Oak & Rosé
Upland Brewing Company

2018 vintage aged 3 years. Fruity, funky, floral and tart. Well made!

Randomly at Total Wine, this is a 4/17/19 bottling... Ruddy amber-orange, slightly hazy, brief head of tan foam, persisted as a slim foam collar after that... Self-described as a sour blonde ale, aged on chambourcin grapes from Oliver's Creekbend Vineyard, and aged in previously-used, neutral, Oliver Winery oak wine barrels... Tart and puckering, a little lactic, with a lotta tannic woodiness... Fruit underbelly is suggestive of black currant and sour wine with a hint of lemon pith... Tingly and sharp-feeling, medium-light-bodied; leaves a bit of an oaky tackiness on the drying finish... It's one of those beers that kinda represent the boundary between sour ales and dry wines..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 4/18/2018. Pours slightly hazy reddish/pinkish orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big tart/tangy red grapes, skin, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, plum, currant, lemon, pear, red/green apple, melon, red/white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, floral, rose, wheat, and lightly toasted bread; with light notes of pepper, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funk/acidic yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/tangy red grapes, skin, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, plum, currant, lemon, pear, red/green apple, melon, red/white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, floral, rose, wheat, and lightly toasted bread; with light notes of pepper, oaken vanilla, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness; light fruit tang and wine/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy grapes, skin, cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, plum, currant, lemon, pear, red/green apple, melon, red/white wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, floral, rose, wheat, bread, pepper, oaken vanilla, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funk/acidic yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness and tangy fruit balance; with zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tartness, tangy fruit, oak spiciness, and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp, bready/grainy/acidic, and lightly tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is a fantastic fruited sour/wild ale! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funk/acidic yeast, grapes, oak, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the modestely acidic/tangy/drying finish, not overly lactic. The chambourcin grapes add insane amounts of berry complexity, just wonderful. Pretty jammy feeling. Amazingly well rounded Brett/Lacto complexity, balanced grapes; nice oak presence and malt backbone against acidity. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected.