Shirley Mae - Coffee, Cacao, Vanilla Beans
Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
Porter - Pastry / Flavoured Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.74
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Shirley Mae (1936 - 2015) was our cousin, daughter of Everett, and a beloved supporter of her family and Hill Farmstead. In her honor, we crafted an American session version of our Everett porter from American malted barley, English and German roasted malts, American hops, our ale yeast, and water from our well.
This incarnation of her namesake beer features Putumayo cocoa nibs from Tibitó Chocolate in Colombia, sourced in partnership with In Situ Food Co. in Maine; a blend of coffees from Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Guatemala sourced and roasted by George Howell Coffee; and organic vanilla beans from Madagascar Vanilla Co. in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Served on nitro and first released August 2022.
This incarnation of her namesake beer features Putumayo cocoa nibs from Tibitó Chocolate in Colombia, sourced in partnership with In Situ Food Co. in Maine; a blend of coffees from Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Guatemala sourced and roasted by George Howell Coffee; and organic vanilla beans from Madagascar Vanilla Co. in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Served on nitro and first released August 2022.
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8.9/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Old rating after finally cleaning up the mess of Shirley Mae variants. Nitro draught at the brewery, October 2022.
The lack of lactose is great, though has less effect than I'd expect (probably due to the amount of lactose used in the lactose version being low).
Soft, creamy, flavorful with adjuncts supporting the malt instead of dominating it. As good as it always is. A real gem of a beer.
The lack of lactose is great, though has less effect than I'd expect (probably due to the amount of lactose used in the lactose version being low).
Soft, creamy, flavorful with adjuncts supporting the malt instead of dominating it. As good as it always is. A real gem of a beer.
Tried
from Draft
at
Hill Farmstead Brewery
on 23 Jul 2026
at 19:14
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Nitro pour into an English pint. Mocha head with excellent retention recedes leaving faint sheets. Cocoa, coffee and nut aromas. Soft with roasted chocolate, sweet cold brew, toasted raisin brown bread and nuts front to back.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Oct 2025
at 14:06
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Pint on tap at The Tip Tap Room (3.8%). Gorgeous cascading nitro head, opaque black with creamy nitro head with excellent retention and nice lacing. Aroma is balanced bittersweet roast, coffee, cacao and lactose. Taste mirrors taste—chef’s kiss! Smooth, creamy texture, full bodied, finish as taste. How is this possible for 3.8%?! Magic. Wonderful. How could you have a better session porter?
Tried
from Draft
on 14 Dec 2024
at 18:56