Brown Ale - Upslope Brewing Company

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.01/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This isn't your father's Brown Ale, especially if your dad is English. This beer foregoes any element of finesse to prefer aggressive American attitude. Its high hop ranges favor citrus character over broad bitter spice. Its body is malty-dry with a bit of heat. Its toasty chocolate tones rival that of Porters. Yet the beer somehow decries all-thing-brown.

Starting with its masculine crimson pour, its somewhat ruby-like with chestnut highlights- all is easily taken with the beer's brilliantly clear body. Somehow, its filtered character leaves its foam structure intact. Lacy rings cling to the glass at every sip taken from the glass.

Heavy toast kicks off the beer's aromatics, but does so with the backing of earthy chicory, cocoa beans, coffee, walnut, and tangy yogurt. Shy of roast, burnt or char character- the beer flirts with the line that separated this Brown from Stout. Earthen wood and pine notes balance and nearly overtake the aromas as the beer warms; bringing about accessory notes of citrus and grass.

It's bold yet crisp taste starts with the malty-sweet underpinnings of burnt sugar and bittersweet chocolate and then into bold roast coffee and earthy walnut oils. These bold tastes reach their apex at middle palate and that's where the hops kick in. Then come the citrus taste of grapefruit pith and peel, fresh cut grasses, torn pine needles, and singed woods. And yet there's the underlying malt taste of whipping cream that gives the beer a milky taste to support the chocolate and sweetness early and balances the hops late.

Creamy and medium-full early, the beer makes quick work of its heft and sheds its carbonation and residual sweetness soon after the malty taste registers. Then the beer favors dry toast textures, hop dryness, strong alcohol warmth, and mild acrid roast astringency. It goes from creamy to dry in a hurry.

I'm not going to say that this is the next Dogfish India Brown Ale, but it's not far off the course. Its a wonderful Americanized Brown Ale that can claim Porter-like character if it wanted to. I can see a pairing of a cajun-style burger with pepper jack cheese and jalapenos in the future with this beer as a complement.

Serving type: can

03-29-2013 06:10:04 | More by BEERchitect

SPThirtyThree

Colorado

3.09/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured aggressively from a can into a pint. Served around 40 °F.

A: 3f lunmpy head atop clear, brown beer. thick foam. as i drink, tufts of fat sticky lacing cling to the glass and dangle foam tenticles into the beer.

S: sweet honey, dms, and caramel malt. as it warms, the dms overwhelms the flavor profile, but right out of the fridge, there's virtually no smell.

T: sweet, light brown. light, sugary, and watery. like kool aid. slight earthiness to offset some of the sweetness. some roastiness, salted pecan, and the faintest hint of alcohol in the finish.

M: light bodied, smooth, with just a slight hint of stickiness and tartness.

D: i accidentally drank the whole pint before i finished the review, but i'd wager the sugariness would kick in about halfway through a third can, like with blue moon and other beers this sweet, and leave me so full and bloated that it would turn me off to this beer permanently. that, of course, is speculation, but i'd be shocked if it weren't the case.

i think my drinkability comment sums this one up. it's an easy drinker, and could be good for someone who is looking to explore non-macro beers for the first time. it's good for a sweet brown, but for me, this beer is too sugary to be really enjoyable.

Serving type: can

01-13-2013 19:53:19 | More by SPThirtyThree

spoony

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 12 oz can into a nonic.

A-An aggressive pour leads to about one finger of light tan head. The head fades quickly and doesn't leave much lacing. The brew is dark and cola colored. It is mostly clear.

S-The smell is a nice mixture of nuts and roasted malts with a little hint of caramel and molasses. Not terribly sweet.

T-The nutty maltiness from the smell continues through to the mouth in a good way. There was just enough caramel in there to weigh the beer down and a mild, bitter twang at the end. The finish is long and sumptuous.

M-The beer is quite smooth with just a touch of carbonation that leads to medium body. A nice weight for the flavor profile here.

O-I really enjoyed this brown. It was less caramel flavored and more dry than many beers of this style, which was a good thing in my book because the nutty flavors really shined here. Although the taste wasn't terribly complex, it was pleasing and drinkable. This beer is a good example of focusing on one flavor profile and letting it carry the beer. Extra points for a nice mouthfeel, too.

Serving type: can

01-07-2013 04:54:56 | More by spoony

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One and a half fingers of tan head on brown, amber ting'd colored body.
The aroma is a nice nutty and malt smell. Really nice.
The taste is nutty and malty as well. A solid profile.
Smooth texture with low carbonation and medium body.
A drinkable brown ale and tasty too.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 03:09:00 | More by Fatehunter

DoubleJ

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From light to dark, it's on to a brown ale from a brewery I hadn't heard of before. It's canned and from the same city as Boulder Brewery and Avery, so the genes are right. From a can that looks too similar to a Heinken, on to the beer:

Dark brown bodied with a white head that retains well and leaves dots of lace around. Greatness sits in the aroma, where the aroma of fudge brownies gets me. Simply great. And then toffee and marijuana notes cross in. While the taste of Upslope Brown doesn't get me like the nose, there's still much to be excited about. Big chunks of toffee and chocolate smackdown the palate, not cloying and very tasty. Perhaps the higher than normal alcohol has to do with the higher intensity. It's smooth, and medium bodied.

Keeping it simple, a joy to drink.

Serving type: can

10-16-2012 04:47:18 | More by DoubleJ

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer is a dead-as-leaves muddy water brown. Autumn, anyone? A vanilla head recedes to a fine film with spotty lacing.

Smells rich, roasted, of meats, and nuts, and brown sugar.

The taste is slightly roasted and maybe burnt, but in a toasty way. Rich glazed caramelized sugar over roasted beef brisket, with a faint tangy hop finish.

Mouthfeel is bright, carbonated slightly, and a touch of alcohol.

Overall, just a delightful brown ale on a mid-august day. Really has a nice body to it.

Serving type: can

08-11-2012 20:36:54 | More by JuicesFlowing

alexipa

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown with a thick head that thins quickly into a feint film. Leaves lots of lacing.

S: Malty roasted caramel. Mmmmm.

T: Lots of malts, with enough hop backend to hold it up. Roasted barley, caramel, burnt nuttiness. Really good.

M: Perfectly carbonated, pretty creamy and a little hot. I could actually use a bit less carbonation on this one... but still quite nice.

O: A great brown ale. Has a porter like quality to it, but much more drinkable.

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 03:25:40 | More by alexipa

stampfler07

Georgia

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

A- Solid brown with a substantial brown head which is thick and creamy, leaves light lacing on the glass

S- Strong notes of caramel, light chocolate and malt sweetness

T- Light bitterness throughout, roasted flavors and cocoa sweetness, slight warming, a light bit of dryness on the finish

M- Almost no carbonation, heavy and smooth, almost heading into porter territory but good

O- Kind of straddles the line between a brown and a porter in my mind, very enjoyable, would definitely have again

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 01:39:29 | More by stampfler07

lnashsig

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Many thanks to Crafting a Nation for this Upslope brew!

This is #BOTG 30! Go Stros, looking forward to another win tonight.

Poured from can to Brooklyn tulip. Noticing Upslope cans aren't terribly carbonated, even an aggressive pour won't overflow the glass. Pours a transparent brown rainwater color. Not much head or lacing. Decent enough looking brown ale. Smell- fresh coffee beans. Smells like I stuck my head into a fresh pot of coffee. Toffee, caramel. Nice aromatics to this one, I don't think its brewed with coffee at all, but it really comes out in the malt. Taste- oh yeah. roasty bitterness. coffee, toffee candy. Loving the coffee presence here. Not really sweet, this is highly drinkable and an interesting example of the style.

Serving type: can

05-05-2012 21:34:24 | More by lnashsig

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: The Upslope Brown pours a darker color than any Brown Ale I have seen. It is nearly black, but it does allow a good amount of pretty red light through. The head is frothy and about three quarters of an inch thick, the retention is pretty strong.

SMELL: The aroma provides a pleasant, woody and roasted malty smell. Not a huge smell, but pretty solid.

TASTE: Sweet chocolate flavors greet the palate, but quickly give way to a roasty, nutty and woody malt flavor before eventually allowing a subtle hoppy bitterness to finish the sip with a tiny hint of citrus.

MOUTHFEEL: Voluptuous is the first word that comes to mind when I drink this beer. It is very big and full with nicely rounded edges. The Brown Ale is also a little creamy with a slight sparkle that tickles the palate throughout each sip.

OVERALL: This is a very nicely done beer. Brown Ales are not my favorite style, but I will go back to this beer again.

Serving type: can

03-19-2012 05:16:15 | More by StoneTSR

bacabuck

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

One of the great reasons to fly through Denver International is that they have terrific local beers at their in-airport watering holes. We're not talking Hamm's and Pabst here folks, but New Belgium and Upslope.

A - Deep mahogeny. Clear with golden hues when held to the mile high sunlight. Slight lacing on the glass.

S - Like a tour of Woodford Reserve Bourbon distillery. Bready, yeasty.

T - Delicious. A true brown ale. Sweet malt and slight bitter hop finish.

M - No barley soda here. Very smooth. Very drinkable.

O - This is session beer material. Will need to see if it is available in southern California. BevMo?

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2012 00:00:19 | More by bacabuck

tronester

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark, clear ruby brown with a thin light tan head. Smell is like freshly toasted bread. Taste begins with some initial marzipan flavors, followed by some light coffee flavors, and an earthy dry finish. Rich mouthfeel, smooth low carbonation. Overall quite a strong brown ale, but also quite good.

Serving type: can

01-26-2012 00:43:12 | More by tronester

beergoot

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark, red copper color. Decent thick, creamy head with good lacing on the glass.

Smell: Roasted malts, slightly burnt, bitter aroma.

Taste: Roasted grain, nice bitterness towards the end with burnt toast-like flavors counter-balancing.

Mouthfeel: Light with a fine carbonation bubbling along the tongue.

Overall: Nothing distinctive nor worth writing home about, but a fair beer for a basic brown ale. A middle-of-the-road offering that's worth drinking when nothing better is available.

Note: I updated and upgraded my scores based on another can of the beer sampled 7/21/12.

Serving type: can

12-10-2011 21:56:51 | More by beergoot

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. No freshness date.

Pours forming a finger of light latte-colored head over a dark brown opaque body.

Smells very lightly of caramel, toasted marshmallows, and lightly roasted malts.

The flavor packs much more depth and weight than the aroma did. Big malts with a caramel (almost chocolaty) sweetness balanced by noticeable but not intrusive hops. The flavor is not strikingly deep or complex, but has a pleasing simplicity and displays bold basic flavors that come off clean and well crafted. There is an awesome light-coffee dry acidity flavor that is quite pleasing and doesn't become apparent until well into the glass...

The mouthfeel is creamy and full due to a surprisingly low carbonation (I was struck at the dull sound the can made when I popped it open). I love lower carbonation levels and thus this beer hits very close to the bulls-eye concerning feel (for my personal tastes).

Conclusion: This is a solid brown ale that I would be proud of brewing if it came from my home brewery. It is not something I would go out of my way to track down again, but if it was served at my local pub I would revisit it often and regard it as a solid standby. This is my first Upslope beer and I am not disappointed.

Serving type: can

11-29-2011 03:31:33 | More by allforbetterbeer

tbern007

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark brown, one finger light tan head, remains for a little while, lace is lacking.
Scent is of roasty malt, caramel, nut.
Taste is of cocoa, nut, roasted malt. Starts sweet and the brown sugar is evident. Moves into a hint of the English hops and there is some tea there. Finishes dry and with the roastiness.
Very drinkable. Pretty good brown. Stronger than the "english" would leave you to believe. I had too many of these. Added brown sugar and 6.7% lead to the HA the next day for sure.

Serving type: can

11-14-2011 18:54:11 | More by tbern007

drabmuh

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I believe Boatshoes sent me this can as a karma correction, served in a DFH signature glass.

Beer is brown and clear with a nice off white head of small bubbles. Decent retention, some lacing, moderate to low carbonation.

Aroma is low but roastier than I expected.

This beer is thin and a little watery with a strong back palate bitterness from roasted grain, some ash and smoke in there with a decent amount of malt leading up to it. It drinks more like an English Dark Mild than a brown but still a decent little beer.

Serving type: can

11-04-2011 17:11:51 | More by drabmuh

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The last of my haul from pokesbeerdude in the Thrice as Nice CANs BIF. Thanks, dude!

From the CAN: "Hand-Crafted Beer"; "Roasted, Malty, Aromatic"; "Ingredients Snowmelt Malt English Hops American Yeast Brown Sugar"; "Specs Hand-Crafted Aluminum Can Portable Recyclable Good".

Man, but the Crack & Glug was phenomenal resulting in two fingers of light-tan head with good retention. Color was a deep dark-brown with ruby highlights. Nose smelled of evergreen and cocoa and I may have just been inspired for some hot chocolate this winter. I used to love peppermint schnapps in my hot chocolate and I have not done that in years. Mouthfeel was thick and viscous and I'll be damned if that taste was not just like the cocoa I mentioned a moment ago! Minty chocolate. This must be a panty peeler of some stripe, I would imagine. Finish was literally breathtaking with its intense mintiness up front, followed by a soothing wash of chocolate. How many of these do I have left?

Serving type: can

10-16-2011 23:11:51 | More by woodychandler

Spider889

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this at the Colorado Rare Beer Tasting at the Rackhouse Pub on 9/28.

I was completely unfamiliar with Upslope and so went into this with zero expectations. Their rep walked out of the tasting room for 20 min at a time so when I was at a loss of what to sample I nabbed a whole can of the stuff.

Pours dark but clear. Otherwise nothing very notable.

Smells nutty and dark. This is welcoming as far as I'm concerned in an American brown.

The flavor was a little off to me though. It begins nicely enough with a bit of roast and honeyed malt. But then the roast grew and grew into some strong ashiness. This became detracting and out of place for a brown ale.

Crisp and medium bodied.

Overall this is out of style... it's a beer that wants to be a porter but is being forced to be a brown ale instead (not unlike a left-handed school child being forced to use his right hand at all costs).

Serving type: can

10-14-2011 10:04:54 | More by Spider889

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yet another canned beer provided by the
(in)famous woodychandler. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a pretty dark brown color with amber hues and a 1/2 inch head. Smell is malts, nutty, caramel. Taste is good, malts, caramel, nuts, a touch of hops is present, very flavorful. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a high quality brew worth seeking out.

Serving type: can

10-06-2011 15:09:48 | More by tone77

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

poured dark dark brown into a pink glass with almost no head at all to speak of. smells sweet and strong. notes of molasses for sure in the nose. yum. mouthfeel is off a little bit, maybe undercarbonated. not quite flat, but perhaps only a problem with the tap system and not with the beer. taste is excellent. its burnt sugars and roasted malts and alcohol. prominent sweetness in the finish, a great beer for fall. my first upslope brew, will definitely not be my last. a nice spin on the conventional brown ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 19:26:58 | More by StonedTrippin

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Mayor of Old Town, Ft. Collins, CO

Poured a pleasant mahogany with a thin off-white head. Toasty brown malts and brown sugar sweetness in the aroma. More of the same in the taste, with lots of sweetness, brown sugar and molasses, some cocoa notes, and little to no hops to speak of. I don't like many brown ales, but I did like this one. Medium-bodied, and nicely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2011 22:11:10 | More by Rifugium

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up six cans of this in Colorado Springs on the recommendation from an employee at Coaltrain Liquor.

I like cans! Pours a really nice looking crystal brown with ruby highlights and a one inch eggshell head that slowly subsides in to nothing, but leaving behind some scant lace through its short lifespan.

Smells very malty, nutty, and toasty.

Flavors abound with nuts, sweet caramel malt, baked whole grain bread, dark toasted english muffins, and finishes with a mild hoppy flash.

Medium bodied, a bit prickly, and very dry.

This is probably the best brown ale I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Should have bought a case!

Serving type: can

08-13-2011 03:04:14 | More by DelMontiac

chugalug06

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice filtered brown color with reds and blacks... Head is nice straw color. Head pour is aggressive. Nice foamy head.

S - Slight sugar malt scent... Nice roasty scent. Lots of big smooth smoke. Nice scent. Lots of pine too.

T - Very roasty and malty. Great smokey flavor. I'm not a smokey fan, but this one is done well.

M - Perfect carbonation. Great mouthfell. Well-done.

O - A little all over the board... Definitely recommended! Great brew, perfect for a hot day or a cold one...

Serving type: can

06-29-2011 02:38:03 | More by chugalug06

SamN

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a dimpled stein.

Mmmm, mouthwatering looks! A thick creamy head of dense foam sits atop a solid, dark brown liquid. Amber highlights really make this beer glow, and that head is just fantastic for a brown ale. Great looks, the prototypical brown ale. Smell is strongly aromatic; hazelnuts, creamy robust malts, a good balancing bitterness that compliments the malts perfectly. Really, this is the ideal of Perfect Balance, I've yet to taste a brown ale that blends the two flavors so perfectly. There is a delightful, long-lasting finish of coffee and toffee. Really, goddamn, this is one delicious brown ale. A little stronger at 6.7, but the alcohol is pretty well hidden in the taste, a little warming is present. Mouthfeel, however, could benefit from the lessening of carbonation. Also, the palette numbs a bit from the slightly higher strength.

Overall, this is a stand out brown ale, a stand out can beer and one of the few brown ales produced in CO. I am quite impressed by this offering from Upslope and look forward to having it again!

Serving type: can

04-23-2011 03:19:41 | More by SamN

rawfish

California

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep shade of brown, dark wood highlights all over the glass. Forms a small bit of froth on top the body that has decent retention and leaves rings of lacing down the glass.

Definitely stock brown ale, roasted malts, a touch of brown sugar, and some burnt popcorn. Little bit of hop character here mostly pine.

Robust full flavors, not exceptionally bold but the drink fills the mouth with light coffee and dark chocolate, some caramel and nutty sweetness. Roasted character lingers through out the drink. Malts are complimented with some herbal hop character and a bitter note towards the end of the drink. Rather balanced and pleasant. Honey sweetness on the aftertaste.

A touch too much carbonation, active and lively yet biting, really brings the roasted malts to peak at a near burnt level. Medium bodied with no unpleasantries in the after taste or mouth coating.

Quite a pleasant surprise for a random pick up. A very drinkable and -robust- beer comparable to it's Boulder sibling, Ellie's. Side to side I'd say they are even. Good beer, will pick up again.

Serving type: can

04-10-2011 20:41:54 | More by rawfish