Modern Tart
Upland Brewing Company

 

 

Deliciously bright, tangy and refreshing, the modernization of sour ale rests in stone fruit, nouveau hops and a hint of milk sugars to highlight the beer's supple and succulent sweetness.

As Upland's Modern Tart billows through a hazy gold body, building a creamy eggshell froth, its immediately begins tingling the nose with its robust apricot boldness, an underlying citrus zing and an aura of cream of wheat. Gentle sweetness graces the tongue with hints of taffy, fruit tart and agave with the beer's early malty palate.

But the malt influences are short lived as the sourness builds upon the apricot fruitiness with the impressions of green apple, lemon, lime, grapefruit and white grape. As its acidity grows, it never reaches a full-blown sour intensity but stops on the assertive side of tart. The lactose and fruit sweetness assists with balancing the sourness and offering a soothing, softer taste to close.

A low lying bitterness proves slightly grassy, citrus and tea-like as the ale finishes acidic and fresh with hints of sourdough, burlap and apricot pulp remaining.

Had poured from 12-oz. can, no date, into teku tulip.

I am not sure about apricots in beer, or even as fruit. But this kettle sour with apricots is an interesting, funky, somewhat tart, fruity beer, with a crisp finish.

A- 12oz can pours into a small becher with a moderately hazy pale golden yellow body. The head rises up to a finger high with a thick foamy-frothy texture and decent retention. Rare sheets of lacing.

S- Tart close to sour lactic acidity in the aroma supporting aromas of fresh apricot and in general large stone fruit smell. Citrus like lemon and tangerine also come to mind as well as hints of whole grains. Tart stone fruit, hard to complain about that.

T- Kettle souring brings a medium level of lactic acid to the table to support the fruits, hops and grains. Obviously quite a bit of stone fruit notes like apricot and nectarine. Hops bring some citrus, tropical and dank notes. Just a touch of grains.

MF- Light bodied with a puffy and foamy texture. The carbonation level is on the high side and it ends with that moderate tartness.

Clean kettle sour with loads of fresh apricot flavor as well as some citrus, tropical, floral and dank hops. Goes down really easily and has just the right level of sourness.

A: The beer is very hazy pale light yellow in color. It poured with a short white head that quickly settled down, leaving some patches of white bubbles on the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of sourness are preset in the nose along with hints of sourness.
T: The taste is a little sour and has notes of limes and hints of apricot flavors.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied and tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is definitely a kettle sour as you get more of the sourness than you do of the fruity flavors.

Serving type: can

 

12 ounce can into tulip glass, best before 12/2019. Pours very hazy deep golden amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with solid retention, that reduces to a light spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy apricots, fuzz/skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, red/green apple, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of apricots, citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy apricots, fuzz/skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, red/green apple, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang; and pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of apricots, fuzz/skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, blueberry, gooseberry, red/green apple, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, hay, straw, herbal, floral, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/sour/bitterness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/sour/tart/tangy and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, acidic/tangy, and sticky/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 5.6%. Overall this is an awesome hoppy fruited kettle sour. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, fruity/acidic yeast, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/bitter/drying finish. Not overly bitter or lactic. Awesome Citra/Mosaic profile. Very juicy/vibrant hops/fruit, some dank/earthy notes, and balanced Lacto complexity; with a nice pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected of the brewery.