Brunch
Upstate Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a mug, the appearance was a semi-dark milky brown sort of color with a thin white foamy head that dissipated at a nice pace. Mild stringy lace. The aroma takes on some sweet to roasty coffee tones up front and then dropping some caramel/toffee malts mildly flowing over some nuts. Subtle breadiness at the end. The flavor seems to stick to the blend of sweet to roast and hitting a sly earthy dryness flowing on into the aftertaste and copying the finish decently. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a good sessionability about it. Good carbonation. ABV felt fine as projected. Overall, nice English brown ale with perhaps a little bit of a coffee sort of twist to enhance the enjoyment a bit more.

 

Pours a slightly hazy chesnut-brown, with a substantial, quickly-dissipating light tan head. Leaves a a little lacing, & a fine ring of bubbles.

Aroma is of black, light roast coffee, slightly nutty roasted malt.

Taste follows the nose, maybe with more apparent nuttiness. Fine, slightly prickly carbonation, and a pleasant bitterness on the finish.MOderately thin feel.

Overall, another fine brew from Upstate. Not "Wow" as with their IPAs, but solid, and a pleasant experience worth repeating. : )

 

On tap at Blu Wolf Bistro in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a somewhat dark brown, slightly hazy, with a small white head, and not a whole lot of lacing.

Smells like coffee, but not incredibly strongly so, as well as pecan and a general nuttiness.

The coffee on this is nice, but not incredibly complex, just kind of nutty and chocolatey. It's tasty though. The base seems simple, and doesn't contribute a ton of flavor. I'd definitely want a bit more toastiness or a bit of a deeper caramel flavor.

This is medium bodied, maybe a tiny bit thin, with a normal level of carbonation.

This is solid enough, but not quite Upstate's best.

 

 

L: Hazy, yet translucent dark brown with ruby red edges. Bears a foamy beige head that quickly dies into a thin tan ring that leaves spotty lacing.

S: Cold brewed, medium-roast coffee. Smells almost exactly cold brew coffee. Smells almost exactly like Sixpoint's C.R.E.A.M., too. Tons of nutty, medium-roast coffee. Freshly roasted coffee beans, musty and dry. There's also some toasted white bread, caramel, and honey, but mostly just cold brew coffee.

T: The taste follows the nose. It's cold brew, medium-roast coffee all the way. It's nutty, like peanuts, and medium-roasty. There's some caramel, toasty white bread, honey, and vanilla backing it up, the only reminder that it's still a beer. It tastes almost exactly like Sixpoint C.R.E.A.M., if that helps. Finishes dry with only a touch of lingering coffee ground and caramel.

F: Medium-light, smooth, subtle carbonation. Drinks almost like cold brew coffee, too.

O: This is a beer for coffee lovers. Not so much a brown ale as it is alcoholic coffee. It's freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee beans. Extremely recommended for coffee addicts!