Viola
Upland Brewing Company

ViolaViola
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From:
Upland Brewing Company
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
93
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 9.83%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
135
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 04, 2018
Added:
Jun 14, 2014
Wants:
  18
Gots:
  20
Sour Ale Aged With Fresh Viola Flowers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LoveStout:
Photo of LoveStout
Rated by LoveStout from New York

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

Dec 07, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a corked & caged 750 mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass. 2014 bottling, consumed 9.20.18.

A: Surprisingly dark (at least to me) brown..but a nice rich brown. Very hazy, and with a reasonable amount of visible carbonation present. Forms a half-finger of white head that fades back to a ring along the sides quickly.

S: Earthy funk, lactic tart and lesser citric acid tart. Floral, vegetal, and herbal character – like a less citrusy hibiscus, would be my comparison. And maybe with a touch of mintiness on top. Toasted malts, mild oak tannins. Interesting and reasonably complex aroma, though maybe not my personal preference.

T: Lactic and lemony citric acid and tartness…fairly puckering, and more pronounced sour lemons than the nose suggested to me. Lightly toasted malts, mild oak dryness, and a very modest funk – barnyard Brettanomyces and I think Lactobacillus too. The funk mixes with the earthy floral flavor. Acidic and dry lemony citric bite at and after the swallow.

M: Medium heft to the body. Carbonation sensation on the low side, and low alcohol presence.

O: Pretty good. It tastes better than it smells…but more interestingly to me, tastes significantly different than how it smelled. Maybe more so than any other beer in recent memory. It's quite odd, but I suppose in a good way. Tasty, but definitely acidic – I dunno how much more I could drink of this than the three-way split bottle…at least without Tums…but overall pretty enjoyable.
Nov 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.98 by hopkrid from Florida

Sep 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.88 by IrishColonial from Texas

Jan 04, 2017
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - The beer poured dark brown with an off-white head.

Smell - The nose was boozy oak with a strange perfume like presence.

Taste - My first impression is dry perfumey flowers. There is some sense of sweetness toward the back that I might describe as Concord grapes. The aftertaste runs dry with an oaky finish.

Mouthfeel - The dry oak clings to the roof of the mouth with low carbonation and sour notes.

Overall - This is best Upland flower sour that I have had. It is far more enjoyable than Orchid.
Jul 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

May 18, 2016
Photo of angrybabboon
Reviewed by angrybabboon from Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Consumed 4/30/16

Split with Goblinmunkey7

A: Pours dark, deep brown - medium sized, borderline fizzy, off-white head, fades to a few wisps, leaves minimal lacing

S: Smells dark and sour, but pleasantly mild - some dark malts, chocolate malts - moderately sour, with some sharp acidity and some damp, lactic funk - floral, but I probably wouldn't guess that this was aged on flowers if I didn't know - some dark fruits - wood and some woody funk

T: Some dark flavors, with some chocolate malts, brown malts, and dark fruits - moderately acidic, with some sharp flavors - lemons - some funky, musty sourness - tart - floral and flowery - lingering sourness - woody with some oak barrel funk - dry

M: Medium body, low carbonation, lightly tart and puckering with some lingering sour

O: These flowers are edible, right?

On multiple occasions I have claimed that I am done drinking dark sours. And then I have something like this. It's dark, and it's sour, but it somehow works. It's too bad this is supposedly retired, as I would drink it again.
May 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.72 by Eziel from Ohio

Nov 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by suckaj from Florida

Sep 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Sep 22, 2015
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.53/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at his tasting.

Bottled: 5/9/14. Batch: L14.

Pours an almost opaque super dark orange-brown with a foamy tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is sour with grain, dark fruit, floral, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with sour fruit, wood, and funk flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and dry mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty, but the floral aspects come through slightly better in the smell to me.

Serving type: bottle.
Aug 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.68 by Brevbin from Louisiana

Jul 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by tarheels4life23 from North Carolina

Jul 08, 2015
Photo of aleigator
Reviewed by aleigator from Germany

2.95/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Pours a clean mohagony brown color, with a decent, one finger broad brownish head.

Smells of sour, acrid funk, coated up by earthy malts, revealing a sweet note. There is a herbal whiff visible above this foundation, while I cannot say this smells like actual violas.

Tastes of unripe lemon pulp, very pungent and pronounced, establishing a very tart, acetic taste. Got a mineralic, slightly herbal quality to it, together with bready malts and even more acidity. Finishes with a pleasant aqueous note, while the malts turn sweeter and the lemon even more pronounced.

Doesnt taste too complex while its tartness is extreme, but successfully tamed by the malts and soft water. Has an intense citrus appearance, while I can not detect any flower at all.
Jun 30, 2015
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.21/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours out ruby highlights among the mahogany color; modest head and lacing action

Smell: Sour cherry and oak; rather acetic

Taste: Oaky and sour, from the get go, with cherry flavor developing; some caramel tones underneath add balance to the fruit and sour elements

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I thought viola was an instrument but I guess it can also be a flavor; nice beer, regardless
May 04, 2015
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Thanks to rudzud for sharing.

Light fizzy head hits 1/2 finger then fades quickly, semi clear mahogany color.

Nose nice brown malts, little sugar toffee, light dirty funk, bright floral violets, golden raisins and fruity, a nice dirty cheesy funk.

Taste brings sweet but tangy funk, sweet brown malts when little toasty note, nice sour tangy funk, golden raisin fruity funk, little floral candied flower viola I guess, decent acidity, flemmy finish and funk, little sweet sour cherry. Finish is flemmy tart cherry raisin, nice flowery A's funky tart finish.

Mouth is med bod, big flemmy sour funk and little acidity, decent carb.

Overall quite enjoyable.
Apr 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by jfstilling from South Carolina

Apr 28, 2015
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

4.07/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Shared

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a clearish muddy colour with a thin head that fades to leave light lacing.

S - Aromas of brown malts, funk, sugars, nice flowers, light earthy roast.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, more brown malts, good sugars, great flowers, earthy meadows, really nice acid and vinegar notes. Super balanced.

M - Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, good flemmy vinegar notes.

O - Overall this beer was really surprising. Great balance.

Serving type: bottle
Apr 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by dheldman from Minnesota

Apr 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.43 by fthegiants from California

Apr 06, 2015
Viola from Upland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 135 ratings