Profiled by Maria Devan for PGA
Poured the color of grapefruit juice. Golden hazy and with a slight orange blush on it. Fat creamy head of white foam that lasted well and left lace. This beer smells floral and fruity.
Lovely light citrus, pineapple and mango for intense sweetness. Earthy pine that is not heavy and does not stand out past the other scents. The malt on this nose is a light sweet perfume.
So wonderful how all Hill’s beer has this quality of lightness both in the nose and in the drink. I think if I had to summarize Hill’s trademark as a brewer I would do it like this – He is trying to put the hops in the beer and leave them on the vine at the same time. He has a way with hops and in this beer they are so fruity and yet so light on the palate. That’s his other trademark, the light malt that is so light it’s like the beer wants to just float out of the glass.
Crisp, light sweetness like a floral nectar, a bit of light sweet cracker that has exactly the perfect balance. The beer has a resonance rather than an aftertaste and it’s light floral and fruitiness. As the beer warms some sweet grass and pine comes forward and this is just a lovely beer.
4.5
Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”
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Maria Devan lives in Ithaca, NY and is frequent reviewer of beer and a beer lover deluxe.