Darken
Upland Brewing Company

Bottled July 2017

This is my first beer from Upland, a brewery I’ve heard is infamous for any sour style they brew being extremely tart. Honestly, I’m fine with that. And given that I never see their stuff around here, when I saw this I had to spring for it. Let’s crack ot open and see just how tart it is

Pours an opaque medium brown with a finger of light tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves nice lacing

The nose definitely has some punch to it, but less so than expected. I’m picking up on aromas of black cherry, brown sugar, toffee, red grape, lemon juice, sharp oak, raisin, molasses, and light caramel

Surprisingly, it’s even less tart in taste, I don’t even know if I could necessarily call it tart, just a tad funky. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting raisin, sharp oak, old leather, wet hay, crabapple, brown sugar, molasses, light red wine vinegar, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of sweet bourbon, raisin, molasses, smooth oak, vanilla, brown sugar, black cherry, light tobacco, and dark bread

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes a bit sticky and coats the mouth

This one is kinda weird. Not at all what I expected given the reputation of the brewery, but I enjoyed it nonetheless

 

 

13 oz pour at Lures Bar & Grille. Pours a dark brown with a medium tan head. Aroma and flavor feature dark fruit, oak, sweet vanilla, and spiced rum, with almost a hint of bourbon. I wondered whether it was actually aged in bourbon, but apparently it's just the vanilla making me think that. Overall this is a complex and flavorful sour beer, although I would prefer more funk and less sweetness.

 

Bottle from Shrubber85. 2014 vintage. Dark, reddish pour, relatively flat. Sour, tart notes in the aroma, pit fruit. Taste is tart, fruity and smooth. This has aged very well. Thanks Roger for the bottle!

 

 

A - Mostly opaque, dark reddish black body, a head of short mid-tan with a quick fade like a cola. The head disappears and leaves nothing. No lacing.

S - Strong note of acidity, pungent with just a slight hit of sourness.

T - Follows the nose, but more textured and bright, moderate cherry notes, sharp finish.

M - Prickly open, moderate carbonation and sharp acidity, and a quick slow fade.

O - A solid rendition of this style, tasty and well-built.

 

At home with Lisa. March 2020. Bottle is a couple years old.

Nail polish nose. This is horrendous. Taste is slightly better but overly tart (shocker). Drain pour.

 

 

 

Very enjoyable, drinkable beer!

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Very dark brown color with a creamy white head and good lacing. Funky, slightly smokey smell and taste. Very nice combination of spiciness. Very complimentary with food. Nice representation of the style.

Dark brown, finger of tan head of fine to medium sized bubbles. Decent lacing and legs.

Lots of toasty malts and oak with threads of lemony-sour mash or sourdough bread, earthy spices (ginger, pepper-crusted bread, allspice, chicory), and faint cocoa.
Follows the nose nicely. More clean and toasty Munich malt flavors followed by a soft wave of oak and spices. Threads of sourness throughout, less so after it warms which lets the toasty aspects shine while still keeping its edge and complexity. Very long-lasting toasty, roasty aftertaste with more hints of spice and sourness. A pop of almost chocolaty blackberry comes and goes, some rooibos and chicory tea here and there as well.
Pretty dry with enough fizz to make it feel a little bit lighter than the dark grains and oak would without it. Not too much acidity to make you pucker or the inside of your cheeks to prickle, which I like for this style.

Very good. Until it warmed up, it was somewhat lackluster, but once it did it very quickly grew on me. Very much a darker Munich malt-driven Oud Bruin for the base beer, dark French style rather than a Flanders red-brown. It has just enough of a twist from the chocolate malt, rye, and spices to make it interesting and complex and just subtle enough not to steal the show.

 

 

Pours a deep chestnut color with a meager cap of khaki suds. Sweet and sour aroma evokes toffee and vinegar dressed in a subtle melange of spices. Habituation reveals a distinct note of horseblanket as well.

The taste is definitely complex. The spice character comes through stronger than anything else—the grains of paradise and rye first and foremost. Bready, toasted malt, soy sauce, and caramel juxtapose balsamic vinegar and mild, lactic acid betwixt the spices. Alcohol is dazzlingly well-concealed for its weight and could be downright hazardous if sufficient quantities are on hand. Warming reveals notes of coriander and even currants. Fine carbonation and medium-light body produce a smooth mouthfeel that grows in substance from front to back.

Overall, this is a balanced and complex sour ale that takes things a step farther than your traditional oud bruin. It has a few rough edges on account of the ambitious recipe, but it mostly comes off as a very engaging and enjoyable Belgian-style brew.