate to receive a growler from a generous friend back east.
Appearance: Society and Solitude 5 (SS5 for short) is a cloudy, dull cork color with a short head that's about 1 finger maximum in height.
Smell: There are strong aromas of mango and especially grapefruit, with a background hint of grass and biscuit.
Taste: Much like on the nose, the taste is rich in tropical fruits and grapefruit. The tropical notes are primarily pineapple and mango again. There is also a bit of green grape in the background that seems to assist the grapefruit in lending a bit of acidity to the sweet fruit flavors.
Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for a D/IPA -- medium bodied, juicy, with prickly carbonation.
Overall: This is a good double IPA (all of HF's DIPAs are,) but actually not my favorite from them. I'm not sure what it is about this one in particular, but it didn't blow me away as some of their others have; for instance, SS4 is a standout beer, and I also deeply enjoyed both SS3 and Double Citra. Perhaps they really shine when they use local hops, and some of the hops used here were imported? I don't know. I'll give them this, though -- if this is an "average" beer for HF, they still outperform most other breweries around the country.
4/5
This was a fall 2012 brew for HF, continuing their "philosophical series" of beers. As per usual, this was a draft-only beer and I was fortunate to receive a growler from a generous friend back east.
Appearance: Society and Solitude 5 (SS5 for short) is a cloudy, dull cork color with a short head that's about 1 finger maximum in height.
Smell: There are strong aromas of mango and especially grapefruit, with a background hint of grass and biscuit.
Taste: Much like on the nose, the taste is rich in tropical fruits and grapefruit. The tropical notes are primarily pineapple and mango again. There is also a bit of green grape in the background that seems to assist the grapefruit in lending a bit of acidity to the sweet fruit flavors.
Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for a D/IPA -- medium bodied, juicy, with prickly carbonation.
Overall: This is a good double IPA (all of HF's DIPAs are,) but actually not my favorite from them. I'm not sure what it is about this one in particular, but it didn't blow me away as some of their others have; for instance, SS4 is a standout beer, and I also deeply enjoyed both SS3 and Double Citra. Perhaps they really shine when they use local hops, and some of the hops used here were imported? I don't know. I'll give them this, though -- if this is an "average" beer for HF, they still outperform most other breweries around the country.
4/5
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