Beer Review: Mimosa

Reviewing the infamous Mimosa from the Hill Farmstead Brewery out of Greensboro Bend, Vermont.

Score: 98

Winter 2011-12 vintage, bottle #047/450. served in a Cantillon wine glass and enjoyed on 05/10/14.

Appearance: Pours a murky, orange color body with a light fade to yellowish-orange atop. Pours a half finger of white head that settles to a thin coating. The beer has a nice color, for what little that matters. 4.5/5

Smell: Wine and orange citrus dominate the nose. This beer smells just like a mimosa mixed with some straw and a kiss of a fruity yeast aroma. 4.5/5

Taste: Super juicy citrus without being overly acidic mixed with mildly tannic white wine. Light farmhouse funk/Brett on the finish, particularly as it warms up. A touch of pepper on the finish too. More complex than the nose, developing as it warms. Good, lasting flavor. Tastes just likes its namesake, with delectable complexity and saison-like characteristics coming through on the finish. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, appropriate medium carbonation. Unreasonably juicy mouthfeel, with a very light dryness to the finish. Not very tart, but not "not tart enough." Excellent balance, really digging the sheer juiciness of this mouthfeel. 5/5

Overall: Tastes like a mimosa spiked with saison characteristics on the finish. Refreshing, flavorful, and complex for what it is. This beer is a marvelous interpretation of its namesake, and the perfect token of Hill Farmstead's competence, talent and ingenuity when everything goes right. If you want to know why Hill Farmstead beers are so highly regarded and sought after, look no further than this brew.

Cost: $20 for a 750 ml bottle.