Sour Reserve - Upland Brewing Company

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.11/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to GuisseppeFranco for this one. Batch 1 750ml corked and caged bottle into a Cantillon flute. Had at a tasting 5/19/2013. Reviewed from notes.

Beer is a cloudy peach. No lace, thin legs, and no head. Not much to look at.

Nose is sweet, pulpy with some light tartness, a touch of mango and a bit of acidity. Aromatic and pretty appetizing.

Opens tart lemon, hay, and wood. Sour mango and apricot notes at the middle. Gueuz-y. Finishes some vinegar and lemon with a well balanced malt presence. Aftertaste of tart tropical fruit. Pretty simple overall but well balanced and the flavors work well together.

Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Spritzy and bubbly in the mouth and silky and filmy going down. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Appropriate.

A very solid beer all the way around and pretty in-line with the rest of Upland's wild offerings. Certainly worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 15:14:58 | More by SpeedwayJim

jeonseh

Indiana

4.24/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Batch 2; Bottle shared with NWI tasting group

A - Light golden with orange hue. Small white head full of carbonation. Small amount of carbonation trailing upwards

S - Lots of white vinegar tartness. Slight oak and lemon as well. Overall, you can tell that this is going to be a tart and sour beer

T - Really tart and sour beer. Get sweet-tarts, lactic acid, and lemon initially. There is a light blue cheese funk to it but this one is definitely more on the tart side. Light oak comes through in the finish as well

M - Lots of carbonation but the beer manages to have a nice pillowy softness to it that makes this light in the mouth

T - This is a Gueuze that leans more to the tart side than the funky side. This is definitely one of the tarter beers that I've ever had. It's a mouth puckerer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:53:24 | More by jeonseh

Etan

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, blend 2, into a Cantillon tulip. Some gushing but not too bad. Review #400.

A: Pours a murky yet bright clementine body with a decent white head.

S: Very oaky. Pineapple brett, lactic, slight mushroom, quite earthy, a bit of acetic character.

T: Taste is quite fruity, with some bright lemon twang. Lactic, drying oak, wet hay, lots of vinegary acetic acid.

M: Light-bodied, very light carbonation.

O: This definitely surpasses most American wilds in terms of complexity, but unfortunately the vinegary acetic character is getting a bit too strong (at least in this bottle). I will definitely seek out future blends if this is any indication of the program's potential, but right now there are some glitches to work out.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 05:10:55 | More by Etan

russwbeck

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to my Indiana University friend who picked this up for me!

A: The beer pours a semi-clear yellow pour that hints towards brown at the very center. Only a film of bubbly, white head builds up and recedes quickly. The level of bubbles in the beer initially is high, but slows down pretty quickly. Relatively tame appearance. 3.5

S: The aroma is wheaty, with a nice musty funk to it. Tart raspberries, lemon, and grass provide a really nice balance here that really invites you to take a drink. 4

T: First words out of my mouth after the first taste were, "wow this is outstanding," and my thoughts never wavered from there. The beer is aggressively sour with a really nice backbone of fruit (seems like raspberries to me). It's sour up front, but some sweetness and fruit takes the middle over. The finish is very tart, so much that my mouth salivates for more the second I finish the last drops. Hints of oak and red wine come out as the beer finishes. Oak, grapes, and hints of booze. 4.5

MF: Pretty light body with the perfect amount of carbonation. The balance of this beer really lend to its drinkability. It's bright, crisp, and finishes perfectly. 5

O: Considering I enjoyed this on Zwanze Day and I'm considering it the best sour beer I've had today, that's really saying a lot. I cannot say enough how delicious this beer was. I almost wish I didn't share it with everybody...almost. 5

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:11:20 | More by russwbeck

rlee1390

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Bright orange, some carbonation, not much, but some lacing is left.

S-Fruit, oak, funk, more funk.

T-Funk, sour, oranges, other fruits, oak, grapes/wine, well balanced as well.

M-Medium bodied, some carbonation, easy drinking.

O-A wonderful sour. Great sour notes, balance is perfect. Not a shock this won a gold medal at GABF.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 16:43:35 | More by rlee1390

brystmar

New York

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 2. Happy birthday Sarah!

Not a gusher, hooray! Bold, cloudy orange body sprouts bubbles up top briefly before fading down into the liquid. Strong funk and soured fruit aromas billow forth, catching my senses by surprise. Earthy with bitter yeast balanced against a grainy (mildly wheaty?), fruity base. Intensely sour, just how I like it. Puckering at the start; bitter yeast catches up at the end to finish dry and mildly bitter.

Been about 6 months since I tried b1, which I remember being even better than this. Regardless, this batch of Sour Reserve is a fantastic American sour worthy of any/all hype it receives. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 03:00:01 | More by brystmar

BentLegBrewer

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had the pleasure of tasting this gem of limited production at a buddy's tasting. it had a difficult task of standing out against some other phenomenal beers that evening including hunah, 20yr elijah, choclate rain, duck duck gooze and others. it did so with force. it is very taste forward with lots of tart aroma to boot. only downfall to this amazing beer is that its finish is short relative to other sours and the great taste quickly dissipates. I would recommend that if you can find one buy one hell buy ten it wont disappoint

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 17:53:27 | More by BentLegBrewer

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, blend #1, into a Duvel tulip. Huge thanks to Knifestyles for sharing this rare gem.

A: Slightly hazy amber body under a fine off-white head that settles into a ring. Ok, but unremarkable.

S: Quite bright and fruity, with lemon, white wine grape, and cantaloupe. A hint of grassiness but not really funk. Really nice.

T: Tart lacto up front, with grape skin and lemon dominating the mid-palate. Tropical fruit and melon on the clean finish. Some lingering, puckering sourness. Deliciousness.

M: Light-bodied and spritzy. Nice carbonation, but a little thin.

O: Excellent American sour. It didn't quite have the funky depths of a top-tier Belgian Geuze, but it was absolutely delicious in its own delightfully fruity way. RIght up there with an Allagash Coolship or RR wild.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 11:12:53 | More by woosterbill

FosterJM

California

3.93/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1484th Review on BA
Bottle to FW 6oz Snifer
750ml C/C

Batch 2
Shared with JealousChalice,KevanB & Schmoopsbeer

App- A more clear yellow with a slight haze behind it. No bubbles behind it. More of a peachy hazy color. Was a bit saddened by lack of carb on this one.

Smell- With very few aromatics making this beer come together I thought the notes I did get were pleasant and on par with the rest of the Wild Ales ive had. More vinegar, oak, lactic acid and fruits.

Taste- It's good, but I felt I opened it too young. But alas the problem with only having one bottle. Its very strong on the oak front and lacks a certain balance. Has a lot of vinegar behind it and packs a strong lactic punch.

Mouth- A lighter body with a low carbonation. Really lacks a bit of bubbles to make it something better. A bit of oak and lactic on the residual flavors.

Drink- It was good, but needed to be a few steps up for what I believe this bottle is considered. I would like another bottle to sit on for a couple years.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 20:16:45 | More by FosterJM

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 2, bottled on 3-16-12.

A- Pours a very hazy orange-gold color. Small head that retains well and laces ok. Really a brilliant color.

S- Tart and fruity on the nose. Some acid heavy grapefruit and almost peach fruit flavors.

T- Tart and acidic on the tongue. Very fruity, and fairly sweet to balance the sour. Good blend of fruits and acidic. Acidic flavors linger on the tongue at the end.

M- Relatively low levels of carbonation. Somewhat light weight is refreshing, yet still fairly creamy on the palate.

Overall, a very good sour. I can't put my finger on the exact flavor profiles, but they balance very nicely. A very good sour, with another in the cellar to age.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 22:18:06 | More by boilermakerbrew

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one was shared during the Upland Sour Tasting where all of the fruit lambics were present as well as a massive group of BAs to share it all! Batch 1! Served from bottle into a Boulevard tulip. Poured bright orange with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, funk, sour, tart, peach, and fruit. The flavor was of sweet malt, funk, sour, tart, orange peel, orange, and fruit. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. This was the last beer of the evening and we definitely saved the best for last in my opinion. Loads of complexity to be found here while still being refreshing and intriguing. It was completely different from the fruit lambics by them, so don’t go into this one expecting them to be similar. Just a heads up. Definitely worth seeking out whether it be Batch 1 or 2.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 10:39:24 | More by thagr81us

Sean9689

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batches 1 & 2 back-to-back for comparison into Narke tulip. I'm reviewing batch #2 because I liked it better then batch #1.

A - Pours a cloudy golden yellow, slight white head, wisps.

S - A mix of random fruity notes, oak, an lactic acid blended together to create something good! Lots of citrus in there with the funk and a good amount of tart fruity sweetness.

T - Citrus tartness, apricot, funk, oak, light berry. A little more sour then the nose and less fruit, but still very pleasant. Any alcohol is basically non-detectable. Finish is all tart lactic acid and oak.

M - Light body, good carbonation, dry tart finish.

O - Really well-done and very enjoyable. I felt batch #2 was more balanced with better fruit & tart notes while batch #1 was muddled a bit. I would drink this again, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 15:00:04 | More by Sean9689

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bunzfest2012: Make it so... Thanks to Dan for sharing!
Review from written notes, served in a mini-tulip glass.

Clear dark gold, high clarity, no foam to speak of. Looks a bit still.

Sour aroma of cider vinegar. Tastes fairly acetic, follows the aroma with some bright citrus and tempered sweetness even. White grape minerality, maybe some iron notes in the background. Lower carbonation. Bright, clean, and quenching. Overall pretty good, would liked to see more complexity, but it was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 23:20:17 | More by emerge077

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer shared by Thorpe, thanks. Beer is yellow / amber and hazy thin wispy white head, small bubbles, some lacing, moderate carbonation, looks fine.

Aroma is earthy and sulfury with a nice bite to it, a little funky, a little acetic, a little lactic.

Beer is light in body, not as sour as expected, flat a little on the palate, mlid earthiness, sulfur, decent finihs, a fine beer but not a great gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 03:33:50 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike. I am so grateful to try this, since I accidentally clicked the "back" button when finalizing my order for this.

The beer is hazy and light orange colored with a small, fleeting, wispy head. Nice aroma consisting of wild yeast, citrus, grass, wheat. Acetic and lactic feel on the palate with low carbonation. Pretty good flavor. Definitely smells and tastes like an Upland beer. Very good, but not world class. Definitely one of the better gueuze examples to emerge from the U.S.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 00:05:36 | More by Huhzubendah

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours a deep golden color with a short white head that fizzes out quickly and doesn't leave anything behind. The nose carries some strong lactic notes with just a touch of stone fruits in the background. Flavor is similar with more fruit coming out as it warms. Light body with heavy lactic acid through the finish. Very dry. Gets better as it warms, but the focus is too much on acidity without the underlying funk, earthiness, and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 23:28:51 | More by Thorpe429

Phelps

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by ejyoung, poured into a tulip. This is batch number one, which is a blend of lambics from 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Very slightly hazy pale tangerine. A thin, wispy head of off-white appears for a minute after the pour, but fizzles away quickly.

The souring bacteria seems tame here. I get lots of vinous green oak, a little white and red grapes, some burnt sugar and just a bit of sulfuric funk. Maybe a tiny touch of balsamic as well.

The flavor steps up the tartness in a big way. First noticeable is a blend of lemon, green apple, vinegar and oak. The swallow brings the sour, acidic stuff along with that same sulfury funk, red apple, white grape. Maybe some vanilla emerges as it warms. Each sip gets more sour.

Medium-light body, just a little watery. Carbonation is light and prickly, breaking the beer into silky fizz. Every sip delivers more ass-puckering sourness. By the bottom of the glass, it’s almost like drinking vinegar.

Tasty, though the enamel-ripping sourness could be toned down a bit. It’s nice to smack your taste buds into submission every now and then, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 20:20:20 | More by Phelps

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a murky dark yellow with a moderate white head fading away quickly.

Aroma has a bit of a blue cheese funk with lactic acid and some wet hay.

Flavor is a lot more sour than the aroma would let on. A distinct lactic sharpness with sour apple, pear and peaches. A little bit of the hay from the aroma carries over and it finishes very sour and dry with a lot of oakiness.

Light and refreshing with medium carbonation.

Caleb nailed this one. I wish I had more than 1 bottle. Very pleasant sourness without being over the top and hands down the winner of our sour tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 14:37:21 | More by jmarsh123

claspada

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of mrand01 at a recent bottle share.

Pours a murky gold color with a small white head that settles to a few stray wisps, light bubbles and some minimal lacing.

Aromas begin with hefty amount of lactic acid, sour yogurt, tropical fruit and funky brett. As it warms I get some more light apple skins, cider vinegar, mild vinous barrel notes and a hint of wet hay. Smells like a key lime pie with lemon and lime and a dollop of whip cream on top.

The tastes begin with more tartness than I expected given the aroma, also more acidity. I get stone fruits, sour peach and mild wet oak. More balanced and less lactic than the aroma.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with zesty carbonation. Nice and dry in the finish, pretty sour, but not the most sour beer I have ever had.

Overall, as a gueuze it's pretty mediocre, but as a American Wild Ale it's very solid. Really enjoyed this Batch 2 over the Batch 1 I had earlier in the year. Flavor profile is much more lively and open,

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 22:44:41 | More by claspada

camil1mj

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Shared with my tasting group. Opened slowly and carefully, as I was prepared for a gusher like some of the other Uplands. To my surprise, it was just fine. No gushing or foaming. Served slightly chilled in my Darkness snifter.

A: Cloudy, bright yellow. White fizzy head that quickly dissipates.

S: Lots of citrus and sour funkiness.

T: Lots of great sours flavors coming together: lemon, apple, vinegar. Very tart and refreshing.

M: Lighter body with a good amount of carbonation.

O: Great beer. Too bad it was one of only 300 bottles. I will make sure to get this again if the release another batch in the future. I am optimistic, as the label states it is batch 1.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 14:06:34 | More by camil1mj

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jim (jale) for sharing this one. Served in a plastic cup at Kuhnhenn Winter Solstice.

A - Quick-dissolving white foam settles to a few stray wisps, a collar of bubbles, and some spotty lace. Transparent golden body with good clarity to it.

S - A hefty amount of lactic acidity, yogurt, tropical brett, light apple skins, cider vinegar, mild vinous barrel notes, and a hint of sulfur. Pretty mellow stuff, and reminiscent of Uplands fruit lambics in character.

T - Taste has more in the way of tartness and acidity Some stone fruits, sour peach, and mild wet oak. More balanced and less yogurt-heavy than the aroma.

M - Pleasantly zesty carbonation, medium body, extremely dry, with mild stomach-provoking acidity. No alcohol, although I wasn't expecting any from this style of beer.

D - As a gueuze it's pretty mediocire, but as a American Wild Ale it's pretty solid. Too rare for what it delivers, but easy and enjoyable to drink. Hopefully they make more next time.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 00:29:25 | More by MasterSki

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Chris for sharing this gem.

Pours a turbid golden orange color with no head. Lacto and light citrus on the nose, minimal funk and grass. More sweet and fruity than sour or funky, but pleasantly acidic. Oak is present from the start and fades through the finish. Medium thick and high carbonation produces a full body. Straddling rating this much lower as a gauze and a little higher as a pleasant American Wild; regardless an enjoyable surprise compared to most of their fruit lambics.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 02:45:21 | More by yourefragile

Verecund

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sour Reserve Blend #1. Many thanks to Rempo and a second anonymous BA who gave me the opportunity to try this. Opened on December 3, 2011.

Interesting color of glowing sinopia - ruby, earthy orangish-brown. Not much in the way of head. A half finger of froth settles to a circle of bubbles in the center of the glass.

Clean lactic acid, kiwi, not-yet-ripe apricot, tart green apple, and miscellaneous tropical fruit on the nose. Nice tart fruitiness. There's also a layer of Hoosier funk (think cheese), vinegar, and oak.

Holy lactic acid. Lots of citrus and green apple; very tart and acidic. Pineapple brett, but not a whole lot of funk otherwise. Just a clean acidity with light fruity accents.

Pretty tasty, overall, especially viewed as an American sour (and not a gueuze). I'm a sucker for acidic, unfruited sours, so this is a treat. I had a small problem finishing off the last ounce or two of my 12 ounce pour due to the acidity, which is the only reason this is not a 4.5 in taste or overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 03:38:11 | More by Verecund

womencantsail

California

3.85/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sending this one my way, Mark.

The pour is a murky orange-ish color with a finger of white head. Smells intensely lactic and lemony. Quite a bit of lemon peel and green apple, maybe a little bit of funk (hay and grass). A few notes of oak, too. The flavor is similarly heavy on the lemon tartness and lactic acidity. Minimal funk notes, maybe a touch of vinegar. Medium body and medium to high carbonation. Better than many of the other Upland lambic releases.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 16:18:32 | More by womencantsail

largadeer

California

3.43/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another whale tick provided by Andrew. Thanks, dude.

Pretty bad appearance, pouring an extremely turbid and opaque straw color with a head that fizzles away quickly. A lot of lacto on the nose, along with some nice tropical fruit character. Faint acetone and aceto. Palate is good but somewhat stomach churning, heavy on the lactic sourness. Pineapple and lemon fruitiness lends some depth. Fair bit of oak hits the palate up front, but doesn't linger into the finish. The finish is quite brief actually, very lactic and somewhat yogurt-y. The acidity is felt going down, which makes it somewhat of a chore to drink after a while, though it's a pretty decent beer in small quantities. Reminds me a bit of Duck Duck Gooze, but it's a step down from that beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 19:43:16 | More by largadeer