Beer Review: Abner

Reviewing the Abner from the Hill Farmstead Brewery.
Score: 93

Three week old growler served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 04/09/12. Review is from notes.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden-orange color with floaters. Pretty much opaque. One to two fingers of creamy cream-colored head at pour almost entirely settles -- save for the thin bubbly ring around the glass. Average laving, but awesome retention. 4/5

Smell: Bright, sticky tropical fruit citrus. Pineapple, peach, grapefruit and juicy orange. Lemonade and piney hops too. 4/5

Taste: Bitter citrus, lemon and pine. Grapefruit, spicy caramel, a touch of onion and pineapple juice. Layering prickly bitterness on the tongue. You can tell greatness was once here, but it has faded to mere "really really good"-ness. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium-light carbonation. Heavy bitterness on the palate. Buttery/oily mouthfeel. Bitter finish. 4.5/5

Overall: I really regret letting this one sit around for three weeks (even though it was elegantly taped up and stuck in the fridge the whole time), but sometimes you just do not have time to get around to certain beers while they are freshest. This is one I am absolutely going to seek out again in the future because, despite the fact you can tell that it had fallen off from being something better, it was still delicious.

Recommendation: Fans of IPA's should seek this one out and drink it fresh. This is probably not the best starter craft beer for the casual drinker, however.

Pairings: Spicy/hot buffalo wings.

Cost: $10 for a 750 ml growler or $18 for a 2 liter growler (plus the deposit).