Brown Ale - Upslope Brewing Company

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
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

ClassicallyTrained

New York

4.31/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a great example of an American Brown Ale and one of my favorites from Upslope. It has a nice dark-caramel color, and is not cloudy at all. The nose packs a nice punch of roasted malt with a little bit of sweetness in there. The flavor matches the nose and does not disappoint. Throughout the tasting you get the roasted malt flavor balanced with a little bit of citrus hop flavor.

I would classify this on the dry side, since there is not a lot of residual sweetness from the malts, instead more of a roasted flavor. Same flavor all the way through the beer and does not have any abnormal lingering flavors. Would definitely drink this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2013 16:05:31 | More by ClassicallyTrained

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-12-2013 00:25:55 | More by BeerForMuscle

CUBeerBuff

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-11-2013 22:23:15 | More by CUBeerBuff

BeerWizard

Colorado

3.71/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Took me a while to try this because a.) I don't usually drink stouts, porters, or browns; and b.) I'm not sure if anything could be less intriguing that a silver and green can that just says "Brown Ale" on it. But I've been liking Upslope lately so I went for it.

Poured from its rather homely little can into a Chimay goblet, it's dark brown with a quickly disappearing head. It looks pretty much like Coca Cola to me, though it's been a while since I've had one of those so maybe I'm off. Smells like a porter, with coffee, cocoa, and malty notes being strong in the nose. Not terribly impressed so far but it's OK.

The flavor is nice, and not as chocolaty as the nose gives way to. What you find is a more balanced flavor, with some bitterness, but also sweetness. Reading the can it says they use brown sugar, and I can see that. It's actually really refreshing, moderately carbonated; and at 6.7, it's not exactly a lightweight beer, but it's not going to kick your ass if you have a couple.

Overall, I like, would get again, probably would be really nice in fall.

Serving type: can

06-11-2013 02:15:59 | More by BeerWizard

augustij

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-07-2013 14:49:34 | More by augustij

jstevep00

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

06-06-2013 06:30:02 | More by jstevep00

PalatePilot

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-23-2013 20:47:28 | More by PalatePilot

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-18-2013 13:10:50 | More by SmellsofMahagony

mcaulifww

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-16-2013 17:19:03 | More by mcaulifww

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.01/5  rDev +2%
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

mttdls

New York

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%

03-08-2013 21:15:20 | More by mttdls

RudnicsMEB

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

03-05-2013 01:48:18 | More by RudnicsMEB

Stoutamus-Maximus

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

02-11-2013 04:36:33 | More by Stoutamus-Maximus

siddhartha

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

02-01-2013 00:38:49 | More by siddhartha

tswater

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

01-25-2013 00:25:30 | More by tswater

SPThirtyThree

Colorado

3.09/5  rDev -21.4%
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 +10.7%
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

blindpiggie

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

12-23-2012 17:29:21 | More by blindpiggie

CaptainClarinet

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

12-22-2012 08:40:12 | More by CaptainClarinet

budsandsuds8

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

12-17-2012 02:05:05 | More by budsandsuds8

bootsandbeer

Maryland

3/5  rDev -23.7%

12-02-2012 16:22:31 | More by bootsandbeer

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

11-29-2012 08:43:14 | More by DrinkSlurm

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +1.8%

10-21-2012 20:32:53 | More by Daniellobo

DoubleJ

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
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