Society & Solitude #05

75cl growler courtesy of Dfroms, thanks Dan for bringing this to Belgium. Dorée sur un léger orangé trouble, col est épais crémeux blanc voire blanc-cassé. Arôme offre un bouquet très plaisant au niveau des houblons, retrouve des effluves fruitées alternant vers le pamplemousse, touche de tropical et autres agrumes, le tout semble renforcé par un rétro de pin finement résineux. Palais met bien en avant un caractère résineux qui est juste phénoménal. Pin avec une petite pointe d’alcool malgré les 7.6%. Herbacé avec une note finement aigrelette de pamplemousse, sec en fin de bouche, herbacé, pointe épicé et un malté restant plus en retrait.

Growler received in trade. Pours very hazy orangish yellow with a rather big frothy white head that leaves some thick sticky lacing in the glass while dissipating. Smell I fruity with crackers, white bread, grapefruit juice, pink grapefruit juice, kumquats, freshly cut grass, pine needles, minerals, bergamot and lemon zest. Taste is tiny sweet, bitter and fruity. Mouthfeel is soft, round, tiny astringent, very tiny boozy and medium bodied. Finish is tiny sweet and bitter with crackers, white bread, several different kinds of grapefruit, star fruit, freshly cut grass, pine needles and lemon zest. Mouth-smacking grapefruit goodness. Clean and great! Yummy!

Growler from the brewery. Shared with my buddy Jay, on his last day at Beer Run. Happy trails! Hazy orange, large creamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of resin and grapefruit. The taste is tropical fruits, lime, mango, grapefruit. Medium bodied, well balanced.

Great IPA.

Draught at Armbsy Abbey, 8/16/15.
Not quite the usual appearance of most Hill Farmsteads. Still looks good, but the haziness is stronger and the head retention/size a little weaker.
But as far as the rest of the beer, Shawn’s done it again...What a subtle, reserved, delicious, drinkable beer. The aroma shows light candied orange peel, lemon zest, a touch of pine underneath and vibrant lime juice notes. Malt is well-attenuated and adds only a touch of honey/bread dough. No alcohol or flaw.
The texture is felt first; soft, but with a subtly tight, engaging carbonation. A bit of bitterness emerges, with light lime, white grapefruit and sweet orange all balancing each other. Interesting notes of rose petal, lilac and lemon zest, with dry pine on the finish, showing no resin or acidity whatsoever. Clean, wonderfully characterful yeast and light minerality. Hard to describe why it’s so enjoyable. The reserved nature is a lot of it, for me. Much like Legitimacy, it isn’t flashy or anywhere near overdone. Not a "big" beer, which is great. Had a full glass, but demands more. A very thoughtfully done beer!

Bottle generously shared by Phil at Meridian Pint during DC Beer Week, thank you sir! Hazy yellow color, white head with curtain lacing. Aroma of mango, pineapple, orange, light grapefruit. Taste has softly bitter grapefruit and mixed tropical fruit. Perfect balance and soooo easy to drink. Probably the most easy drinking DIPA I’ve had. Amazing.