Gilgamesh - Upland Brewing Company

mrand01

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: A hazy brownish red that pours with about 1/4" of off-white head that quickly dissipates. Spotty lacing with decent head retention.

S: Cherries, vanilla, oak, with just a hint of alcohol.

T: Initial taste is sour cherry, quickly followed by some fruity sweetness and some vanilla/oak tones from the bourbon barrel. The booze is pretty subdued, just a hint of bourbon.

M: Medium to heavy body with light carbonation.

O: An excellent example of the style. Blows away Marron Acidifie for sure and I'd venture to say I like it better than Oerbier Riserva!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 00:14:25 | More by mrand01

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky dark red with some copper hues and a big 2 finger creamy off-white head.

Aroma is sour just like a flanders should be. Notes of vinegar and cherries along with a little oak. Not much bourbon in the nose.

Starts out with a vinegar sourness and some tart cherry flavor. A little bit of sweet bourbon comes on pretty quickly and is present throughout, but rather subdued. More sour fruit notes combine equally with the bourbon finishing sweet & sour. The bourbon adds a nice complexity to balance the sour.

Fairly creamy mouthfeel and medium-high carbonation levels.

I love flanders reds and the bourbon adds a unique twist to this classic. I was afraid the bourbon would be overpowering, but it really is delicate and subtle making it work.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 00:28:09 | More by jmarsh123

claaark13

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed a little below room temp. Poured into a HF tulip.

A - Very deep ruby with a thick head. It slowly dies down to a thin coating over the top.

S - Sour black cherries with mild oak. A hint of vanilla. Strong, pleasant nose.

T - Tart dark cherries, oak, slight vanilla, some leather. The barrel is mild and smooth. The tartness seems right on point...present, but subtle. Very balanced flavors. The finish smoothly carries the cherries and leather without much, if any, dryness.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation. Great for the style. So drinkable.

O - For me, this is the best beer Upland has pushed out. I personally love this style and I really think they nailed it. The flavors expected for the style are on point. The finish is great. I actually think the back end of the flavor is what sets this apart from other Flanders Red. This instantly stormed into the top 3 for the style in my book.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:44:11 | More by claaark13